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Recycling with ease

Richard Kirkman, Chief Technology and Innovation Officer at Veolia UK and Ireland discusses recycling solutions in the UK.


All around the world people are joining together to take action and save the planet’s resources. We are all resourcers!

In the UK we have revolutionised the way we discard materials and evolved into a recycling nation. Veolia is at the forefront of this type of action, aligning with game changing legislation coming from the Government, and a shift of awareness resulting in an environmentally focused consumer. Our latest service, Procycle™, is offering a new  platform to boost recycling and save more materials.

Richard Kirkman, Chief Technology and Innovation Officer at Veolia UK and Ireland

The public want to recycle. A recent study with YouGov found that 91% of people agreed that recycling is indeed ‘worth it’, in terms of time and energy output. To enable recycling, we are investing £150 million a year into infrastructure, adapting and innovating with all the technology at hand. Stepping into a new decade of delivery, we have launched an innovative and environmental service: Procycle™.

Specialised service

From plastic straws to textiles, Procycle™ enables you to dispose of eight harder to recycle products in a sustainable and easy fashion. This specialised service is turning the tide and paving the way to a greener future. For each service there are 3 box size options which you can choose from. 100’s of boxes have been deployed in offices, universities, and hospitals to test the appetite for people to recycle more..

Our consumer research also found a disparity between recycling in the home and in the office. We found that British adults were half as likely to always recycle at work compared to when at home. This can be attributed to a confusion of recycling when it comes to the workplace. With clearly labelled Procycle™ boxes and a simple post-back scheme, Veolia is battling against any confusion in the process.

Plateau

Considering the plateau of recycling rates in the UK over recent years, every extra bit of recycling counts if we are to preserve valuable virgin materials. DEFRA’s progressive Resources and Waste strategy is delivering a much needed shake-up that will drive this.

Ultimately Procycle™ feeds into the demand for a circular economy. The more we can process, the more we can save, both in cost and carbon. To support our Environment it is essential that we all use less, reuse and recycle more, and move towards net zero carbon emissions.

Current service

Veolia’s Procycle™ service currently processes 8 harder to recycle materials including:

  • Plastic straws
  • Crisp Packets
  • Textiles and clothes
  • Sweet wrappers
  • Milk bottles and tops
  • Plastic toys
  • Plastic healthcare bottles
  • Paper straws

And we are adding more on request – contact us now.  To find out more and access our services please look here.

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