By SUSAN STAFF, Commercial Manager: Aylesbury Granulation Services Limited WASTE RECYCLING
10 PLASTIC TIPS 7.
WWW.AGSRECYCLING.CO.UK
SERVICES LIMITED are experts when it comes to dealing with all types of plastics.
AYLESBURY GRANULATION
Commercial Manager SUSAN STAFF provides a few tips
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TYPES OF PLASTICS: Plastics come in all shapes and sizes, and some are easier than others to deal
with – much like bosses. At one end of the spectrum you have rigid plastics, while at the other end are films. In- between are flexibles, and in the right format all of these are recyclable. Did you know uPVC window frames can be recycled an estimated 18 times? – that’s a life of over 300 years!
TYPES OF RIGID PLASTICS: The term ‘plastics’ is so broad. With rigid plastics alone, the
main types are PE, PP, PC, ABS, PVC - and that’s before you even start to contemplate the world of ‘engineering plastics.’ But then there’s the added complexity of manufacturing process, which affects recyclability – such as injection moulding, blow moulding, rotational moulding, and the rest…
WHAT TO DO? SEGREGATE: So you want to know what’s good stuff – well, there are plenty of people dealing in
plastic films and we all know the 98:2, 95:5 grades well enough. But when it comes to rigid plastics, many of us are left floundering around. The biggest key is segregation. If you have a decent enough amount of one type of rigid plastic, then it probably has value. For example, if your site regularly receives utility piping, then stick it in a 40-yard skip and when it’s full recycle it.
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and ‘did you knows?’ - so you can make more money, and streamline your business.
WHAT TO AVOID: Much like a Delorean DMC-12, there are a lot of things that look great on the outside, but
are a bit rough on the inside. I’m of course talking about rigid plastics. For example, road barriers, plastic pallets and dolavs - sometimes these are great, but more often than not they are “filled” with sand, concrete, or worse. This makes them un-recyclable – unless you can remove the contamination.
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TELEPHONE: 07849-869685 SHM February, 2018
TARGETS ACQUIRED: We all like an easy win. So here’s a list of things that you should easily be able to sell
to a reputable rigid plastic recycler: – wheelie bins (wheels and metal removed); buckets and barrels (cleaned and metal handles removed); trays and crates (remember polymer types need segregating); utility pipe (marked PE80 or PE100).
WHAT TO DO: KEEP YOUR PROMISE: Seriously though – what are your options? In the last five
years the UK shipped over 2.7 tonnes of waste plastic to China. That is no longer an option. As of 2015 nearly 5 billion tonnes of plastic waste has accumulated in landfills, or the natural environment worldwide (including oceans). This cannot continue! Historically 12% of plastic waste has been incinerated – producing all kinds on noxious gases – and only 9% has been recycled. Recycling plastic saves twice as much energy as burning it in an incinerator. Many ‘recycling facilities’ quote a zero-to-landfill promise, but with that promise comes great responsibility, and effort. Time to roll your sleeves up again, I’m afraid!
In the wake of China’s new low-grade plastic ban,
WHAT TO DO: MAKE MONEY: If you deal with post-consumer waste, then segregating it is going
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to be difficult and that is a whole issue in itself. But if some of your waste is from a known source, is of a decent quantity or is on-going, then segregating it and selling it to a specialist plastic recycler directly should net your business both environmental kudos and cash in the bank.
WHAT TO DO: KEEP IT CLEAN: Cleanliness is next to godliness. Keeping excessive rubbish out of your plastic
waste will add the most to your bottom line. We all know recycling facilities are dirty places, but too much mud and other contamination will render your valuable waste, worthless. Soon to be law!
LET’S NOT FORGET, IT’LL ALL SOON BECOME LAW: On 11 January 2018, Prime Minister Theresa May pledged to
eradicate all of the UK’s avoidable plastic waste by 2042, as part of the government’s 25-year Environment Plan. Good luck with that one Mrs. May. In the meantime we need to get our houses in order, and sort this almighty mess out.
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PUTTING IT INTO ACTION: So fi nally, fi nd a trustworthy partner for the
recycling of your plastic waste (how about me!). Arm them with as much information as possible on each waste stream, including pictures. Work together and understand what you can do for the benefi t of your business, your local environment and the planet as a whole.
Email:
susan@agsrecycling.co.uk
www.skiphiremagazine.co.uk
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