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Why is Correct Waste Management Important?

jarno@spikedm.com (Jarno Barratt) — Mon, 28 Mar 2022 08:00:20 GMT

Every person and company, regardless of industry or sector, generates waste. The number-one cause of concern regarding waste is how to properly dispose of it, which is why effective waste management is so vital. Disposing of rubbish generated in the United Kingdom poses a significant logistical challenge that must be met by local governments, municipal collections, and private businesses.

We're a team of accredited waste collection specialists that understands the problems waste might cause, as well as the importance of effective waste disposal. We place a high value on recycling and go to great measures to ensure that waste is not simply discarded but also repurposed and used for additional value.

In this blog, we'll be discussing why the proper disposal of waste is so important for businesses, and how we can help.

Importance of Effective Waste Disposal

It's no secret that landfills are harmful to the environment, and that the UK is running out of landfill space. These factors, as well as increasing pressure to recycle waste, have caused waste disposal procedures to be re-examined on a regular basis. Not only does effective waste management benefit the environment, but it also benefits people's health and wellbeing.

Effective waste management can manifest in a variety of ways, depending on the scale or scenario of waste production; for example, effective waste disposal might be as simple as individuals putting rubbish in a bin and not littering. Effective waste disposal on a larger scale may involve large waste generators ensuring that their rubbish is recycled or disposed of in an ethical and sustainable manner.

Effective Waste Disposal Methods

In the past, waste disposal methods weren't as environmentally friendly as they are today. Waste could just be buried as the population was smaller and the waste produced was largely biodegradable. However, this is no longer an option due to the waste being produced now not being as readily biodegradable, which if left at landfill sites, would harm ecosystems.

Reusing and recycling are two methods that can help to alleviate the harmful consequences of waste by lowering the amount that goes into landfill. Recycling conserves natural resources while reducing energy use (for the production of new materials). Many items can be recycled, making it a great option for dealing with waste, including plastics, as well as some that can be re-used or endlessly recycled i.e. glass or paper (if uncontaminated).

The Benefits of Proper Waste Management

Now that we've explored the importance of why businesses and individuals should properly dispose of their waste, let's take a look at the benefits that come from that:

Lowers Production Costs for Businesses

By properly disposing of waste, it allows businesses to recycle and reuse materials, which can lead to a reduction in costs. For example, a business might recycle paper or cardboard to create new products, rather than buying them from a supplier.

Can Lead to Bigger Profits for Companies

In some cases, it is possible for businesses to make a profit from their waste. A business might sell recycled materials to other companies or generate energy from waste incineration.

Prevents Environmental Damage

When rubbish isn't disposed of properly, it can leak harmful pollutants into the air, soil and water. This can cause environmental damage as well as impacting people's health negatively - proper waste disposal helps to prevent this.

Helps Preserve Natural Resources

Recycling conserves natural resources that would otherwise be used in the production of new materials. For example, recycling aluminium cans saves 95% of the energy that would be needed to produce new cans from scratch.

Waste Management Solutions

One of the first steps in helping to improve your waste management is by working with an experienced and professional waste management provider. Of course, reducing how much your business consumes and wastes is a great place to start, as well as sourcing materials that are sustainably made and can be recycled.

Waste management services will be able to take the waste that you do end up producing, and ensure that it's all disposed of in a sustainable way, recycling as much as possible, in order to help care for the planet.

There are a variety of different waste streams. Here at Materials Recovery, we have services covering the whole waste spectrum. From general waste to food waste and everything in between. We have years of experience in helping businesses streamline their waste management procedures - saving them time and money in the long run.

If your business is in need of a professional and cost-effect waste management solution, get in touch with our experts today - we'll be able to help.

How Does Recycling Reduce Pollution?

jarno@spikedm.com (Jarno Barratt) — Wed, 16 Mar 2022 12:45:07 GMT

Every day, we produce waste - it’s unavoidable. But what if there was a way to reduce the amount of pollution caused by waste? Recycling is the answer.

When you recycle, you're preventing valuable resources from being wasted. Not only does this save energy and money, it also reduces pollution. By recycling, we aren't having to make new products from virgin materials, we can simply repurpose what we already have - preserving the finite resources we have on Earth.

Through the production of new materials, various forms of pollution are created - which is one of the driving factors in climate change. As you can see, the need for recycling is obvious.

In this blog, we'll be discussing how recycling various materials can help decrease the amount of pollution created, and why that's so important for the sustainability of our planet.

What are the Biggest Causes of Pollution?

Firstly, let's find out some of the main causes of pollution:

Industrial and Manufacturing Emissions

Emissions from industrial facilities and manufacturing operations come in first place, especially those like tanneries, lead smelting, mining and ore processing, as well as chemical and product production. Many of these industries use numerous hazardous chemicals containing elements such as cadmium, lead, mercury, and chromium to create the final product.

Some of these chemicals can end up in underground water and soil, poisoning the water we drink and the food we eat. By-products of such manufacturing processes include air pollution from various gases that contribute to global warming, including carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and sulphur dioxide.

Combustion of Fossil Fuels

The most significant cause of smog clouds and poor air quality in cities is fossil fuel combustion. This comprises both power plants that burn fossil fuels to produce heat and automobile emissions. Carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, lead, dust particles, and volatile organic compounds are released into the air as a result of the combustion, forming smog clouds that plague many major cities across the world.

Agriculture

Agriculture is also a major polluter. Both agricultural production and livestock farming contribute to pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. The use of pesticides and fertilisers is almost required in every crop growth.

These pesticides are dangerous to the environment if not used correctly, which happens more often than it should. They can pollute soils, underground waters, and kill wildlife, disrupting entire ecosystems. Raising cows for food produces 14.5% of all greenhouse gases in terms of emissions and contributes significantly to global methane levels rising.

How Does Recycling Help to Reduce Pollution?

Now that we understand the extent at which we're polluting our environment, let's explore how the steps we're taking in terms of recycling can reduce those effects.

Recycling can't fix the problems caused by fossil fuel combustion and pollution in agriculture, but it can assist to mitigate them. Plastic manufacturing and mining operations include extracting and processing minerals like oil, aluminium, lead, copper, and other metals. This results in significant environmental damage - both air and soil as well as water.

Recycling, in particular metals, can significantly reduce pollution as they don't deteriorate much with time and can be recycled many times. Increasing recycling rates reduces the amount of raw materials required and removes a significant portion of the processing from the equation. Using recycled aluminium, for example, saves approximately 95% of the energy needed to make aluminium from scratch.

A similar story can be told about plastics. Replacing a bottle with one composed of recycled plastic reduces the cost by 60 percent. Because recycling saves energy and water, it also indirectly lowers pollution by reducing contaminated water and pollutants produced during energy production.

Recycling can also help to minimise the need to deplete natural resources. Currently, 79% of total plastic waste is disposed of in landfills, with only 9% recycled. Single-use plastic bottles and packaging are major contributors to this waste, which mostly comprises recyclable plastics such as PET and HDPE. Plastic recycling rates will reduce a significant amount of pollution in our environment, especially in the oceans, while lowering manufacturing costs for new goods that preserve Earth's natural resources.

Recycling Services for Environmentally Conscious Businesses

If you're an environmentally conscious business, it's important to have a recycling service that can help reduce your company's waste footprint. Materials Recovery offers comprehensive recycling services for businesses of all sizes - from small office buildings to large manufacturing complexes.

Our team will work with you to develop a customised recycling plan that meets the specific needs of your business and helps keep your workplace green.

So don't hesitate, play your part in the preservation of our environment, and get in touch today!

What Happens to Our Recycling in the UK?

jarno@spikedm.com (Jarno Barratt) — Mon, 21 Feb 2022 09:00:03 GMT

Have you ever wondered what actually happens to your recycling? In this article, we'll be discussing where your paper, metal, glass, and plastic recycling goes once it has been picked up.

Recyclables are collected from your house in two ways. There are kerbside "sort" programs where recyclables are classified into their various materials by the householders and normally collected on separate or multi-chamber vehicles; and co-mingled collections, in which your whole recycling is put into a single compartment before being taken to a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF).

All the mixed recycling is then categorised by hand or machine (or both) at the MRF before being sent to manufacturers who turn it into new goods. Recycled materials become valuable commodities in the global market once they've been collected and sorted.

What is Recycled in the UK?

Paper and card account for the majority of what is recycled, with around 68% of all paper being turned into new paper products. Glass makes up most of the remainder, with around 76% being recycled into new bottles and jars. Metal is recycled at a rate of over 59%, while plastic has the lowest recycling rate at just 16%.

So, it's important that we recycle as much as possible to keep this industry thriving. It's also great for the environment – every tonne of recycled plastic saves 5,774 kWh of energy, 16.3 barrels of oil, and 30 cubic yards of landfill space!

If you're a business owner and keen to do your bit, then make sure to get in touch with us today here at Materials Recovery so that we can facilitate your whole recycling process so that you can become more sustainable and environmentally friendly.

Does the UK Export Recyclable Materials?

Because they do not have readily accessible sources of virgin materials (no indigenous forests or oil supplies) and have a large manufacturing sector that demands them, countries such as China and European Countries are prepared to pay high prices for recyclables like waste plastic.

It's better for the environment to export our recyclables than to use virgin, raw materials even though exporting our waste means a greater recycling loop since recyclable items will be carried further.

Recyclable Materials

Now, let's have a look at where each type of recyclable materials goes and what happens to them once they've been collected:

Paper

When paper arrives at the mill, it is loaded into a de-inker, which uses a chemical washing technique to remove ink from paper fibres. After de-inking, the paper is blended with water and solvents in a big blender called a "pulper." The pulp slurry is the end result of this process.

The pulp slurry is then transported to a huge washing machine that spins it at high speeds, removing any undesirable particles. The clean pulp then goes on to a press, where it is wound into rolls.

Paper, unlike other recyclables, degrades each time it is recycled, making it impossible to continually use to generate new paper. However, it can still be used as insulation for houses and to make toilet paper!

Metal

Metals are sent to a metal mill after leaving the MRF. The recycled materials are then transformed into a liquid at temperatures of up to 1538° C. Metal bars called "ingots" are formed from the molten metal, which is then cast into moulds before being transported to manufacturers who use it in everything from aluminium cans to file cabinets, tin foil, and even bridges.

Plastic

On the underside of most recyclable plastic products, you’ll find a number. Each kind of plastic is assigned a number from one to seven, with every number representing what kind of plastic the bottle is made from. For more information on what the different recycling numbers mean - check out our blog on this very subject here .

When recyclable plastic comes into a reclaiming facility, it must be classified according to its number. The most frequent type of plastic is #1 (polyethylene), which is used in the production of products like water bottles.

Plastic is crushed, then sorted, and sent down a conveyor belt before being fed into a grinder. It's similar to plastic flakes in that it's broken down into tiny pieces. The flakes/regrind are introduced to a heat extrusion and transformed into a compound polymer. The resulting polymer can be used to manufacture new items including garden chairs, rubbish bins, and carpets.

Glass

Recycled glass may be in a variety of sizes and forms when it arrives at the reclaiming facility. The first step is to reduce all of the glass to "cullet" or tiny pieces.

Before being processed, Cullet is either sent directly to glass manufacturers or put into a furnace where it's melted down and reused. Glass doorknobs, floor tiles, garden ornaments, and jewellery beads are all examples of items created from recycled glass.

There are many ways to recycle different types of materials. It's important that we all do our part to help preserve our environment. By recycling, we can keep valuable resources from being wasted and ultimately save energy and money. Let's all work together to make a difference!

Food Waste in 2022

jarno@spikedm.com (Jarno Barratt) — Mon, 07 Feb 2022 14:17:09 GMT

We've all been guilty of leaving some leftovers on our plates at one time or another, whether you're eating out and aren't enjoying your meal or trying to avoid eating your vegetables. While this problem may appear to be insignificant, food waste is a global environmental issue that must be addressed immediately - here's why.

What is Food Waste and Why is it a Problem?

Food waste is the food that has been thrown away without being consumed. It can be either raw or cooked, and it's usually a result of oversupply from restaurants, cafés , supermarkets, and so on. This means that not only are we wasting resources by producing more than needed in order to make money off customers who will then throw their leftovers out after eating; but also taking up space in landfills with biodegradable material which could have otherwise been used for something else! However if we look at this problem from another angle - there's an even bigger issue here: our planet cannot sustain all its people when they're living such wasteful lifestyles.

Food waste is a significant concern due to the amount created each year. In reality, in the UK alone, we discard 9.5 million tons of food waste every year. The majority of food waste ends up in a landfill site, which is already overcrowded. While many people don't consider this to be an issue because food items naturally decompose over time, it contributes significantly to global warming.

This is due to food waste releasing a large quantity of methane gas as it decomposes. According to data from the EPA, methane is 25 times more harmful than carbon dioxide because it can trap heat in the atmosphere.

What are the Main Causes of Food Waste?

The main causes of food waste are:

Buying too much food and not using it in time
Preparing more than needed for a meal and leftovers being thrown away
Restaurants, cafés and supermarkets oversupplying dishes or products which leads to them being wasted.
Consumer's lack of awareness of expiration dates, leaving food to go bad instead of being consumed.

Food Waste Facts of the Previous Year (2021)

The total amount of food wasted was 1.3 billion tonnes, which is about one third of the food produced.
The United Kingdom generated over 9.5 million tons of food waste, with 70% coming from households.
The most frequent type of food waste in the UK is fresh vegetables and salad. In the UK, 28% of all food waste comes from vegetables and salad.
On average, a British family discards approximately £810 worth of food each year.
The amount of carbon generated by wasted food in the United Kingdom is comparable to that released by one fifth of the country's vehicles on the road.

How Can We Reduce Food Waste?

Fortunately, there are a variety of methods to reduce food waste. Here are some great examples of how we can go about it:

At Home

Every day, in our homes, we produce food waste. However, it can be significantly reduced by:

Organising your meals ahead of time so that you understand exactly what you'll consume from the shop and don't waste money on items that won't be consumed.
Consider cooking larger quantities of food in bulk and storing any leftovers for later.
Set up a compost heap in your garden.
Regularly cleaning out your fridge, keeping track of all expiration dates.

At Supermarkets

It's believed that approximately 30 million people could be fed with the UK's total food waste each year. Supermarkets have an obligation to minimise food waste as much as possible owing to this. This can be done by doing the following:

Make sure your staff is educated on how to prevent food waste.
Keeping track of inventory to ensure that everything purchased is sold.
Produce that is not aesthetically appealing, but still edible, should be sold and eaten - rather than discarding it.
Donate any extra waste to charity.

As you can see, food waste is a big concern for our environment and our planet's sustainability - but we have the tools to reduce it. Food waste is an increasing problem in the UK, affecting a wide range of industries. This is especially true as so much food goes into rubbish bins rather than being eaten. As a result, having an effective and dependable food waste management solution , that we offer here at Materials Recovery , is critical for businesses, ranging from grocery stores to restaurants.

How to Reduce Food Waste

jarno@spikedm.com (Jarno Barratt) — Mon, 31 Jan 2022 09:42:45 GMT

Food waste has become one of the biggest modern problems. The UK alone produces around 14 million tonnes of food waste every year according to the European Commission, which is around twice the amount of Sweden and Spain.

The amount of food we waste and how we dispose of it needs to become less impactful on the environment to increase sustainability efforts. In this blog, we will be discussing where food is wasted, how we can waste less food, tips on how to reduce food waste, and how to properly dispose of food waste.

Where is Food Wasted?

Food can be wasted in various steps throughout the transportation, consumption and disposal process including:

Before they are even brought to market, misshapen, marked, discoloured or otherwise abnormal-sized fruit and vegetables that do not meet the requirements of the marketplace are discarded.
During transportation, food can become spoiled.
Both businesses and ourselves at home throw out offcuts and products past their sell-by dates. (In developed countries, this is the most food wasted).
Uneaten food that has already been cooked is binned.

How Can We Waste Less Food?

We are completely capable of reducing our food waste if we make these small changes to our relationship with food:

We should eat all shapes and sizes of fruit and vegetables. When choosing your produce from the supermarket, don't be put off by the appearance of fruit and veg.
Companies can use 'ugly' produce in their products: in drinks, jams, chutneys, hummus, and snacks.
We should use it to produce additional resources: a growing amount of food waste is now being sent to compost sites or anaerobic digestion facilities, where it is broken down and converted into gases, providing a renewable energy source.

You should also consider composting any waste at home, which has even more benefits if you have a fruit or vegetable patch.

5 Great Tips to Cut Down on Food Waste

Don't go overboard. Keep track of what you've purchased and used. Take a "shelfie" – a photo of your refrigerator and cupboards to keep you aware of what's available.
When you buy fresh food, be sure to check the use-by dates. Rather than relying on best-before dates, pay attention to these dates. Only acquire what you can consume before it passes its expiration date.
Prepare ahead of time. Consider what you'll be eating throughout the week and how you'll use any leftovers.
Get to know your grocer. They'll be able to tell you how to use up any leftovers.
Freeze your food. Use your free time to batch-cook and freeze meals.

What to Do With Food Waste

Some food waste can be turned into compost or fertiliser. However, it is more common that the food will end up in landfills where it has a huge impact on the environment, which emphasises our duty to reduce our own food waste.

It's important to note that businesses and institutions are legally obliged to dispose of their food waste properly under The Duty of Care Regulations, but individuals are also encouraged by many local authorities to follow this duty as well so that they have somewhere responsible for disposing of their own personal household organic wastes, which includes any leftover foods from cooking at home.

Companies like ourselves here at Materials Recovery provide expert and professional food waste management services . Our services ensure that food waste is disposed of in the most environmentally friendly way possible.

What Do the Different Recycling Numbers Mean?

jarno@spikedm.com (Jarno Barratt) — Mon, 10 Jan 2022 14:58:30 GMT

The number inside the three arrow triangle recycling symbol at the bottom of most plastic containers is a reference to the material used in its construction. Plastics are built from a variety of molecules, and as a result, they must be separated because they don't mix when recycled.

The recycling numbers are a standard way of classifying different forms of plastic, allowing recyclers to sort items more easily.

The numbers 1 - 7 are the recycling code. Occasionally, beneath the numbers, you'll see the abbreviations for the type of plastic (PETE, HDPE, etc). The most widely accepted plastics for recycling are numbers 1 and 2; they're used to make a lot of common plastic containers. A list of the numbers, complete names of the plastics they represent, and some examples of typical containers made with that material follows below:

Number 1 - PETE - Poly(ethylene terephthalate)

Even if you haven't heard the term "polyethylene terephthalate" (PET or PETE), you've undoubtedly used this kind of plastic. It's the most frequently recycled of all, and it can be found in Soft drink containers, plastic water bottles, food

tray packaging and certain Textiles, among other things.

Number 2 - HDPE - High-Density Polyethylene

HDPE, or high-density polyethylene, is the code for this material. This plastic is used to make milk bottles, detergent bottles, butter tubs, car oil bottles and drums, oil tanks, wheelie bins and some shopping bags. It’s a little more durable than PET and nearly as widespread; though its use in packaging is depleting.

Number 3 - V - Poly(vinyl chloride)

PVC is most known for its usage in plumbing, but it's not the only plastic number 3 product. PVC can also be found in cooking oil and shampoo bottles, medical tubing, and drainage pipes, furniture and door skins, among other things.

Number 4 - LDPE - Low-Density Polyethylene

LDPE, or low-density polyethylene, is the alternative to HDPE. LDPE is most often used in shrink wrap, dry cleaning bags, grocery bags, bread bags, and frozen food bags.

Number 5 - PP - Polypropylene

Polypropylene, or PP, has a high melting temperature that makes it ideal for keeping hot liquids. PP is also predominantly used in transit packaging like crates, rigid trays, bread trays and used in children’s toys, buckets and butter tubs. Its increasing use makes it a polymer that is in high demand.

Number 6 - PS - Polystyrene

Polystyrene (PS) is an extremely versatile material. It can be molded into a soft foam, such as packing white goods, or molded into a sturdy CD case. Take-out containers, disposable plates and silverware, aspirin bottles, yoghurt pots, and egg cartons are all made of PS.

Number 7 - Other

The name of this plastic isn't particularly long or scientific, since plastic number 7 is more of a catch-all category that includes everything that didn't fit into the prior six categories. Because it's such a vague category, don't expect your local recycling facility to gather these plastics.

However, you should double-check your local recycling laws on all of these plastics since different cities and areas have varying regulations. You can safely assume that all recyclers will take PP and HDPE (plastics 2 and 5), but it gets vaguer with the other plastics.

Find out what's accepted in your recycling container by consulting your local authority's website. For further information on this topic, or if you are looking for plastic recycling services , please don't hesitate to get in touch with our experts at Materials Recovery today.

How Does Recycling Help the Environment?

Mon, 27 Dec 2021 16:15:05 GMT

With climate change and global warming becoming more and more of a reality every year, the need for individuals and companies to take action is becoming increasingly necessary. One of the actions that we can take to reduce our negative impact on the environment is to recycle .

The UK Government understands the importance of recycling and has set targets to recycle 65% of municipal waste by 2035. We should all aim to reduce our impact on the environment, so within this blog, we'll outline some of the main benefits that recycling has on our planet.

Conserving Natural Resources

All of our natural resources are finite, and some are becoming increasingly scarce. Recycling has different benefits depending on the type of material that is being recycled such as:

Paper and Wood

Recycling paper and wood helps decrease the rate of deforestation. It is true that we can plant more trees, however, the rate at which we are felling trees is far outweighing the amount that we are planting. Every year, over ten billion more trees are cut down than are planted. This is a detrimental contributor to the C02 emissions that are worsening our climate crisis.

Plastic

Many plastics are made from fossil fuel hydrocarbons, and obviously fossil fuels are a finite resource, therefore if we recycle plastic ; it means not having to use an already scarce material.

Metal

There is no mining of metal ore required when recycling metals, which means that there is less of an impact on the environment from extracting and processing these virgin materials.

Glass

Recycling glass reduces the need to use new sand, which is the main ingredient in the production of glass, which is beneficial as the amount of some types of sand is starting to decrease around the world.

Conservation of Wildlife

Recycling lowers the need to produce, harvest, or extract new materials and therefore reduces the harmful impact on the natural environment: fewer forests are cut down, rivers diverted, wild animals disturbed or relocated, and less water, soil and air pollution.

Also, if our plastic waste isn't appropriately recycled, it can be blown or washed into rivers and seas all the way across the world, polluting coastlines and waterways and becoming a problem for everyone.

Decreases the Impact on Vulnerable Communities

The increasing demand for new goods and services has resulted in an increase in the number of the world's poorest and most vulnerable people (such as those living near forests or river systems) being pushed from their homes or otherwise exploited. Forest communities can be evicted because of the search for cheap wood, and rivers can be contaminated by manufacturing waste.

Recycling existing goods is far more preferable to destroying someone else's community or property in the hunt for new raw materials.

Saves Energy

Recycled materials need less energy to manufacture than raw materials. In some cases the difference in energy needed is huge. For example:

It takes far less energy to produce recycled aluminium products, than to produce aluminium goods from raw materials. For example, producing recycled cans and foil uses 95% less energy than making it from new. And for steel, it is about a 70% saving on energy.
40% less energy is required to make paper from pulped recycled paper than from virgin wood fibres.

Reduces Carbon Emissions

As previously mentioned, recycling materials uses less energy than sourcing new raw materials. Because of this, it produces lower carbon emissions and prevents potentially methane-releasing waste out of landfill sites.

Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases should be reduced to help prevent the devastating effect of global warming.

As you can see, the benefits of recycling are plenty. It is, as individuals or companies, our duty to take action and reduce the impact that our consumption and activities have on the environment.

How Does Recycling Save Money for Businesses?

jarno@spikedm.com (Jarno Barratt) — Mon, 20 Dec 2021 14:00:08 GMT

Businesses strive to minimise expenditures at every stage of their operations in order to maximise earnings. Sometimes all a company needs to look at is its waste management in order to save money and improve profits.

You could be losing money by ignoring your waste management plan. Recycling for businesses is a rarely utilised method of reducing waste and saving money.

So let's take a look at how recycling can be used to save your business money.

Disposal Costs are Reduced

Diverting any amount of waste from your rubbish bin is a quick and easy way to decrease your waste removal costs.

It is important to keep in mind that waste disposal fees are completely reliant on how often your business requires pick-ups and the amount of waste generated. You'll almost certainly lower your company's overall quantity of rubbish sent to the landfill by establishing a commercial recycling program. As a result, waste collection frequency decreases, lowering hauling costs for both you and your haulers.

You might be shocked at how much of the rubbish taking up valuable room in your waste bin is actually recyclable. Companies, like ourselves here at Materials Recovery, can provide a free waste audit to see how much of your waste can be recycled.

Increasing Product Life Cycles

Businesses can save money on regularly-purchased items by prioritising recycling and waste reduction, for example, buying reusable goods like glassware might help your office cut back on its frequent purchase of single-use plastic cups.

Aside from switching to reusable goods instead of single-use, businesses can also fully replace any new purchases with reused materials. Consider repurposing cardboard boxes for your next shipment or using them for office storage, as an example. Alternatively, save your shredded paper and use it as shipping padding.

The bottom line is, by focusing on commercial recycling, you'll save money on supplies and you'll need to buy new items less frequently.

Sell Valuable Recyclables

Some recycling programs, on the other hand, not only reduce waste management expenditures but might even make businesses money. A lot of the waste that your business generates may be sold to recycling plants as a source of extra income.

You should inspect the type of waste your company generates now so that you can start to spot any potential valuable materials.

There are a few different materials that can be sold to recyclers including:

Paper waste (scrap paper and cardboard)
Metals (aluminium, copper, steel can all be recycled for a profit)
Electronics (electronic devices, either whole or disassembled, can be sold to recyclers)

Remain Compliant and Avoid Fines

Recycling for businesses also shields you from the shifting requirements of business waste management.

Waste disposal regulations are generally handled on a local level and have an immediate impact on businesses in the region. Your company may be at risk of breaking waste rules in various areas, including:

Mandatory recycling laws
Regulations for electronic waste
The disposal of hazardous waste

By focusing on the correct sorting and recycling of all materials, you eliminate any potential regulatory concerns or errors.

Optimising your company's waste streams right now can also provide you with a solid basis to weather any potential future regulations.

Many businesses see waste management as a cost that must be accepted. However, every company can take measures to improve its waste streams, boost recycling rates, and decrease expenses by simply making small changes.

At Materials Recovery , we can help you along every step of the way. Our fully comprehensive recycling services will alleviate you of the need to manage your own waste management, so don't hesitate, and get in touch today.

What Can Go into Each Type of Recycling Bin?

jarno@spikedm.com (Jarno Barratt) — Wed, 15 Dec 2021 09:36:43 GMT

Recycling has grown to be a part of everyday life, but with so many various recycling bin colours in the UK to pick from, the process can be confusing.

What should you do with things like old lightbulbs, aerosols, and other rubbish? Most of us have figured out how to recycle plastic bottles, aluminium cans, paper , and glass, however, it remains perplexing where to put some of our other types of waste. In this blog, we look at recycling bin colours in the UK and what you should put in them, as well as what you shouldn't.

Using Recycling Bins Correctly

It's understandable why we're all confused, because there are so many different colour options for recycling bins in the United Kingdom, but assistance is at hand. All councils have instructions on what recycling containers you are entitled to, when they are collected, and what should be placed in them. If you have any questions, go to your council's website and become more eco-friendly by Reusing, Reducing, and Recycling as much as possible.

Black Bins/Recycling Bins

Black wheelie bins are used in many regions of the UK for non-recyclable rubbish, such as food waste. If you don't have a separate food waste container in your area, you may use these bins to collect all non-recyclable domestic trash, if necessary.

If you have a black recycling bin or box though, you should use it to collect plastic bottles, pots, tubs, and trays (including food and drink cans with aluminium lids), and metal foil containers (including kitchen foil).

There are certain things you can't put in your black wheelie bins or black recycling boxes, so check with your local council for a complete list of exemptions or visit their website.

Blue Recycling Bins

In the United Kingdom, dry recyclables are commonly collected in blue recycling bins. These recyclables include:

Cardboard
Paper
Egg boxes
Drink and food cans
Newspaper and magazines
Cereal boxes

Some authorities, however, use red recycling containers instead of blue ones. Others may use both colours, so ask your local authority if you're unsure.

Red Recycling Bins

Red recycling bins are generally used for plastics, although many authorities will allow you to recycle plastics in your ‘dry' bin, regardless of colour. If you have a red recycling container, it may be used for the following:

Plastic bottles
Yoghurt pots
Empty cleaning product bottles
Food rays

However, all plastics aren't the same, and this is where most people don't understand. The following materials should not be recycled and should instead be disposed of in your black wheelie bin:

Plastic carrier bags
Polystyrene
Hard plastics such as coat hangers
Plastic wrapping and packaging

Brown Recycling Bins

If you have a brown recycling bin, you're undoubtedly curious what all the commotion is about. Brown recycling bins are for mixed recyclables such as:

Drinks cans
Aerosols
Tin foil
Glass bottles
Plastic bottles
Food tins

However, this isn't the case in every location. Organic garden waste and food waste are only accepted in specific regions of the country. Again, this is slightly confusing, but you can quickly discover more about it from your local council.

Green Recycling Bins

Green recycling bins, which are not the same as green garden waste wheelie bins, are generally used to collect glass recyclables such as bottles and jars, although many municipalities use green recycling bins for dry recyclables as well.

If you have a green food waste recycling bin, you should recycle it for all kinds of domestic food waste, such as:

Teabags
Coffee grounds
Meat bones
Cooked food leftovers
Fruit and vegetable peelings
Fish bones

Recycling food waste has numerous environmental advantages, and by diverting organic materials from landfills and converting them into energy and fertiliser, we can reduce our CO2 emissions.

Yellow Recycling Bins

Recycling textiles, such as clothing and bed linens, is collected in yellow recycling bins. You aren't likely to come across one of these at home, although they may be found at your local recycling center. Textile recycling bins are sometimes orange in color, although they're generally easy to recognize owing to their distinctive apertures.

Grey Recycling Bins

It's a grey area when it comes to grey recycling bins. Some councils use them for general household waste rather than black wheelie bins, while others utilise them for ‘dry' recyclables like paper and food containers or mixed recyclable trash. Check with your local government about this.

Purple Recycling Bins

Purple recycling bins are becoming increasingly common across the country, but no one knows what to do with them because they are still relatively new in the field of recycling. In Liverpool, for example, your purple recycling container will be used for general household waste, food waste, and pet food; whereas in Ayrshire, purple recycling containers are only for recyclable materials such as glass, plastics, cans, and cartons.

How to Recycle Your Christmas Tree and Christmas Cards

jarno@spikedm.com (Jarno Barratt) — Sun, 12 Dec 2021 10:19:50 GMT

Have you been wondering how to recycle your Christmas tree and holiday cards? Whether you have an artificial Christmas tree or one that came from a Christmas tree farm, there are several options for safely disposing of it in a manner that is beneficial to the environment.

It's simple to recycle Christmas cards with your local curb side collection program. Furthermore, each year certain businesses and department stores offer recycling services, so check out what's available where you live.

Recycling Christmas Trees with the Roots Intact

It's feasible to replant a Christmas tree with roots still on it as the tree can grow in your garden or in a pot.

If you received your tree in a pot from your supplier, replant it in a larger container with fresh compost and keep it in your garden all year. This is not only good for the environment, but it also means that next Christmas, you'll be able to bring your tree inside again to decorate.

Recycling Christmas Trees Without Roots

If you purchased a felled tree this year, you must make sure it is disposed of in your local council's Christmas tree recycling program (you can check this on their website). It usually entails drop-off locations or collections. These trees are generally chipped and turned into compost.

If your council doesn't offer Christmas tree recycling in January, the ideal alternative is to drop it off at the tip's garden waste section.

Unfortunately, because Christmas trees are typically a non-native species, the Woodland Trust does not accept them as donations.

So there's no need to contribute seasonal waste to the landfill, which is harmful to the environment and actually against council rules. We should all aim to make our January more environmentally friendly.

Recycling Artificial Trees

Artificial Christmas trees, on the other hand, are not the greenest choice. Artificial trees are constructed of a variety of materials and hence cannot be recycled. If you do choose to have an artificial tree, make sure it can be reused each year. This will aid in the reduction of waste and make your home more environmentally responsible.

Why You Need to Recycle Your Christmas Cards

Recycling is a wonderful method to help protect the environment. When we recycle, we minimise water pollution and air contaminants. This is because when we recycle, no new raw materials, which are finite, are required. We also save energy by recycling, which lowers greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change.

Recycling is also a practice that can be done by everyone. It doesn't take much effort to recycle paper or plastic , for example. We all have the power to make the world better by recycling.

Where Can You Recycle Your Christmas Cards?

Because most Christmas cards are made of paper, they can be recycled with ease. They can be recycled at your own home's recycling collection or taken to local recyclable collection sites, such as household waste recycling centres or collection banks in supermarket car parks.

It's important to remove any extra decorations from your Christmas cards, such as glitter or bows, before recycling them.

Reuse Cards Before They are Recycled

Recycling your Christmas cards is a good first step — but before it's recycled, there's a lot of life left in a card with a nice design.

The most basic technique to repurpose Christmas cards is to turn them into gift tags. To create these tags, cut the design from the card's decorative front using scissors or a paper guillotine.

When creating these tags, consider the design's aspects and try to reframe them as little pictures on their own. For example, a snowy street scene might include people walking, a mailbox, and a tree - try to split these into three separate gift tags.

Use a hole punch to make a hole in the tag's top corner, then thread some nice string or wool through it to tie it onto a present. This is another fantastic chance to recycle materials since you just require a small amount of string or ribbon: gather the ties from the gift tags you received and reuse them, matching their colours to the most complimentary gift tags.

Another innovative approach to reusing your Christmas cards is to turn them into new Christmas cards for the next year. All you need are old Christmas cards, scissors, a colourful card, and some glue to get started. Make your cards together with your family every December for a new family tradition.

£500 Donation To Help Replant Trees Attacked By Vandals

jarno@spikedm.com (Jarno Barratt) — Wed, 07 Jul 2021 08:31:36 GMT

Materials Recovery has donated £500 to The Friends of Bilbrook after fruit trees were vandalised three times.

Pic in Codsall in Jubilee Wood , a woodland created by the community and ‘ Friends of Bilbrook ’. They had been planting fruit trees in a community orchard but sadly a number of the trees have been vandalised, but company: Materials Recovery Ltd , have donated cash for new trees. At the front is L-R: Keri Lloyd from Friends of Bilbrook and Updesh Gidda from Materials Recovery Ltd, then at the back, also from Mat’ Rec’ ltd is: David Lloyd with local children: Jeremy Rose 11, Sadie Gidda 9, Joel Gidda 12 and Tilly Rose 9..

The Friends of Bilbrook planted 13 fruit trees but six have since been destroyed.

But Materials Recovery Limited has now handed £500 to the group, which will go towards the trees and also be spent on other projects.

Keri Lloyd, from The Friends of Bilbrook, said: “It will certainly pay for some of our trees but will pay for other projects too.

“We’ve had trees vandalised. We created a community orchard in our community woodlands, but we planted 13 fruit trees for people to help themselves to the fruit but six have been destroyed.

“Either they’ve been snapped or pulled out of the ground over three separate incidents.

“We’re not sure who does it but there is always littering so it’s probably the same people who decide to wreck everything.”

He said Materials Recovery Limited “gave us a lot of money, it’s very good.

“We can’t plant the trees until the winter now, but they had been growing quite a bit of blossom so we thought there might have been fruit this year.

“It was a huge disappointment to see they were vandalised and we’ve been having a rethink about where to put them.

“We’re a very active group, we do a lot of stuff, we’ve created a woodland which now needs management so it will pay for that.”