Can-Do Community Recycling is an organisation that works in Aberdeenshire collecting aluminium and steel cans and plastic bottles from businesses and some households.
The organisation collects around 23 tonnes of aluminium a year and around 12 tonnes of steel. In the last year plastic bottle collections were added thanks to the addition of a plastic bottle baler – supplied by waste management company Enviroco. Enviroco is also responsible for providing 25% of Can-Do's material.
And Frank Eden, project coordinator for Can-Do, believes that partnership between the two sectors is an excellent way to help push forward the recycling message.
He told letsrecycle.com: “Enviroco supplied us with a baler so we could begin collecting plastic bottles as well as cans and that has helped us increase the amount of material we collect, which in turn brings in more money.
“But there are benefits for waste management companies as well. The recycling message is still not as wide spread as it should be and education is still key. We can use the additional funds we receive to go into schools and begin educating from a young age, which will help the future of recycling. By providing us with more funds, Enviroco is helping increase future recycling rates,” he added.
Schools
Mr Eden believes that schools are now where the recycling message should be pushed the most. He explained: “Speaking to many adults they still don't have a clue about recycling, but if you tell children about it in school they go home and pester mum and dad. It is where the message has to start.”
Can-Do Recycling has been providing work for people with learning difficulties for the last 12 years collecting recyclable materials from businesses in North Aberdeenshire. The company started with a Ford Fiesta van and a trailer, and has now increased to having its own site, a large truck, and almost 30 staff.
The company is set to bring in a new baler and conveyor in February to improve its processing capacity. The organisation also started collecting from households in the county when regular customers requested the service at their homes.
Mr Eden said: “We collect from pubs, clubs and hospitals etc and our customers have begun asking if they can get the service at their home. Of course once they have it neighbours, friends and family also want to be involved so we have built up quite a few household collections.”
Register for free to comment