An initiative launched last year to assist businesses with recycling has become a runaway success. The region's companies are embracing a new recycling system with forty businesses signing on every month.
The region's largest independent waste management firm, Premier Waste Management, launched the new Recycling Bank in October 2008 to make recycling easier for businesses following the EU wide introduction of pre-treatment legislation which required businesses to reduce waste by recycling a proportion of it.
Premier Waste Management devised the system to make the process of recycling quick and easy for businesses. The Recycling Bank works by collecting a range of common business waste into one container, the mixed dry recyclable material including paper, cardboard, plastics, metal cans and plastic film are recovered at the company's recycling facility at Monument Park, Washington.
Adrian Denton (Premier's Divisional Director: Collection and Sales) explains "We chose these materials because they represent the most abundant recyclable materials in the waste stream. A lot of our customers get deliveries of cans or plastic container on cardboard pallets shrink-wrapped in plastic: we can recycle all that material."
The scheme collects over 50 tonnes per month of recyclable material and diverted it from landfill, as well as leaving most businesses with virtually no general waste to dispose of. The scheme has proved so popular in the North East that the company is now expanding it in to Yorkshire as well.
Adrian Denton, at Premier Waste Management commented: "Even with an additional emphasis on environmental responsibility for businesses we never could have predicted how successful this scheme has been. On average, forty companies a month are signing up to the system, and we even had eight in one day.
"We devised the system for businesses that have a low volume of mixed recyclable materials and it is ideal for 'green' businesses aiming to do their bit for the environment."
Dacon Fabrications Limited on the Team Valley Trading Estate, Gateshead started using the system in October 2008 and Mark Bocking the firm's Purchasing Manager noticed the benefits almost immediately: "The container is a decent size for us. We just keep it near the production line so that waste cardboard, bubble wrap and everything else can go straight in. The factory's certainly much tidier and we are doing a lot more recycling since we started using Premier Waste's system."
Adrian Denton continued: "Across the region the initiative has made a real impact on levels of business recycling. Our customers are reporting a significant reduction in general waste to dispose of. With expansion in to Yorkshire the recycling initiative is set to expand rapidly, a real success for a North East initiative"
For further information on Premier Waste Management call 0191 384 4000 or visit www.premierwaste.com