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Practical approach to recycling issues
LAST YEAR saw Robert Horne Sign & Display launch its ambitious R3 (recover, recycle, re-use) recycling scheme. The learning curve uncovered some interesting truths about the state of commercial recycling in the UK.
Firstly, the UK recycling industry is designed for large volumes of segregated waste where recycling companies collect from a single location. This created a logistical and financial issue as the cost of collections and waste reprocessing outweighed the waste value for smaller volume producers.
Secondly, the world's waste markets suffered a huge decline in Q4 2008 with waste prices crashing to unprecedented levels as China closed its doors to UK waste. Waste polymer prices declined to levels which made previously free collections financially unviable. Robert Horne could not continue to build waste and recycling strategies around Chinese consumption and returned to the UK for solutions.
Thus, 2009 sees the launch of Robert Horne's Waste Recycling Scheme which aims to simplify the collection, recycling and future use of recycled products for all customers, regardless of size.
The new scheme features five main waste product types, one cage size and one price per waste cage collected. Any size customer can join, taking as little as one cage. Waste is collected by Robert Horne's appointed partners and sent for recycling in a UK facility.
The scheme can now help all customers: achieve an increase in operational profitability; reduce landfill and collection charges; promote environmental management best practice (ISO14001); and demonstrate their company cares about the environment and recycling.
There are five main waste types, each with a separate cage:
- Acrylic: Altuglas, Repsol, Perspex & Falcon
- Polycarbonate: Lexan, Marlon or Falcon
- Polypropylene: Priplak, Falcon Correx, Huntsman
- PVC Rigid Foamboard: Foamalux, Forex, Falcon or Target
- Aluminium Composite Material: Dibond, Dilite or Digital Dibond
There is one important note to the recycling scheme, all PE/protective liners must be removed before collecting, failure to do this may result in contamination and additional land fill costs. The scheme can take other brands of all of the waste product types except Dibond.
The collection and recycling charge for each waste cage is £65 plus VAT. This represents a saving of around 25 per cent based on current landfill and collection charges. Robert Horne Sign & Display provides customers with sign templates to mark each waste cage.
Robert Horne's business development director, Steve Lister said: "Robert Horne fundamentally believes in diverting waste away from landfill and the creation of the new Waste Recycling Scheme will now benefit all our customers and also ultimately benefit the environment. Our customers who have joined the scheme have seen their landfill and collection charges reduce, recycling rates dramatically increase and their environmental credentials enhanced because of the recycling scheme. Of course the scheme can also be offered to end clients providing our customers with vital differentiation in today's market place."
