Recent media focus highlighting the impact on our environment by us, centres around the need for everyone including private business, public sector and residents to do more.
It is a fact that most landfill sites are made up of a 1/3 of packing material including plastic and cardboard, both of which could have been recycled. This is a staggering reality, which poses some difficult challenges for local authorities who have the problematic task of increasing recycling rates whilst facing mounting financial pressure.
Fairport has supported the waste and recycling industry since its establishment 25 years ago. Over this period local authorities’ waste needs have drastically changed, long gone are the days when waste was just that.
Following the introduction of landfill tax in 1993, requirements of the sector in terms of infrastructure and equipment has been altered considerably. From simply transferring all waste to landfill to the present day regulations, has resulted in the need to develop cost effective long term recycling solutions.
To help sustain councils’ resources and assets, many of which involve heavy financial investment, Fairport have tailored refurbishment programmes to suit local authorities. Allowing for the repair of existing containers or remodelling old ones. Thus, providing high quality and low cost waste management options. Recently, Aylesbury Vale District Council have implemented a refurbishment plan for their commercial waste wheelie bins, ensuring that their containers always meet the public’s highest standards (see the difference!). Maintaining a well-defined message and keeping your containers clean will help your users to correctly dispose of their waste in the right container.
In our bid to increase recycling rates and to improve on the UK’s current household levels of 42.5%, we must draw from other sectors. The charity sector have for many years utilised textile banks for the means of increasing their clothing donations. This is a vital undertaking, allowing for essential funds to be raised through charity shop sales. Subsequently, charity retail also helped to divert some 30 tonnes a year of textiles from landfill.
Fairport have been working with some of the UK’s leading charities over the past five years. Supplying banks and branding to relay their charities message clearly, whilst conveying to the user what items are desirable and those that are not. These are easy methods to implement and simple to transfer to the recycling sector and may contribute to raising our recycling standards and frequency.
In trying to achieve a more environmentally friendly world all of us must work closer together, sharing ideas and experiences to benefit us all in our aspirations and desires for a sustainable future.
Opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author and not necessarily those of LARAC
