As suppliers of waste balers we are frequently asked questions about what can and can’t be recycled. In fact we seem to be being asked more and more these days which is great because it means the desire to recycle is growing.
Whilst the economy is spluttering into recovery mode we at Riverside Waste Machinery are hopeful that the increasing levels of awareness – amongst businesses and consumers – continues its upward trajectory.
The recent ‘Boom Britain’ news headlines suggest that we are beginning to spend a little bit more, and as is the natural progression of these things, the more we buy, the more waste we will create. It would therefore be a neat win win situation if, as we begin to consume more again, we can gear up to dispose of the resulting waste more effectively too.
Which brings us back to those questions – what can and can’t be recycled and how is best to do it? A great place to start would be to watch the excellent Throwaway Britain ITV Tonight programme which aired on 1st August. The programme is extremely informative and clearly shows that with a little more understanding a great deal can be achieved.
The programme makers surveyed 2000 people asking if they recycled, 25% said they didn’t because they were confused and didn’t really know where to start. It also shows how one enlightened local authority tackled this head on and improved its recycling rates by 50%. It simply introduced clearly labelled buckets and bins for each waste material to be collected, so residents knew exactly what could be recycled and had somewhere to store it. There was a cost of course but the local authority waste management team had calculated that the return on investment would significantly outweigh the expenditure.
If you don’t get a chance to watch the programme, here are a few tips that you might find useful:
1) Start by getting to know your waste! Have a good look at the materials you are collecting to be thrown away
2) Set up designated bins or collection areas for the different types of materials you want to dispose of e.g. paper, cardboard, plastics, aluminium cans, food, drinks bottles etc
3) Invest in the correct equipment e.g. a waste baler to ensure you collect and store your waste in the safest, most efficient and space-saving manner
4) Speak to local waste collection companies to see which materials they will collect and which you will have to take to recycling stations.
