Research into the potential of re-using bulky household waste

The reason for this research was to understand the structure of bulky waste in terms of item type and re-usability, in order to identify the opportunities for the re-use of bulky items across the UK.

National predictions obtained from WasteDataFlow (WDF) reveals that across the UK during 2010/11, some 1,590,000 tonnes of bulky waste was collected at the kerbside or taken to HWRCs. Around twice as much is taken to HWRCs (1,050,000 tonnes) than is collected at the kerbside (540,000 tonnes).

Using this data and estimating the sample findings across all UK kerbside and HWRC bulky waste collections shows that of all bulky waste in the UK, including both kerbside collected and HWRC bulky items), approximately 42% consists of furniture, 19% textiles and 19% WEEE. These estimates are equal to 670,000 tonnes of furniture and 310,000 tonnes each of textiles and WEEE thrown away by householders in the UK annually.

There is a perception held that items, when they reach the HWRC, or are collected at kerbside are no longer fit for re-use, however, this report identifies down to specific product level the substantial amount of products that are potentially reusable. It is hoped that this information can assist in informing re-use organisations, local authorities, and waste management companies of the potential reuse of items that are currently being recycled or disposed of.

For more information please feel free to contact us at:

http://www.officegreen.co.uk/

Information about mixed plastics packaging

The term mixed plastics covers all types of non-bottle plastic packaging from households. It includes rigid and flexible plastic packaging items of assorted polymer types and colours and does not include plastic bottles and non-packaging items.

Annually in the UK over 1 million tonnes of mixed plastics packaging from households are thrown away and the push to develop sustainable waste management options for mixed plastics packaging is picking up momentum.

The move towards bigger recycling levels is being encouraged by a number of factors including the increasing cost of waste disposal alongside rising public demand for more efficient and environmentally friendly ways of shifting waste from landfill.

A further subdivide of mixed plastics are rigid plastics (pots, tubs, trays) and films or flexible plastics.

In 2011/12 in the UK, 45% of local authorities provided kerbside collections of non-bottle rigid plastics (pots, tubs, trays) and 13% collected films (plastic) at the kerbside (in addition to those collecting carrier bags only).

For more information please feel free to contact us at:

http://www.officegreen.co.uk/

Statistics on waste management in England

Earlier this month DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) published a statistical release showing various facts and figures that they found during their study from July to December last year. Here are the facts and figures that they discovered:

Recycling of household waste reached 47% between July and September 2012, up 2 percentage points from a year previously. The annual rate now stands at 44% of household waste being recycled (including composted and reused).

Total household waste was over 6 million tonnes between July and September 2012, an increase of 3% compared to a year previously (Includes recycling, compost and reuse).

2.3 million tonnes of Local Authority collected waste between July and September 2012 went to landfill, down 9% from a year previously.

1.4 million tonnes of Local Authority collected waste between July and September 2012 was sent for incineration, up 14% from a year previously.

Recycling rates have a seasonal pattern largely due to seasonal variation in garden waste, much of which goes for recycling. For this reason comparisons should be made with the same quarter in previous years or using full 12 month periods.

Over 90 per cent of all waste managed by local authorities comes from households with the remainder coming from business and construction. Only a small part of waste from businesses and construction are covered in these statistics.

The household waste recycling rate reached a new high of 47 per cent between July and September 2012, although this is likely to fall back due to seasonal patterns.

There were 6.2 million tonnes of household waste between July and September 2012 with 2.9 million tonnes of it being recycled, composted or reused. This amounts to 117 kg of household waste, including 54kg recycled waste, per person.

In the last 5 years household waste for recycling, composting or reuse has increased by 17%, while residual or ‘black bag’ household waste has fallen by 25%.

Between July and September 2012 almost 2.3 million tonnes of local authority managed waste went to landfill and almost 1.4 million tonnes went for incineration.

Local Authority managed waste going to landfill has almost halved in the last 5 years

(down 45%). Local Authority managed waste going for incineration has increased by 60% in the last 5 years, with an increase of 14% in the last year.

Landfill Tax continues to be the main driver for local authorities to reduce waste to landfill. Generating energy from waste by incineration is preferable to landfill, although recycling and reuse are preferable to both.

For more information feel free to contact us at:

http://www.officegreen.co.uk/

Interesting Recycling Facts

Recycling has now become part of our everyday lives in the UK. With recycling collections now being largely used across the UK including the use of local tips. Recycling is a great way of helping the environment and disposing of waste in an economical way. Remember reduce, reuse, recycle! Here are some interesting facts about recycling in the UK:

1) Every year in the UK each household produces over 1 tonne of household waste, totalling to 31 million tonnes for the UK each year.

2) Each year, the average dustbin holds enough unrealised energy for 500 baths, 3500 showers or 5,000 hours of TV.

3) Every person in the UK on average throws away their own body weight in rubbish every 7 weeks.

4) The UK produces enough waste to fill Lake Windermere (the largest lake in England) every 8 months.

5) In less than 2 hours the UK produces enough enough waste to fill the Albert Hall.

6) In the UK if all aluminium drinks cans were recycled, there would be 14 million less full dustbins per year.

7) Recycling aluminium only needs 5% of the energy it takes to make new aluminium and produces only 5% of the CO2 emissions.

8) One recycled aluminium can saves enough energy to power a TV set for three hours!

9) Each year we use approximately 13 billion steel cans, or 600 per household.

10) On average milk bottles are reused 13 times before recycling.

For more information please feel free to contact us at:

http://www.officegreen.co.uk/

May’s Featured Charity

Our featured charity for this month is Animals Asia.

Animals Asia is dedicated to ending the barbaric practice of bear bile farming and bettering the welfare of animals in China and Vietnam. They promote compassion and respect for all animals and work to bring about long-term change.

The Animals Asia team have been rescuing bears since 1994 and is the only organisation with a bear sanctuary in China. Their founder and CEO, Jill Robinson MBE, Dr.med.vet. h.c., is broadly recognised as the world’s leading expert on the cruel bear bile industry, having campaigned against it since 1993.

Animals Asia focuses its work on three major programmes:

End Bear Bile Farming

Animals Asia works to end the barbaric bear bile trade, which sees over 10,000 bears, mainly moon bears but also sun bears and brown bears, kept on bile farms, and around 2,400 in Vietnam.

Cat and Dog Welfare

Animals Asia works to end the trade of dogs and cats for food in China, and lobbies to improve the welfare of companion animals and promote humane population management.

Zoo and Safari Parks

Animals Asia campaigns for an end to abusive animal practices in zoos and safari parks in China, and works closely with governing authorities to improve animal management and increase awareness of the welfare needs of captive animals.

Animals Asia’s approaches are:

Change through empathy

They work with animal ambassadors who embody the ideal empathy for one animal can evolve into empathy for an entire species and ultimately for all species.

Negotiation

They take a non-partisan, sensitive approach in working with governments, authorities, experts and local communities. They work with, not against, people to find sustainable solutions for all parties.

Education

They inform and empower local communities for the welfare of animals and people, promoting change at the grassroots level. They promote alternatives to animal products for use in traditional medicine through their Healing without Harm campaign.

Investigation

They work with vet and bear-care teams, field officers and a network of research scientists, university students, pathologists and traditional medicine doctors to investigate the bear bile industry, the trade in cats and dogs for their meat, and cruelty to animals in captivity, and use this knowledge to fight against these practices.

For more information about this charity visit their website at:

http://www.animalsasia.org/

For information about how you can help through Office Green visit our website at:

http://www.officegreen.co.uk/