Milk sold in plastic bags? What’s next for reducing our packaging?
July 12, 2007 at 2:29 pm
Plastics are the most notoriously troublesome items of waste to recycle. 100,000 tonnes of plastic have to be dealt with every year in the UK alone, and local authorities struggle with it more than with any other type of waste. It’s expensive and difficult to manage, and for a number of reasons. The volume is much higher than the weight, making transportation very expensive. The plastics are often unusable due to contamination, meaning many have to taken to landfills. There is such a wide-range of different plastics that separation becomes very time consuming, but still a vital part of the process. Overall there is a much less developed market for plastics recycling in the UK than other areas such as paper and glass.
Over half of all UK packaging waste is plastics. It is reported that only 23% of plastics packaging was recycled in 2001 (wasteonline.org). The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Environment Minister Elliot Morley and WRAP announced in 2006 a paper knows as the Courtauld Agreement, which all of the major UK supermarkets signed. The agreement put forward plans to drastically reduce plastic waste by 2010. However with the transportation, cleaning, reprocessing and finally creation of a new product, is it worth it and above all is it actually more environmentally friendly?
Waitrose have certainly begun honouring the agreement and in June this year it launched a new initiative to combat their waste: plastic milk pouches. The UK consumes up to 180 million pints of milk per day but only 25% of the plastic bottles are recycled. The trusty milkman and his glass bottles are a thing of the past, and Waitrose felt that something needed to be done to stop the vast amount of plastic waste piling up from milk packaging. The pouches have already proven successful and popular in Canada, parts of South America and in a small area in Wales. BBC News reported that a 90% reduction in landfill volumes occurred after the product was introduced. Waitrose has initially launched the pouches across only 17. The pouches contain 75% less plastic and they fit inside a special jug (priced at £1.99) which is used to hold the pouch each time. The energy used to produce and dispose of the bags is a great deal less than current methods.
There is no doubt that the UK uses far too much packaging. Vegetables are sold on trays and then wrapped in more plastic rather than being loose. Some people have more faith in the product’s hygiene this way, some just can’t be bothered to pick out ripe ones. Whatever the general consensus is, there is no hiding from the feeling that we could all do more. Plastic bag usage has changed a great deal in the last five years and DEFRA have pledged full support of the Bags for Life and Penny Back schemes from the supermarkets. Jane Hills, a dairy-buyer for Waitrose said, “Customers are increasingly looking for environmentally friendly solutions and the new milk packs and jugs will be top of their shopping list. The eco-packs will make a radical difference to the way milk is sold within the UK.”
Recycling in Germany
July 12, 2007 at 2:24 pm
When it comes to recycling and helping to make the environment more sustainable, many European countries including the UK could learn valuable lessons from Germany. The success of Germany’s recycling efforts is largely due to the fact that all levels of society work together to help reduce waste. Manufacturers need to be as pro-active as individual households in order to have an impact.
Starting with manufacturers, the Green Dot system has been invaluable at cutting down waste. The scheme works by making manufacturers and retailers pay for a “Green Dot” on products. When the amount of packaging is increased, the fee is increased as well. This system has resulted in packaging which includes less paper and metal as well as noticeably thinner glass. This makes the individual’s job easier when it comes to recycling, as there is considerably less waste to be recycled. The drastic impact of this scheme is obvious when it is noted that the Green Dot system has resulted in approximately one million tonnes less garbage than usual, every year. People in Germany are actively encouraged only to purchase goods which use the Green Dot system, since this explicitly shows that the manufacturer is helping in the fight to recycle.
The UK government seems to be doing its best to help individual households recycle, by providing different coloured bins. However, many people find this scheme confusing and unclear at best. Furthermore, a green bin in one area can contain items which are disallowed in other areas. In Germany though, the proper sorting of waste is something which everyone is knowledgeable about. The clearly set out instructions regarding which bin to use are easy to follow, for example the green bin accommodates paper, including all packaging made of paper and cardboard. However, items such as tissues belong in the grey bins along with other personal items such as nappies. All of the content in the grey bin will be incinerated.
A further confusion for many UK households is when to put each bin out in front of the house. This is not a problem in Germany though, where special calendars with garbage collection detail on are available from the local registration office or the community newsletter. Indeed, one of the reasons behind Germany’s success at recycling is precisely this community spirit, with everyone working together to help make the country sustainable.
There are some items, however, which need to be discarded but do not belong in any of the colour coded bins. Such items could include a broken TV or a table or chair which is no longer needed. Some of these items can be taken to the local fleamarket but if this seems inappropriate, the items can be left outside the house. The eventual idea is that these items will end up in the rubbish dump but this is in reality, a rare occurrence. Many second hand dealers drive around to inspect the abandoned items and the majority of it is loaded into private vans long before the authorities have a chance to pick it up for the local dump!
McDonald’s to run its delivery vans on cooking oil in the United Kingdom
July 12, 2007 at 2:22 pm
The fast food chain McDonalds, more commonly associated with greasy, high- caloric meals than saving the environment, has recently decided to go green. In an attempt to reduce its carbon footprint, the restaurant is to now run its delivery vehicles in the United Kingdom on bio-diesel by using a mixture of cooking oil and rapeseed oil. By the end of next year, McDonalds intends to convert all 155 of its UK delivery lorries to be able to run on bio-fuel. This in turn will reduce the company’s carbon emissions by some 1,650 tonnes per annum. This is equivalent to reducing the number of cars on British streets by two thousand.
McDonald’s decision to go green follows numerous trials conducted by the fast food chain and its distribution partner in the United Kingdom, Keystone Distribution. The trials allowed for over 150,000 litres of used cooking and rapeseed oil to be converted into the bio-fuel EN14214. According to McDonald’s Senior Vice President, Matthew Howe, this is not an isolated initiative on the part of the corporation. Speaking last month, he stated that the restaurant’s green program was “a great example of how businesses can work together to help the environment, and is a natural complement to the work we are doing to our delivery schedules to cut food miles and fuel consumption. We don’t intend to stop here. Our work with the Carbon Trust will help us find more ways, big and small, to reduce our carbon impact across the whole of our business.” As such, the restaurant is also looking into a number of other ways to make its operations environmentally-friendly. In an attempt to engage in greener practices, the company now intends to recycle the vast quantities of packaging material it utilizes each day.
However, there is some concern as to the viability of McDonald’s green vehicles. Whilst bio-diesel is one of the most popular sources of renewable energy, vehicle manufacturers are divided about the effectiveness and reliability of this fuel. Many engine manufacturers in the UK only provide warranties if their engines are run on a maximum of 5% bio-diesel combined with 95% conventional fuel. In addition, whilst there is much debate as to the quality of the fast food chain’s meals, they are no doubt relatively inexpensive. It is feared that the costs of running lorries on bio-diesel will be passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices.
Nevertheless, the advantages of this program should not be underestimated. Aside from the benefit to the environment, there are likely to be other indirect gains to the co-operation. McDonald’s has received much publicity as a result of its green scheme and such publicity will no doubt help the firm to boost its overall sales. Furthermore, given its standing in the corporate world, it is also hoped that the McDonald’s initiative will encourage other large organizations to pursue environmentally-friendly practices as well.
Australia pilots intelligent bins
July 12, 2007 at 2:19 pm
Are you sick and tired of public bins, whether they are designed for recycling or general waste, continuously overflowing and spilling their contents onto the street? Don’t you just wish that they could be emptied as soon as they became full? In Australia, this may soon be the case. Brisbane is set to trial ten solar powered “mega-bins”, which sense when they become full and actually ask to be emptied. Once full, the bins (which run on environmentally-friendly solar power) send a message to the local council, who will immediately go and empty them. The bins also have a clever LED indicator which flashes red, amber or green. This light helps to alert council staff about the relative state of the bin’s capacity. Furthermore, they have e-mail and texting capacity and can therefore send a message directly to waste services.
The bins are made from galvanised steel have already been trialled in America. The results from these pilot schemes suggest that the bins play an important role in keeping litter in check and helping with the overall issue of waste reduction. Indeed, the pilot schemes in America have been so successful that more than 300 ‘BigBelly’ bins line the streets from Massachusetts to California today.
The bins are clever in another way too, as they are designed with a ‘BigBelly’ compaction system in place. This system stops litter blowing away from the top of the bin and also prevents scavenging animals from rifling through the waste. This is due to a clever sealed unit at the front of the bin, which also reduces smell. The bins are designed to accommodate much more rubbish than a usual public bin, through compacting the rubbish and stopping it overflowing. This compaction system is powered by the sun, which charges the battery so that once fully charged, the bin can run for thirty days in complete darkness. The bins can reduce waste pick-up by four times or more, which helps the environment in another way as the number of waste truck trips are drastically reduced, cutting down on harmful emissions which reduce air quality. In the New York City borough of Queens, 44 of these unique bins have cut down on waste pickups by 70% since the city deployed their bins only a year ago. The bins are also convenient in that they can be placed anywhere; there is no need for trenching or wiring. They are also user-friendly with a rugged design, making them virtually vandal proof and strong against the elements.
There is yet another clever feature to the bins. Although eight of the ten BigBelly bins being tested will be for general litter, two revolutionary bins will be used for co-mingling recycling purposes. This means that within one recycling bin you can place all kinds of material such as paper, cardboard, glass, plastic and aluminium and steel. These two recycling bins will be the first of their type in Australia and will make the process of recycling a lot more convenient.
Overall, the bins are helping to make recycling, waste reduction and improving air quality a more manageable task, whilst also aiming to educate the public about these issues. Through unique advertising panels on the sides of the bins, people are forced to interact with the bin. Furthermore, everyone, especially young children, can now see a real solar panel at eye level performing an invaluable task for the local community. The benefits of these bins ensure that people are always aware of the environmental issues surrounding them in their everyday lives.
Give and Take days in your local area
July 12, 2007 at 2:38 am
According to Waste Not Want Not, Government Strategy Unit Report, November 2002, each household in London alone produces over a tonne of waste per year and nearly 80% of municipal waste in England is sent to landfill sites, comparing poorly with the rest of Western Europe. Many people dislike throwing away unwanted items but are unsure how to recycle. There are many schemes available to help, some of the most popular being schemes such as Freecycle. The only downside is that these schemes rely upon people being comfortable with using the internet. Whilst recycling via the internet has obvious advantages, not everyone has a computer at home.
For those who do not have internet access, Give and Take days seem to be the best alternative. This idea originated in Germany where a certain day each month is designated for the collection of unwanted furniture. Unwanted items are placed outside and anyone can take what they want. The idea of a Give and Take day is simple: a space such as a hall is hired for a day and people are encouraged to bring along items which they no longer need (apart from clothes which can of course always be taken to a local charity shop) and anyone can turn up and pick up items which they do need, free of charge. Any leftover items will usually be given to local charities. You can find anything you need here, from tables to televisions, and the organisers can even arrange transport for heavy items. Give and Take days not only provide a unique opportunity to cut down drastically on waste but can also be a fun day out for the whole family.
Richmond upon Thames council provides one example of just how successful these days can be. They started Give and Take days in September 2006 and on one day alone, attracted 500 people and nearly 4000 items. Overall, just under 8 tonnes of waste was diverted from landfill. Furthermore, some councils use the day to educate the public about wider issues of waste minimisation and recycling. Give and Take days in Wandsworth provide free information about sustainable living and especially target young children in an accessible and fun way.
The Women’s Environmental Network provides a ‘toolkit’ for organising Give and Take days, which is free to download from the internet. It provides everything you need, from information concerning budgets to flyers.
Many councils, particularly in London, offer this service, including:
- Richmond upon Thames
- Waltham Forest
- Bexley
- Southwark
- Hounslow
- Ealing
- Camden
- Islington
- Enfield
If you would like to find out whether your council offers Give and Take days, you should contact the Waste and Recycling officer (sometimes called the Community Recycling officer) at your local council offices. If they don’t and you are interested in lobbying them to do so, you should contact your <a href="http://www.councillor.gov.uk/ local councillor and ask them to use their influence in instigating the scheme. Alternatively, there may be a council recycling committee which may be able to help.
Targets for battery recycling now in reach
July 5, 2007 at 9:01 pm
Goals set concerning the number of batteries recycled each year now appear to be in reach. According to the Waste Resources Action Program (WRAP), targets set by the Battery Directive are likely to be attained by 2012 as was initially hoped. Nevertheless, a number of obstacles remain which may prevent these goals from being achieved in full.
So far, large numbers of batteries have been recycled in the United Kingdom. To date, WRAP has collected over 1.75 million batteries. Collection of used cells takes place in a number of ways. Deposit points are now available at the premises of most major retailers such as Argos, Tescos and Currys. Curbside collection facilities remain ever popular. However, a number of new schemes are currently being trialled. In May, WRAP together with the Royal Mail, launched a ‘collection by post’ initiative in two districts in Cumbria and Dumfries & Galloway. These services allow local residents to mail a variety of batteries, ranging from AAA to D, to recycling contractors. Specialized packaging is available to those who wish to take advantage of the scheme. This is essential for the safe transport of used and damaged batteries. If all goes to plan, this trial is expected to continue until 2008. The Waste Resources Action Program is confident that increasing the availability of collection facilities and the ease of disposal will encourage more people to recycle batteries.
However, despite this apparent success, much more needs to be done. Firstly, the collection and sorting of batteries can be a difficult and time-consuming process. Secondly, there is the ever-present problem of government red tape. Certain types of batteries are classified as ‘hazardous’ waste and must therefore be dealt with according to guidelines set out under national Hazardous Waste Regulations. Other types of batteries are classified as ‘dangerous.’ As a consequence, transportation and disposal of such cells is subject to the government’s Carriage and Dangerous Goods Regulations. This makes uniform collection schemes difficult. Paradoxically a number of obstacles to the recycling of batteries have arisen as a result of the new Waste Electrical and Electronic Directive (WEEE). In particular the WEEE directive is likely to affect the manner by which internal batteries in electronic goods are handled. Attracting investment to the sector is also essential. Despite growing awareness of the problems facing the environment, investment is limited, with the majority of recycling projects currently being funded by the government. Nevertheless, there are a number of signs to suggest that this situation may soon change. For example, G&P Batteries is presently developing a recycling plant for lithium ion and manganate batteries – the first of its kind in the UK.
Batteries contain many chemicals harmful to the environment. Some cells contain toxic heavy metals, whilst others release harmful chemicals such as mercury when left to disintegrate in landfills. It is therefore vital that they are recycled whenever possible. For further information on battery recycling or for tips on how you can do your bit to help the environment, click here.
New legislation allows for electrical recycling scheme
July 5, 2007 at 10:57 am
New environmental legislation set to come into effect this July is likely to significantly improve the ability of both retailers and consumers to recycle electrical appliances. The Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment Regulations (WEEE) require producers and sellers of such appliances to make some contribution to the costs of recycling electrical goods lying at local tips. This obligation applies not only to established high-street companies but also to Internet sellers.
However, a recent survey by the high-street chain, Comet, has revealed that the vast majority of people are unaware of the services available when it comes the recycling of electrical goods. Comet’s report revealed that only one person in fifty was aware of the services on offer. Indeed, most people had never recycled an electrical appliance and a troubling number of those polled confessed to thinking that such practices were impossible. A significant proportion of those surveyed blamed their local authority for failing to provide them with sufficient information on the matter.
Recognising the need to increase awareness among consumers of the recycling services on offer, Comet has announced a number of measures to deal with the situation. Just about any electrical appliance can be recycled under the WEEE guidelines. As such, Comet is set to expand its collection and recycling facilities to cover bigger appliances including fridges, washing machines and dishwashers. Although over three million such appliances have been recycled since these services began, many more make their way to tips and landfills each year and consequently contribute to environmental degradation.
With our consumption of electronic items on the increase, the need to provide recycling facilities for such goods is of essence. Roughly 70% of heavy (toxic) metals found in landfills come from discarded electrical appliances. In some instances, such waste is transported to third world countries for disposal. However, this offers neither a viable nor equitable long term solution. Furthermore, in certain circumstances, recycling is the only real option. The direct disposal of certain goods such as computers and mobile phones is banned in developed countries as they contain components constructed from toxic metals. Other common household appliances such as televisions and VCRs can release toxic chemicals such as dioxins, PCBs and radioactive isotopes into the environment. Only recycling provides a safe means of disposal for such goods.
Comet’s recycling services are available to all. You need not have purchased your appliance from them in order to qualify. However, you will need to pay a fee of £20 per item to be recycled. Given the dangers associated with the direct disposal of electrical appliances and equipment, it is a small price to pay.
Cowbins inspire children to recycle
July 3, 2007 at 3:16 am
An initiative encouraging young people to recycle is causing a stir in Somerset this week. A “herd” of recycling bins, painted to look like Friesian cattle, has been installed in a field near Weston-super-Mare ready, to be used by schools in September. While the bins have boosted recycling rates elsewhere, there are concerns that the roadside spectacle is slowing down traffic on the M5.
The makers of the bins, waste company Taylor, claim that they deliver a 61% increase in recycling. The eye-catching “Cowbin”, and smaller “Calfbin” for primary schools, provide an exciting way to educate children and adults about recycling issues. The “Feed the Cows” recycling project in the London Borough of Lewisham won Best Information and Communications Campaign at last year’s National Recycling Awards.
The Waste Strategy for England 2007 from the Department for Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) promised more recycling bins in public places and stressed the need to promote waste reduction and recycling in schools.
Taylor has agreed that the Somerset herd should be removed following complaints that the bins are distracting drivers and causing delays. This won’t be the end of the bovine recycling champions, though. Chorely Borough Council in Lancashire has just been awarded a grant of nearly £39,000 for the bins to be used in a communal recycling scheme. According to Taylor, there are plenty more cowbins desperately wanting to move to new pastures to graze on recyclable rubbish in schools and public spaces across the UK.
Can China be excused its emissions seeing as the UK send all its recycling there?
July 3, 2007 at 3:05 am
Should China be excused 2 new power stations a week because it recycles most of the UK’s rubbish?
China is the workhouse of the world. Since the dawn of the millennium it has become one of the top-five exporters of merchandise, the second highest oil consumer (after the US) and the world’s biggest coal consumer. China’s importance in the world’s economy is huge, but for all its growth, there comes a price. In 2006 China’s CO2 emissions rose 9%, compared to 1.4% in the US (Netherlands Environment Assessment Agency). In July 2007, as reported in BBC News a study by a leading climate change official for the UK Home Office, John Ashton, concluded that on average China builds two new power stations per week and these are almost solely coal-burning plants.
The Chinese economy needs to uphold its energy production levels to support its rapidly increasing economy. However, alongside their increasing levels of carbon emmissions, China appears to be helping the rest of the world in what many would consider an environmentally-friendly task – recycling.
Over 35% of all waste-paper and plastics collected in the UK is shipped en masse 8000 miles to Hong Kong, where it is fought over by the hundreds of recycling factories. Many of the factories are not being run in accordance to the safety standards accepted in the UK; plastics are burnt and their waste often leaked into nearby rivers, huge and unfiltered stacks of smoke sit under the clouds and the workforce are often migrant labourers, earning next to nothing, working in appalling conditions and being exposed to high-levels of toxic poisoning.
Unbelievably there has been no official report into the precise environmental costs of this recycling-trade. Although China professes to be regulating the waste that is exported to it, their recent industrial revolution makes any new business proposition almost impossible to resist. They have defended claims that they are doing more harm than good by highlighting that the end product of these factories is often storage containers that would normally have had to come from chopping down trees all over the world.
Although the UK has vastly improved its methods and incentives for recycling, whilst foreign companies such as those in China are offering cheaper and quicker deals for local authorities and supermarket chains in the UK, shipping the waste abroad will be be a hard offer to resist. Although the government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs claims that in the next three years they will “encourage £40m worth of private investment into waste projects” a British plastics recycler, Edward Clack, was reported in The Guardian Online on September 20, 2004 as saying “Everyone has lost supplies to China. The local market is being starved of materials. Hundreds of brokers are buying up the plastic and shipping it out. It’s cheaper to send a container to China than to Scotland.”
Asda stocks environmentally friendly CDs
July 2, 2007 at 2:58 am
The supermarket Asda recently announced that it will become the UK’s first supermarket to exclusively stock a wide and diverse range of environmentally friendly CDs, which come in fully compostable packaging. Asda has always been a supermarket with a green conscience and has often done research into the relationship between the consumer world and the planet. The supermarket even has its own website, called ASDA’s Big Recycle Website which primarily targets children of a young age in order to educate them about how they can help to save the environment through recycling. This latest news concerning CDs follows Asda’s recent research into CD recycling, which found that up to 25% of all plastic CD covers are thrown away within 12 months of purchase.
The new CD packaging will be made from 100% recycled and recyclable paper-foam (which can be recycled along with newspapers and magazines) and will be stocked in all of Asda’s 336 stores in the very near future. Furthermore, no booklets will be sold with the CDs (the production of CD booklets uses a lot of paper which is often wasted as many people will never so much as glance at their contents) but will be available from the Universal Music website. Asda will call this new range the ‘Ecopac’ range and it will be manufactured in conjunction with Universal Music. There will be CDs available for all tastes and all age groups, from Marvin Gaye to Marilyn Manson.
Many music fans, both young and old, are eager to help make the country more sustainable and they are likely to enthusiastically accept Asda’s scheme, especially as it coincides with other events in the music world such as the Glastonbury festival and Live Earth. Live Earth actually marks the start of a multi-year mass persuasion campaign led by The Alliance for Climate Protection, which aims to instigate real action from all levels of society to help save the planet. Both this event and Glastonbury present a need to entertain but also to educate the public about issues concerning the environment and saving the planet through recycling. Asda’s scheme combines these two priorities and is likely to appeal to many people.
There is further evidence to suggest that Asda’s scheme will be a success. Asda’s parent company, Wal-Mart introduced the same scheme approximately 6 months ago. More than 2 million copies of the environmentally friendly CDs have been sold to date, with this figure only set to rise in the coming months. Both schemes from Wal-Mart and Asda interestingly coincide with a new awareness concerning the need to recycle old and unwanted CDs. Although the supermarkets have provided us with a good scheme to cut down on wasteful packaging, the problem remains as to how to recycle the actual CD itself. However, rather than throwing CDs in the bin, try these quick tips:
