Monday, 17 August 2015 12:32

Waste paper baling – not just for the big boys

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There was a time when only larger organisations could house in-house waste handling systems. But technological innovation, plus an ever-growing acknowledgment for the environmental and financial benefits of paper recycling, means organisations of all sizes are working smarter when it comes to this valuable material. Jonathan Oldfield, managing director of Riverside Waste Machinery investigates.

“The introduction of European legislation in January 2015 – which began to call for the separate collection of paper, plastics, metals and glass where technically, environmentally and economically practicable (TEEP) – had the potential to encourage continued sustainability progress in the UK. It was well timed too, given the rumours of ‘green fatigue’ which circulated in the media last year.

However, the fact that nobody has defined TEEP in England means it is up to waste management companies and their business customers to interpret the requirements. With so much ambiguity surrounding the movement, I don’t believe this legislation is having the impact it could. Scotland may experience greater success given separate collections have been made mandatory, but at the moment we must just wait and see.

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The machinery arena deserves some credit for its commitment to driving progress though. Ongoing technological innovations, and the range of procurement options now available in the marketplace, mean paper waste handling equipment is more accessible to organisations, regardless of their size. Gone are the days when only large businesses with spacious warehouses can invest in plant and machinery to smarten up their approach to paper recycling.

Small vertical paper baling machines with a footprint of only 1040 x 720mm, for example, can slot into even the tightest of commercial environments. And typically available to purchase from £2,500, or rent from as little as £23 per week, this doesn’t represent a significant financial commitment. So, local independent retailers handling paper and board packaging waste, for instance, can invest in such technology with relative ease, as can hotels who’d like the kit to fit in their service lifts. Printing companies, catering firms, serviced offices, local authorities and hospitals are just some of the other organisations making the switch to procure their own machinery, rather than relying solely on the recycling proficiency of their chosen waste contractor.

The benefits of smarter in-house paper recycling processes are multifaceted. On a simplistic level, baling ‘waste’ paper can improve on-site cleanliness, which is particularly important when space is limited. But even in larger premises, it’s better to be tidy, so that waste paper and board doesn’t blow around a windy yard, for instance.

It can have time saving benefits too. In some organisations, loose waste paper and board is handled three or four times before it is collected. Surely that employee time would be better spent doing something more business related?

And then there’s the commercial advantage of baling waste paper, which shouldn’t be reserved purely for large companies. Why pay to dispose of paper, when it could instead be collected for free? In some instances, recycling contractors will even pay for paper or board which generates an additional revenue stream.

Much depends on the geographical vicinity of a recycling partner, and the size of the bale. Mill size bales could attract a rate of £50/tonne, for example (subject to segregation and commodity values), whilst for smaller bales, there may be no rebate but at least the waste collection fees are wiped out.

And of course there’s the argument that those responsible for producing the ‘waste’ in the first place, have a duty of care to ensure it goes on to be processed in the most environmentally responsible and resourceful manner possible.

It’s scary that a significant number of businesses – and households – still throw clean paper in with all of their other general waste. In these scenarios, the risk of the fibres within this valuable resource being damaged, to the extent that they cannot be salvaged, is simply too great. At the very least, waste paper and card should be disposed of in a DMR (dry mixed recycling) skip, so that a waste company can run it through a Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) and pick it. But why not streamline the ensuing processes in the supply chain and adopt a best practice approach before the paper even leaves the waste producer’s site?

People predicted that, with the continued evolution of IT, the business environment would become increasingly paperless. In some instances we are seeing evidence that this is the case, with a growing level of news being consumed online or via social media, for example, rather than traditional newspapers. But elsewhere, paper and board is still a very real part of business life. Offices may store less paper, for example, but they still use it in comparative volumes, just in different ways. From labels and confidential documents, through to product packaging and transit sacks, a lot of paper is here to stay, for the time being at least.

It is therefore important that we don’t lose sight of the need to work smarter when it comes to paper recycling. The ‘green fatigue’ phrase is something nobody can afford to see in the media again.

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