Recycling packaging waste
Most organisations generate packaging waste. This is often discarded with the general waste, and taken away by a waste management contractor, after which, there are generally two options for disposal of packaging waste:
- Landfill (for which you will incur a landfill tax)
- Recovery / recycling (by a reprocessor)
When packaging waste is recovered or recycled by an accredited waste transfer station / recyling centre they issue a Recyling certificate. This can be either:
- passed back to the contractor
- Passed on to the client.
How to recycle packaging waste
The following factors could determine whether it is possible for your business to recycle packaging waste:
- logistics - how many sites do you have? Are they connected through current transport links?
- location - where are these sites? Is access easy? Is storage possible?
- quality - what materials do you have? Are they contaminated?
- segregation - are you able to segregate, store and bale / compact the waste?
- current waste contracts - who currently manages your waste?
The best place to start when embarking on a packaging waste recycling programme is often to discuss with Wyre Waste Management your planned programme, WWM can assist and advise a best cost effective means to meet your targets. It is also worth focusing further up the waste management hierarchy and looking at possible ways to reduce and minimise packaging.
Options available
There will usually be two options available for recycling packaging waste:
- Seek the Recycling Certificate - negotiate with Wyre Waste Management for a Recycling Certificate in return. Often, you will need a large volume of clean segregated packaging waste.
- Reduce your waste management costs - if you don't have a lot of waste and it wouldn't be beneficial to purchase a large skip you can contact Wyre Waste Management for a solutution in your waste management process.
Everyone produces waste. In fact, in England and Wales the combination of industry, commerce and household waste amounts to over 100 million tonnes annually.
Unfortunately, this is growing at around 3% each year. And while waste cannot be eliminated, we can reduce its environmental impact by preventing waste wherever possible, and making more sustainable use of the waste that is produced.
The Government set out its vision for sustainable waste management in Waste Strategy 2000, the national waste strategy. Provisional figures show that in 2004/05 English households recycled more than a fifth of their waste (approaching 23%) - one of the lowest rates in Europe - and our target is to increase this to 25% by 2005/06. We are also committed to reducing the amount of biodegradable municipal waste landfilled, in accordance with European Directives.
What is recycling?
Nearly 60 per cent of our household rubbish could be recycled or composted!
Unlike burying and burning rubbish, recycling allows materials to be used again and made into useful products. It can take as little as six weeks to turn the things you recycle into a new product, which can then be bought and recycled again! In fact, if you recycle a newspaper within seven days it could be back in your hands as a new newspaper!
Many types of material can be recycled, including glass, food and drink cans, metal, paper, cardboard, plastic, wood, clothes, food and garden waste, TVs and more.
More information from www.recycling-guide.org.uk
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