 |
|
Why Recycle
The EU introduced targets to substantially reduce landfill levels in the UK from 83% in 2005 to 35% in 2020. To achieve this reduction, new complex legislation and financial instruments have also been introduced in line with The Polluter Pays Principle. These include Landfill Taxes, Packaging Waste Regulations and Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme. These waste control measures are specifically designed to increase the cost of landfill disposal and encourage waste minimization, reuse and recycling. As waste can cost UK businesses up to 4.5% of turnover (Source: WasteOnline.org 2004) many of our customers have benefited financially from adopting a greener corporate image. How does recycling help the environment? Landfill sites are the largest source of methane emissions, a leading greenhouse gas. Many scientists believe that recycling, on the other hand, contributes to slowing down the greenhouse effect and the preservation of the Earth's natural resources. Recycling aluminium cans, for instance, saves the tropical rainforests from further devastation because these areas are often mined for bauxite (the ore used to make aluminium). Recycled newsprint requires 34% less energy than using virgin pulp and recycled plastic requires 88% less energy than using virgin plastic, therefore recycling waste saves space in landfill sites and helps reduce pollution. So you can be confident that any recycling your organisation initiates will play a vital role in preserving the Environment. Is it less expensive to recycle? Yes! The introduction of annually increasing landfill taxes and rising landfill charges reflecting stringent regulations have both contributed to making recycling cheaper than disposal to landfill or incineration, in many cases. In addition new recycling technologies including Material Recycling Facilities (MRF) can allow even mixed dry waste to be processed for recycling. We have invested heavily in these technologies and are constantly developing new methodologies aimed at further reducing your costs. For example our Tradewaste service for offices achieves 80% recycling yet costs less than half the standard waste disposal service. The desktop treecycler tray is a good illustration of how a simple idea will save you money. By keeping your waste paper flat the number of sacks you require is dramatically reduced by up to a third. Determined, our focus is to reduce our customers costs by maximising the recycling of waste and avoiding landfill taxes. |
|||||||||||
The
Law demands that the first route for waste should be through waste
minimisation, reuse and recycling rather than landfill or incineration.