As we near the end of the transition period for Brexit, the UK Government has outlined plans for a circular economy package (CEP). – But will it be enough and will it be attainable? The CEP outlines a plan to recycle 65% of municipal waste by 2035 alongside ‘measures to reduce the amount of waste …..
Councils face surge in flytipping
The number of flytipping reports has increased drastically due to the impact of covid 19 as recycling centres across the UK have closed down, leaving mountains of cardboard and plastic packaging to mount up outside recycling centres. Flytipping has increased by up to 300% in some areas after a large number of local authorities have …..
‘Remove the cause not the symptoms’ say experts
According to a new report, the Government’s current approach “completely fails” to deal with the root cause of the plastic problem. Some of the major initiatives that have been implemented by the Government include addressing individual uses of plastic, including plastic bags and microbeads, however, a report by Green Alliance suggests that while banning individual items …..
There’s More Plastic On The Way!
Everything has consequences, but a lot of the time it seems like far too often the planet and environment are on the receiving end of negative consequences. The recent boom in fracking has caused the reduction of gas prices as supply has increased, however, this means that fossil fuel companies will lose out. As a …..
The Greener Side return from Paperworld 2020 with another award to their name
Our award cabinet became a little fuller following our return from this year’s Paperworld exhibition with the addition of The Collector of the Year Award. We’re delighted to receive this award following an already incredibly successful year. Operations Director Adam Lighton went on to say “We’re very pleased that we were able to add to …..
Are the UK struggling with their plastic addiction?
Recent news reports suggest that the UK are still having issues in finding final destinations for their single-use plastic. It was announced on the 20th January by Malaysia’s Environment Minister that 150 containers full of plastic waste were shipped back to a number of countries. In total, the containers hold 3,737 tonnes of plastic waste …..
How are we going to deal with all of our waste?
Bans and restrictions on plastic imports are forcing European countries to innovate and improve their own waste handling capabilities and capacities. The UK are one of the biggest culprits for sending much of its’ waste abroad to countries such as China, Malaysia and Vietnam, however, these countries have, or soon will implement a no waste …..
How Will Brexit Affect UK Recycling?
No, we’re not done with Brexit yet. The economy and immigration are the most discussed topics surrounding Brexit, but what about recycling? UK recycling has certainly improved over the last ten years, but that can be attributed to rather strict EU legislation and recycling targets. In fact, roughly 80% of the UK’s environmental legislation has …..
The Challenge of Going Green
If you’re reading this, all credit goes to you as going green isn’t the simplest of tasks, but first off – what’s the point in going green in the first place? Going green in whatever context or form you choose is the right step to take. Ultimately, most businesses see ‘going green’ as making the …..
How Can My Company Setup Its Own Recycling Service?
If you’re reading this, we’re glad, because that means you share some of the same values as we do. Providing a recycling service enables you to contribute to the reduction of a number of organisations carbon footprints while simultaneously reducing their impact on climate change and promoting a circular economy. Despite all of this, setting …..
The Greener Side Wins Another Award!
We’re delighted to announce that The Greener Side has received yet another award in 2019. This is the second consecutive year that the company has received an award for ‘Best Printer Cartridge Recycling Specialist’ awarded to us by BUILD Magazine. The magazine explained that awards are given to those who show “Dedication and excellence towards …..
Is chemical recycling the latest circular solution?
Climate change and the circular economy is a hot topic right now, and the successful use of chemical recycling for plastic has presented a new opportunity, however, its use in an profitable and industrial sense is at least ten years away according to Rob De Ruiter, a recycling specialist who spoke at the Bureau of …..
The Shocking Truth Behind Your Luxury Toilet Paper
Strong awareness has been made about the damage of single use plastics and a fast fashion lifestyle. However, there is one product used daily that has not had much conversation over sustainability: toilet paper. The average four person household in America uses over 100 pounds of toilet paper a year. America’s use of toilet paper, …..
Scotland’s Recycling Exceeds Landfill For The First Time
Scotland’s authorities recorded a recycle and compost rate of 45.6% for household waste in 2017 – figures published by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency on 26 March, 2019 have indicated. This is a slight increase over the 45% recorded in 2016 – but councils still fall short of the target level set by Scottish Government …..
How Is Plastic Recycled?
There are many different types of polymers used to produce plastic. This makes it more difficult to process than other materials, because each type must be sorted separately. Due to the lightweight nature of most plastics, a large sum needs to be collected to make it economically viable to do so. Most collection schemes, therefore, …..
Are You Struggling To Understand WEEE Regulations?
WEEElogic has released a range of free PDF country profiles, providing an overview of each European country’s specifications in terms of WEEE Directive compliance. Each Member State has its own obligations and requirements regarding End of Life management – as well as obligations relating to batteries and packaging, too. It is possible that any one …..
A long road ahead
We’ve got a long road ahead of us before we can say that the planet is safe from plastic pollution. Have you started taking action to eliminate your contribution to the problem? The UK Plastics Pact is made up of around 68 business from different industries and sectors. WRAP estimates that these members are responsible …..
What led to the single-use craze?
It seems like out of nowhere that everybody began jumping on the green bandwagon this year boasting about their green products, circular initiatives and action against single use plastics. Somebody’s eyes must have been opened somewhere along the line… One of the first eye openers in recent years was the introduction of the plastic bag …..
Just a drop in the ocean
Have we gotten to the point where simply recycling won’t be enough to reverse the problems that we’ve already created? Our seas are now filled by 8m tonnes of plastic every single year, however, the tide is turning. More than 6.3bn tonnes of plastic waste has been produced since the 1950s, of which, more than …..
Plastic Recycling: Widespread Abuse and Fraud
The most recent concerns to have surfaced from the recycling industry highlight the importance of using a recycler who knows exactly what they’re doing, and who are fully compliant waste carriers. According to The Guardian, recent reports suggest that the Environment Agency has setup a team of investigators, including three retired police officers in an …..