No Comments Written by Sam on November 7, 2018. Posted in waste management

Plastics packaging tax to fund waste management from 2022

The UK government this week announced that it would introduce a new tax in 2022 to discourage the use of non-recycled plastic packaging. The exact details are subject to consultation, but it is likely to apply to manufacturers or retailers, in a similar way to the soft drinks “sugar tax” introduced earlier this year. Hammond said in his Budget: “There will be a new tax on the manufacture and import of plastic packaging which has less than 30% recycled plastic content.” He said 2.26 million tonnes of plastic packaging were used in the UK each year, most made from new plastic because of the higher costs of recycled material. The Treasury document made it clear that, subject to consultation, the new tax would take effect from 1 April 2022, hitting any business that produces or imports plastic packaging that does not contain at least 30% recycled content. It said: “The tax will provide a clear economic incentive for businesses to use recycled material in the production of packaging which, in turn, will create greater demand for this material.”

Creating the new normal for plastic

The new tax, described by the Treasury as “world-leading”, will work alongside planned reforms to the packaging producer responsibility system that would encourage businesses to ensure that far more packaging can be recycled and to use more recycled plastic in their products. There will be a separate consultation on these. Hammond also allocated £10m more for plastics research and development work and £10m for recycling innovations such as smartbins. The Treasury said it shelved ideas for a tax on disposable plastic cups, despite the popularity of this in a public consultation last summer. “The Government recognises this is a problem, but has concluded that a levy on all cups would not at this time be effective in encouraging widespread reuse,” it said. “Businesses are already taking steps to reduce the impact of disposable cups. The Government expects industry to go further and will return to the issue if sufficient progress is not made.” Hammond also shunned an incineration tax, which some had expected might figure in the Budget. The Treasury said that, in the long term, the Government “wants to maximise the amount of waste sent to recycling instead of incineration and landfill”. If this did not happen as a result of other policies, it would “consider the introduction of a tax on the incineration of waste, operating in conjunction with landfill tax, taking account of the possible impacts on local authorities”.

Ambitious 2025 targets

The commitment’s targets include:

Eliminating problematic or unnecessary plastic packaging and moving from single-use to reuse packaging models 100% of plastic packaging to be easily and safely reused, recycled, or composted by 2025 Significantly increasing the amounts of plastics reused or recycled and made into new packaging or products Signatories include Danone, L’Oréal, Mars Incorporated, PepsiCo, The Coca-Cola Company and Unilever. Commenting on the announcement, Nestlé CEO Mark Schneider said: “This Global Commitment is a step-change we urgently need in order to move from a linear to a circular economy. We want to act and lead by example. We will do our part to ensure that none of our packaging, including plastics, ends up in the natural environment.”

No Comments Written by Sam on June 27, 2018. Posted in waste management

Food businesses tackle plastic waste

Some of the UK’s largest supermarkets have signed up to the UK Plastics Pact, a new voluntary initiative to slash plastic waste. Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Aldi, Lidl, Waitrose and Tesco have all signed up to the new industry-wide initiative that aims to make all plastic packaging recyclable, recycled or biodegradable by 2025.

What does the pact involve?

The UK Plastics Pact is voluntary and does not contain any enforcement mechanisms. Despite this, its signatories make a number of pledges to reducing plastic waste between now and 2025, including:

These targets have been welcomed by environmental campaigners, including organisations such as Friends of the Earth, but some have also warned that regulation and enforcement mechanisms must be developed alongside the pact to ensure that it proves effective. The UK Plastics Pact website states: “Our throwaway culture needs to change. We need to move away from a linear plastics economy, where we take, make and dispose of plastic, towards a circular system where we capture the value of plastics material – keeping plastic in the economy and out of the oceans.” The website cautions that around 5,000 pieces of marine plastic pollution have been found per mile of beach in the UK.

The future of plastic packaging

The pact’s launch comes as ministers in the UK are considering requiring supermarkets and retailers to contribute more towards waste collection and recycling services for the waste they produce. Currently, UK supermarkets pay less for plastic waste collection and recycling than any other country in Europe, with taxpayers left to cover 90% of the cost, according to The Guardian. The government is expected to announce changes to the system, known as the Packaging Recovery Note (PRN) scheme, this summer as part of a wider EU effort to move towards a circular economy.

No Comments Written by Sam on August 29, 2018. Posted in waste management

Poland to send back 1,000 tonnes of illegal waste to UK

Poland to send back 1,000 tonnes of illegal waste to UK

Waste Crime

Written by Sam on June 20, 2017. Posted in waste management

Waste Management – What You Need to Know

Waste Management – What You Need to Know

We here at North West Waste Management deliver a variety of services suited to helping businesses to dispose of and recycle their waste. When it comes to waste management, we work with many different businesses covering all sizes and sectors. However, if you’re a new business-owner, or if you own an established business and you are looking at ways to handle your waste management for the first time, there are some important things which you will need to know.

Firstly, consider what waste management involves. If your business happens to be producing a large amount of waste far exceeding regular dustbins and dumpsters, then you will need to consider your options. Waste management involves the mass handling of the different types of waste produced by your business, with a view to carefully and sensibly removing the waste whilst also protecting the environment.

Waste disposal is the easiest and most effective way of getting rid of your waste if the intention is solely to remove it and leave it at that. However, should you wish to benefit the environment and future products by making the most of your waste, our waste recycling services will be more advisable, as these make more use of the waste your business has produced whilst also protecting the air around you and reducing pollution. Different businesses opt for different waste management services based on the level and type of waste, so there is no right or wrong service to choose. We at NWWC can offer a bespoke waste management service to suit your business needs.

However, one thing we do not recommend is to allow your waste to end up causing harm to the environment and pollute the airwaves by sitting on a landfill. Regardless of how much waste you may be producing or the budget of your organisation, it is vital to put the wellbeing of others and the good of the environment before the “quick fix” of sending your high levels of waste towards a landfill. Fortunately, North West Waste Consultants can steer you away from landfills and towards healthier and more logical waste management options. As important as it is to learn about waste management, it’s just as important to learn why landfills are a no-no, especially for bigger businesses who produce waste in high numbers.

Now, let’s consider what the waste management services actually involve. Waste disposal can come in several forms: bespoke waste packages, commercial food waste disposal, finished goods destruction, hazardous waste disposal and warehouse and property clearance. As the names imply, there are different types of waste which require varying forms of waste disposal, since the way in which we deal with waste that could be hazardous to one’s health is very different from how we handle food waste. In addition, waste disposal can be done on-site, so the process can be done quickly and easy, and procedures can be put in place so that the on-site process can be made even speedier in future.

As for waste recycling and re-use, as the names suggest, this involves putting the waste to good use as opposed to simply dumping it, whether it be for products created from natural sources or for other purposes. It’s important to note that around 75% of waste can be recycled, and yet a much smaller percentage of this figure actually ends up being recycled or re-used. Therefore, it’s imperative to ensure that the latter figure rises, and all businesses can do their bit to contribute to this. Our waste recycling services include cardboard and paper recycling, recycling balers, scrap metal recycling, skip hire, tyre disposal and recycling and WEEE recycling. Our waste re-use services include anaerobic digestion, contaminated plastics, commercial waste management, chemical waste management and industrial waste management.

Finally, consider why waste management happens. Big businesses, in particular those from the restaurant and hotel sectors, produce a massive amount of waste on an annual basis, so if this is managed every couple of months, it is a much better option than having to find a way to shift all of the waste every year. Not only that, but if the waste is allowed to pile up, it can cause some seriously harmful problems for both employees and the environment, which could have bigger costs in the long-run, both in terms of health and on a financial level. Therefore, proper waste management is essential, and by using our waste disposal, waste recycling or waste re-using services, you can be confident that all of your waste will be handled carefully, safely and quickly, with positive ramifications for the environment and with minimal disruption to your business.

No Comments Written by Sam on July 5, 2018. Posted in recycling, waste management

Waste Management at FIFA 2018 World Cup

Waste Management at FIFA 2018 World Cup

With the FIFA World Cup now reaching the business end of the tournament, fans in attendance are in almost unanimous agreement that it has been a complete success – at least from a hosting point of view. Supporters of current cup holders Germany might be disappointed with their team’s performance, but no one can deny that Russia have put on a magnificent welcome for the visitors.

With an aim of reducing the impact of FIFA World Cup Russia and raising the awareness of climate change, FIFA has launched a campaign that encourages the ticket applicants to offset the carbon emissions resulting from their travel to the tournament for free! When a FIFA World Cup Russia ticket holder signs up to participate in the campaign, FIFA will offset 2.9 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents (tCO2e), which is the average emission per ticket holder travelling from abroad.

Waste Management Concept

Fifa have ensured efficient and sustainable World Cup-related waste management, with waste-reduction measures including banning non-recyclable tableware, cutlery, packaging and plastic bags from stadiums, and offering hand dryers instead of paper towels in event toilets and using digital rather than paper-based communications “wherever possible”. FIFA have also committed to drive behaviour change among fans and stadium staff by offering a waste training programme to all employees and providing spectators with information on what type of waste can be recycled, bans on single-use items or the use of recycled materials is noticeably absent from the strategy. In Brazil, the tournament saw 39% more waste recycled than FIFA’s target of 320 tonnes after separate bins for recycling and general waste were used for the first time– but the event nonetheless created 776 tonnes of recyclable and 1,595 tonnes non-recyclable of waste, with no less expected to be produced in Russia this summer.

Already at this year’s tournament, Japanese fans have shown a shining example to their counterparts from other countries by tidying up in the stadium after their games – and their good deeds have encouraged similar behaviour from Senegalese and Polish fans as well. It will be particularly interesting to see if the biggest single-sport event in the world lives up to its tall claims regarding environmental sustainability.