Cardboard recycling isn’t going away

Let’s face it, it’s frustrating to see that your paper and cardboard recycling hasn’t been collected. Either you put in the wrong type of cardboard or the waste was contaminated somehow. Or maybe there was a sheet of cardboard paper sticking out the top.

With so many rules, it’s tempting not to bother. After all, who will notice if some paper and cardboard is in the household bin? But the fact remains that cardboard recycling is a growth industry. One that can help regenerate the UK post Brexit. And contribute to the economy after the devastating effects of Covid-19.

Cardboard recycling creates jobs

Recycling is a labour-intensive process that involves a whole host of activities. For example, collection crews are needed to pick up the waste. Then what arrives at the plant must be sorted into piles that are acceptable for processing.

This processing needs human hands and supervision. Plus, then there is the administration required. Waste needs to be logged, recorded, and tracked. All in accordance with trade waste legislation.

Another area that isn’t often considered is the sales of recycled waste to global markets. Recycled cardboard used to go to China, but since they declined UK produce, we must find other markets to export to.

Sales and administration teams are needed to manage this process. And there is the huge scale of the logistics required. After all, drivers and officers are needed to transport the waste according to the various laws and permits.

As you can see, a whole industry exists. And compared to industry that surrounds, say, coal, this is one that’s good for the environment. Lots of jobs are created, which helps boost and sustain our economy.

Covid-19 has decimated many industries around the country. Therefore, cardboard recycling is a great opportunity to help the UK get back on its feet.

It’s estimated that if the US manages to recycle 75% of the waste it produces by 2030, it will create an extra 1.1 million jobs. The same goes for the UK. If we want to increase economic stability and growth, recycling cardboard is the way to go.

It reduces the size of landfill

Do you want to live next to a land-fill site? Let’s face it, none of us would like that on our doorstep. And yet, the number of tonnes of paper and cardboard sent to landfill in the UK has doubled over the last decade.

Additionally, our options for exporting it are becoming limited. Recently China banned recycled exports from the UK because of the harm it poses.

Worse, if we don’t reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill, we could run out of landfill capacity by 2022. Recent data published by the TFR Group shows 45.4 million tonnes of waste is dumped in UK landfills every year. This will fill the UK’s existing landfill void capacity in the next twelve months, based on current trends.

Landfills aren’t just ugly and foul-smelling. They’re also expensive to build, maintain, and they take up a lot of space. Then there’s the septic systems to consider. Ultimately, landfills pose a large risk to health. They risk toxic substances being released into the air, land, and local water supply.

For every tonne of cardboard, we reduce the space taken up at landfill by three cubic yards. Since we left the EU, the onus is on us to prove we can take good care of ourselves and our environment. Plus become one of the countries with the smallest amount of landfill sites. After all, we all have our part to play and kick-start a recycling revolution.

Reduce greenhouse gases

When cardboard waste reaches landfill, it’s broken down slowly by the elements. This means that methane gas is released into the atmosphere. Methane is a greenhouse gas, and as such, a known contributing factor to the effects of climate change.

If cardboard is sent to a recycling plant, however, the cardboard can be reused. Then turned into the usual kind of recycled cardboard materials we see. These include paper towels, cereal boxes, and writing paper. Of course, methane is released. But much less than if it was simply sent to landfill.

Save energy

Reducing the amount of energy used nationally means we place less strain on the environment. So, put simply, recycling cardboard means that we don’t cut down as many trees. Further to that, it’s estimated that we use 25% less energy because the material is already formed.

Even better, we don’t need to use as many chemicals in the treatment process.

Plants that produce virgin cardboard might use less energy from the grid. But this is because the trees made into paper and cardboard are converted into energy for production.

However, that figure is quickly negated during the actual process. When it comes to packaging, recycled cardboard cuts 25% off our energy consumption.

Save trees

It’s estimated that for every tree cut down, 151 cardboard boxes are produced. With Amazon delivering 1.6 million packages a day, the retail giant needs to cut over 10,000 trees every 24 hours. And that’s just for Amazon. Let’s not forget that millions of other companies that exist the world over. All of whom need cardboard to ship their products.

With 46% of the world’s trees now gone, our planet can’t sustain that rate of consumption. Trees create the air we breathe and support the ecosystems that give us life. If we want to ensure that we have enough breathable air for our children, we must reduce the number of trees we cut down.

According to estimates, for every tonne of cardboard we recycle, we save 17 trees. Last year the UK saved 2 million tonnes of recycled cardboard. So, that’s the equivalent of 34 million trees. Which goes some way to offsetting the 15 billion cut down each year globally.

But as you can see, more needs to be done. Which is why cardboard recycling has become so important.

Wide range of benefits

Remember, for every tonne of recycled paper or cardboard, we can save 17 trees. Plus 4,000 kilowatts of energy, and three cubic yards of landfill. And we’re not talking about saving, either. Hundreds of thousands of jobs are created.

Our planet’s resources aren’t infinite. And our economy is fragile. With landfill space reducing and the country recovering after Covid, we should all become part of a recycling revolution.

ECO are passionate about being part of the solution. That’s why we encourage our customers to provide as much cardboard and paper as they can. Provided the cardboard isn’t contaminated, we can help the UK reach its recycling goals.

So, if you need assistance with your cardboard and paper disposal, please get in touch. We can offer you a great rate and help you meet your targets for the year ahead.

The post Why cardboard recycling will help our economy and environment appeared first on SNR Waste Management.

The story starts with education

Of course, it doesn’t help that 66% of UK households don’t know what goes in their recycling bin. And 76% of the population routinely add items that aren’t accepted locally. Most of the time, all residents get is a flyer. Busy lifestyles mean that usually, the information about what to put in isn’t absorbed.

As a result, when we collect our weekly waste for dry recycling, it’s easy to put the blinkers on. We sort thin plastic wrappers into the household waste. Then sort paper and cardboard boxes into the dry recycling. After that, we move onto the leaflets, amazon boxes, plastic cartons, and pizza boxes. But wait a minute. Pizza boxes?

Pizza boxes contaminate the load

‘But pizza boxes are made from corrugated cardboard’, we hear you cry. Often in disbelief as your entire contents for the week aren’t collected. You scratch your heads. Because you don’t have conversations with the recycling crews, you put another box in the next week.

Then, when the recycling is collected, you scratch your heads again. After all, the rules appear to change on a whim.

The reason why your waste is rejected

Ask yourself. How likely is it that your used pizza box contains grease from meat, cheese, and vegetables? Let’s face it. It would have to be a very unusual pizza not to leave any trace of those residues at all.

Once cardboard absorbs any kind of grease or oil, it’s unsuitable for recycling, period. The reason for this is because the paper fibres can’t be separated from the oil during the pulping process.

But it’s not just pizza boxes. Masking tape is another, huge problem. Think how many boxes arrive on your doorstep bound by the stuff. We might not know but the truth remains. The cardboard must be free of masking tape before it’s suitable for collection.

Other culprits preventing collection

Other materials that cause contamination are the adhesive-backed delivery labels in plastic envelopes. So, again, these must be free from the envelope and cardboard completely. Only then are they free to go in the dry waste receptacle.

It’s also important to remove the material inside the boxes before placing them in the recycling.

Let’s not forget cross contamination

Of course, contamination also occurs when the wrong items are placed inside the wrong bin. So, you could have a bin perfectly full of dry waste ready for collection. But that misplaced kebab wrapper? The grease that drips down risks contaminating the entire load.

But what happens when your recycling isn’t rejected

Waste collection crews don’t have x-ray vision. They also don’t have much time, so they can only perform quick inspections. If your kebab wrapper sits near the bottom of the bin, your waste will still get collected. However, when it arrives at the recycling depot, the whole load is flagged as unacceptable.

When that happens, it’s separated from the load and sent to the waste-to-energy incinerator. Or worse, the landfill. Both these options are bad for the environment and aren’t what you would call recycling.

Considering the effort put in to sort it, this seems like a huge waste of time and effort. But it’s becoming an increasingly large problem.

In addition to the damage this does to the environment, we’re also giving ourselves a huge bill. It costs money to employ extra staff to separate non-recyclables from recyclables. Plus then pick out the contaminated waste.

It’s not only humans that are affected

Whilst the waste is sorted by humans, it is processed by machines. So, when a dry recycling processor gets fed a greasy wrapper, it leads to expensive repairs.

Also, reduced quality means the waste fetches less on the international market. In fact, countries we once relied on to take our recycled bales (like China) now refuse to accept them.

In fact, our recycled bales are deemed so poor quality that they are bad for their environment. As a result of this, the UK has a reduced number of buyers for its recyclable waste. And the price has dropped by three quarters.

Right now, the story of our recycling process doesn’t look good. To ensure there’s a happy ending, we all have a collective responsibility to reduce the waste we produce. And just as importantly, improve the quality of waste we offer to the collection crews each week.

We need the recycled waste dry and uncontaminated

That’s the message we need to enforce in every communication, and in ways we haven’t done before. It’s not just about dry recyclables. It’s about uncontaminated dry recyclables. That way, the quality of waste we sell to other countries will become much more marketable.

So, start checking your recycling like an inspector. Look for:

• oils
• delivery labels in plastic envelopes
• boxes bound in tape
• and ensure you remove all packaging materials

And of course, make sure there’s no food inside that could contaminate the load.

Any paper or cardboard you remove, keep separate in the general waste sections. And as far as the dry recyclables are concerned, ensure they stay that way. So, dry and free from water damage.

Most bins are covered and protected from rainfall. But it’s an important consideration for any waste that can’t fit inside.

Finally, take the time to flatten down your cardboard. It’s amazing how much space can be saved when we break a box and make it flat. This also helps the collection crews and enables them to collect more.

So, next time you go to the bin, don’t just think of yourself as a recycler. Think of yourself as someone capable of changing how the story ends. And someone integral to improving UK PLC’s recycling output. As the old adverts used to say, ‘it’s the game we can win’.

The post The big problem with cardboard recycling in the UK appeared first on SNR Waste Management.

What is fly tipping?

Otherwise known as the dumping of rubbish onto public land, fly-tipping has long been a UK problem. But since lockdown, some UK areas have seen an incredible 300% increase in the number of incidents.

This has presented a huge problem for local authorities. Because if it falls onto public land, they have a legal duty to remove it.

The problem it creates

The waste is often a mixture of household waste and electrical goods. Additionally, sometimes there’s contaminated cardboard mixed with builder’s waste. As well as any other unsavoury material that you can think of.

Ultimately, there are no rules with fly-tipping. It can be made up of anything. Given all the requirements with modern recycling, authorities have faced a huge problem.

After all, cardboard needs to be separated from household and builders’ waste. But then there’s the pick-up cost associated. And the risk to public health presented when dumped near a school or on a public road.

The broken window theory

Another danger is the broken window theory. This is a theory present in criminology that concerns the environment. Put simply, it states visible signs of anti-social behaviour create more anti-social behaviour. This is following experiments in neighbourhoods where broken windows were left unrepaired.

The results demonstrated a quick deterioration in standards. And the same effect has been found with fly-tipping. Once one person starts, more people begin to think it’s OK to dump their waste on the street.

How Covid has contributed to the problem

Unfortunately, Covid-19 has had a huge impact on the council’s ability to collect waste. Large portions of the workforce have been off sick or are self-isolating. Additionally, they may have had to take time off to look after their children. Or care for someone who has the disease.

Then there’s the new health and safety regulations to contend with. It’s almost impossible for councils to operate crews and keep distanced at the same time. And such regulations are affecting all areas of waste collection, sorting, and disposal.

Meanwhile, with all the issues faced by the NHS, it’s been a challenge to get all the PPE required. As a result, most councils have reduced waste collection to essential services only.

The problem has been compounded because bulky waste collections have stopped. Even worse, most household waste recycling centres have also closed. Given over 60 million people have been stuck at home, it’s created a negative feedback loop.

The perfect storm

Bored and housebound, UK residents have resorted to tidying, gardening, and doing DIY. Of course, these activities generate a lot of waste. Residents then place their waste for collection. But then they see it’s not collected.

The reason for this is that building waste contaminates the compactors. But this isn’t always communicated. And that’s when the panic begins.

Waste backs up as they wait for the next week, but of course, this presents a health risk. Residents take the waste to the tip, only to find the collection centres closed. Worse, any recycled items can’t be collected either because those centres have been closed, too.

Off work, facing rising bills and reducing incomes, many people take evasive action. The reasoning appears to be ‘why live with this? Especially if it will get collected when I dump it on the road?’

Of course, it’s the council’s statutory duty to remove it. But as we’ve seen above, the council hasn’t been able to do it. It’s an overused phrase, but the situation has been unprecedented.

The other option might seem better, but ultimately, it makes little difference. Some residents employ independent contractors to remove their waste. However, they fail to check the trade waste licences of these companies.

Many of these companies are out to make a quick buck before dumping the waste illegally. They don’t want to pay any recycling or incinerator fees and keep all the money for themselves.

Is the council the problem too?

Some people argue that councils don’t help. They can take between twenty and forty minutes to pick up a call. And when they do pick up, their call agents aren’t always helpful.

Bulky waste might not be collected. Or they issue a charge to remove it. And then there’s the various rules and stipulations to contend with.

Of course, rules are needed with recycling. But it’s easy to see how unresponsive call times and unhelpful call handlers can put people off.

As we’ve seen, councils have faced funding pressures. Plus, unprecedented challenges that have made it nearly impossible to operate. The result has been the epidemic in fly-tipping.

Let ECO be the answer

What’s needed is for a flexible waste disposal firm to respond to needs in a clear and helpful way. At ECO, we’re part of the solution. We can come out when and where you need. Or you can bring your cardboard to us, whenever you want. Please visit our website for more details.

The post How Covid-19 has made a waste and fly tipping epidemic appeared first on SNR Waste Management.

Bookcases

Square model bookcases are strong and durable. Additionally, they easily combine to any configuration without fuss. They can form whole units and store as many books or files as you need. Brix models also come with interchangeable locking units, which strengthen the standing structure. Like with every other item on this list, they also can be flat packed and easily transported when you need to move.

Meeting Spaces

After lockdown, cardboard meeting spaces could become the norm. They could serve as a cost-effective alternative to conference breakout rooms. Cheap and easy to assemble, they would cocoon the occupants for private conversations. Even better, they wouldn’t need the time-consuming assembly associated with tables and chairs.

Desks

Companies these days are always talking about the need to be flexible. Therefore, standing desks made of cardboard are a perfect fit. Cardboard desks can be easily installed because of their lightweight nature. Additionally, like the meeting spaces, they can be assembled or disassembled in minutes. Imagine how easy it would be to move an office!

Chairs

Cardboard chairs are becoming increasingly popular. They often come in space-aged, reinforced designs that can withstand the heaviest weights. And when cardboard slats interlink, they can be sculpted to accommodate any shape.

This creates striking, strong, and comfortable chairs. Even better, they can make cheap and environmentally friendly furniture alternatives. Especially for people who won’t need them for long, like students, babies, and young children.

Wine Racks

The principles behind cardboard chairs also make for strong wine racks, clocks, and wardrobes. Even coffee tables. Cardboard items like these all offer the same benefits. Namely, they’re cheap, light, and ecologically friendly. And they make interesting and bright accessories for modern, contemporary interiors.

Electrical equipment like printers and games consoles

No, not the internal electronics. We’re talking about the outer shell. After all, your electrical equipment shouldn’t be getting wet. Or absorbing food, for that matter. So, why not have the exterior made from cardboard instead of plastic?

Done at scale, it would mean so much more material could end up at the recycling plant instead of landfill. As the electrical item reaches the end of its life, the cardboard housing can be easily disposed of.

Lamp Stands

These come in handy in situations where they aren’t needed for long. So, conference displays, for example, or temporary offices. Or in companies that are looking to satisfy recycling targets.

It might be a surprise to some, but cardboard is already used within some lamps. It’s there to insulate and prevent the socket wall from becoming conductive. Plus, it protects against excessive heat and extends the life of the bulb and fixture.

Bed Frames

In fact, bed frames made from cardboard have already been made. As time progresses, they could become a cheaper, lighter, and sturdier alternative. After all, how many times have you had to repair one of those beds with the wooden slats?

Cardboard is described as stronger and more durable. Which is why it’s the frame that athletes will sleep on at the Tokyo Olympics. According to the manager of the Athletes Village, the beds can stand up to 200 kilograms (440 pounds).

Considering heavyweight boxers don’t weigh more than 120 kilograms, this is impressive. And in the rare event that anything does break, the parts won’t cost much to replace.

Will you make the switch?

Are you convinced by the benefits of switching some of your products over to cardboard? If so, could you see yourself switching to any cardboard products in the future? We’d be interested to know your thoughts.

The post 7 items we could use in the cardboard revolution appeared first on SNR Waste Management.