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Recycle Week – What goes around comes around

Recycle Week 2017

This month sees Recycle Week take place – running from 25th September to 1st October and championed by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP).

The theme is Recycle – It’s Worth It, focusing on the idea of what goes around, comes around. The concept is to highlight the lifecycle of materials and food from raw extraction to manufacturing, their first life usage, second life usage and so on.
The end-game of this process should see as much energy and usage extracted from raw materials as is technically and commercially possible, before the final incarnation of the material is used to produce energy-from-waste, or unless unavoidable, sent to landfill.
As part of this wider effort, we also call for a concerted effort to support the Government’s Litter Strategy, and call on local authorities to pay particular attention to litter collection and processing during Recycling Week.

Litter picking for a cleaner planet

Government Litter Strategy

As the Foodservice Packaging Association has noted, a strategy for tackling litter has been lacking in Government leadership for far too long. Concerted action is needed to bring all stakeholders together, including the public, to reduce it. Obviously, packaging itself is not litter – human behaviour leads to littering, rather than the correct storage and processing of used packaging.

The industry and local authorities could debate the merits and challenges of initiatives such as anti-littering enforcement laws and fines, Deposit Return Systems and on-pack litter messaging, but central government leadership and delivery strategies are required to help focus attention and resource, and provide a catalyst for real action.

Recycling on the Go

For instance, we absolutely agree that recycling should be a central part of anti-litter initiatives in the UK. The Litter Strategy calls for people to be able to recycle on the go – replacing standard litter bins with segregated litter bins for recycling.

WRAP has also produced a guide, which provides key information on the options for, and benefits of, introducing recycling on the go. Its principal aims are to aid and inform decision making, and to highlight the options for introducing new recycling on the go facilities or enhancing existing ones.

A resourceful company

We pride ourselves on being a more resourceful company than most, and work closely with world-class manufacturers around the globe sourcing fit for purpose, high quality products with minimal environmental impact.

As part of our plans to mark Recycling Week, we have decided to take part in The Great British Beach Clean on Filey Beach, 17 September. This event is organised by the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, in association with the Marine Conservation Society.
The aim is for Cromwell staff and their families/friends to join in with the clean – but we will also be providing the bags and separating the litter as we go, with the aim of diverting as much as possible from landfill.
Watch this space for more information and images from the event.

Make a difference

From taking part in a local litter pick to introducing segregated recycling bins to your facility, there are plenty of simple steps that individuals and organisations of every size can take to make a difference this Recycling Week.

Be resourceful – recycle, reuse and reduce wherever possible. What goes around comes around.

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