Enviros Consulting's report for the Greater London Authority Best Practice Guidance: Trade Waste Recycling indicates that, with prior research and assessment, benefits can be gained from collecting trade waste.
” Diverting this material from landfill would equate to the equivalent of over 100,000 tonnes as a contribution to London's LATS targets Enviros
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– Enviros
It explains: “The collection and recycling of trade wastes can be an income generator, where some of the cost of recycling can be covered (or even subsidised) by charges for collection and the provision of containers.”
The consultancy stresses that considerations of recycling capacity and infrastructure as well as markets need to be weighed-up prior to a service being implemented.
The report also notes that trade wastes count against an authority's LATS targets therefore “the recycling or composting of the biodegradable element of trade waste presents an opportunity to both increase recycling and move towards meeting LATS targets”.
Expanding or developing existing collection rounds and arrangements is likely to be the most cost-effective approach, possibly linking the collection of materials from bring banks to the collection of, for example, card from commercial premises, explains the report.
Enviros uses its research in London as an example of the amount of biodegradable waste collected within trade waste which can be recycled instead of going to landfill.
The report notes: “Of particular value or importance are the more than 500,000 tonnes of paper, card and food waste in each of the commercial and industrial waste streams.”
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Enviros report |
It goes on to say that nearly 8% of the mixed waste stream is recyclable paper and nearly 14% is cardboard boxes. “Diverting this material from landfill would equate to the equivalent of over 100,000 tonnes as a contribution to London's LATS targets.”
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