Not that long ago, waste collection was an afterthought. Bins would be consigned to darkened storage rooms and orders for containers would be placed last minute – sometimes only days before residents were due to move into a new development.
The result would often be dirty looking developments with bins scruffily located across a brand new site.
Not any more.
Now, the tools and containers required to aid effective waste collection and recycling participation are carefully designed into every development. Furthermore, waste collection’s positive impact on reshaping the urban environment and improving streetscene through the provision of functional and aesthetically pleasing bins and street furniture is well understood.
These days, local authorities are well aware that providing prominent space for local recycling bring banks drives resident engagement and that even the bins themselves can be used to add value to a development’s look and feel.
Cardiff Council, for example, partnered with Egbert Taylor and created highly visible and stylish local recycling bring banks for 340,000 residents who were responsible for producing 168 tonnes of waste per year.
High-rise
Similarly in South Lanarkshire, Taylor supplied and installed six node° recycling facilities to manage the waste of 495 properties, which included six high-rise apartments and several low-rise multi-occupancy dwellings. A subsequent independent research project into recycling rates established that of 51 participants who took part in the survey, 29 did not recycle and 22 did. Of the 22 that did, 16 were new recyclers as a result of having easy access to the new facilities.
Two of the three goals – stylish yet functional design and recycling participation – have been addressed, then. But what about the third: product quality.
Bins that look good and have the power to increase recycling engagement are undoubtedly important, but local authorities need longevity in order for the model to work from an economical standpoint – and this is where Egbert Taylor excels.
Workmanship
In fact, from my perspective, it’s the quality of the workmanship that differentiates Egbert Taylor from other container manufacturers in the UK.
Take Taylor Bins, for example. We have competitor bins coming through our refurbishment department from time to time and there is simply no comparison to containers that Taylor has been hand building since 1962; the difference jumps out at you. There are even Taylor bins collecting waste up and down the UK that have been ‘in service’ for over two decades, which is a testament to the level of engineering upheld by our team.
Effective waste collection in densely populated will always be a challenge and there are many factors that contribute to success. However, in creating waste solutions that add value to communities, increase recycling participation rates and that are built to last, Egbert Taylor has provided the foundations on which local authorities can improve their waste collection provision, ensure product longevity and prevent developments from looking dishevelled.
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