Small changes can make a huge impact on people’s ability and willingness to recycle and there are many ways local authorities can help residents, particularly those living in flats, says Cromwell Polythene Managing Director, James Lee.
Communicating with residents in flats can be more challenging than with those in houses, due to factors such as a higher number of transient residents or access issues when delivering leaflets. If residents share recycling facilities, it is even more important that they know which household items can be recycled, and how and where materials will be collected.
A tailored approach
Local authorities have many different options for recycling in flats, including residents bringing their own recycling or food waste to communal collection containers located near their block of flats. Other options include ‘chute’ recycling schemes; door to door schemes; collection points on each floor; food waste collections from flats; and bulky waste collections.
Some common issues around flats include, ownership of the building and who provides the bins (local authority or landlord), space for bins and accessibility for servicing (emptying/replacement), and high levels of contamination by food and residual waste. Some council’s found that placing the residual waste bin in the most accessible position results in lower contamination of the ‘harder to reach’ bins for recyclables, so the efforts of the dedicated recycler are not spoiled by the less considerate in the community. Recycling bins with restricted apertures also help reduce contamination and improve quality.
In fact, The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) reports that “because every block of flats differs in terms of building features, management structures and types of residents, it is unlikely that a single recycling or food waste collection scheme will be suitable for all blocks of flats within a council’s boundaries.”
Health and safety is a critical consideration. Local authorities must properly assess every aspect of fire risk in high-rise buildings and this includes how and where recyclable materials are stored before collection.
Removing barriers
In order to improve take up, it must be made as easy as possible for everyone to recycle. Data from a variety of sources indicates that average collections are higher where an internal receptacle is provided to residents to store their recyclables such as a recycling sack or collection box.
Multi-trip recycling bags can be specifically designed for use in flats. These can be easily wiped clean making residents happier to keep them in their flats. The bags can also be quality printed and contain messaging and information on recycling infrastructure and policies, so that everyone understands what they need to do.
Environmental impact
Sacks, bags and speciality products for the storage and collection of segregated waste must enable easy separation and limit the chance of contamination, whilst having the lowest environmental impact. We offer carefully developed products for a range of requirements, from compostable caddy liners for food waste to refuse and recycling sacks of all shapes and sizes. Our LowCO2t™ environmentally friendly plastics range – including several types of refuse and recycling sacks – are lightweight products that use less material but achieve the same high-performance standards. They result in substantial savings in CO2 and other emissions throughout the supply chain.
Clear communication
Communication and involving residents are crucial ingredients for success. Presentations can be made at residents’ and tenants’ association meetings and information should be clearly provided in communal areas.
Wherever possible, link the action of recycling to the local community and local benefits. Common concerns over the tidiness and appearance of an area could offer an opportunity for recycling to be integrated into a wider drive for an improved local environment.
We work with a substantial number of local authorities, providing them with stock and bespoke recycling and waste management solutions tailored to their individual needs.
NB: opinions in the blog do not necessarily reflect those of LARAC
