Recycling trial for SMEs expands on early success

WRAP – the Waste and Resources Action Programme – has launched the six-month “demonstration” phase in partnership with more than 20 companies and councils.

”This demonstration trial phase of the programme enables us to work with our partners on a much larger scale so that we can develop robust good practice guidelines and models that will enable better targeting of SMEs“
– Liz Morrish, Wrap
It will build on knowledge gleaned from a series of six-month feasibility studies, carried out on 50 small and medium sized Enterprises (SMEs), last May.
(see letsrecycle.com story)

WRAP will use a series of good practice models in the new scheme which it says were successful in the smaller trials.

These include glass container collections for the hospitality industry; city centre cardboard and paper collections; multi-material collections for a range of items from plastic bottles to metal and aluminium cans, and from computer equipment to printer cartridges.

It will look at ways to develop these and provide a convenient, cost-effective way for SMEs to recycle on a much wider scale.

Partners

There are 16 partner organisations who have agreed to investigate the best ways of collecting mixed recyclables from businesses.

These are:

• Perrys Recycling, Somerset
• Bioregional Development Group, London
• Greater Manchester Waste (Manchester Collections) Limited
• Bryson Recycling, Belfast
• GPM Network and North East Recycling, Newcastle
• Brampton Skip Hire, Cumbria
• Hampshire County Council
• Portsmouth City Council with Dove Recycling in Portsmouth

In Wales, Wastesavers Recycling will offer a similar service for SMEs in Cardiff, Newport and Caerphilly.
And in Scotland, Can Do Recycling in Glasgow will offer it to companies in Central Glasgow, while Greenlight Environmental will provide the service in Port Glasgow, Greenock and Gourock.

Three of the trials will investigate and offer glass collecting services – Biffa, Yorkshire and North Nottinghamshire; Greenhope Recycling in partnership with Recycling and Waste Services, Greater Manchester; Stockport Waste Management, Stockport and Macclesfield.

Cardboard and paper from city centre businesses will be collected by the Durham Company in Durham, and by Preston City Council in Preston. LEEP Recycling will provide a service for the City of Edinburgh Council trade waste customers.

Liz Morrish, WRAP’s SME recycling programme manager, said: “We have learned a lot of valuable lessons during the first phase of feasibility trials in terms of what support SMEs need to be able to recycle more effectively.

“This demonstration trial phase of the programme enables us to work with our partners on a much larger scale so that we can develop robust good practice guidelines and models that will enable better targeting of SMEs,” she added.