Why should businesses reduce,
reuse and recycle their waste?
There are fundamental business reasons, as well as environmental
ones, for minimising waste:
- A systematic waste minimisation programme could save 1% of
turnover.
- Every pound saved on material costs goes straight to the bottom
line.
- Average payback periods for such initiatives are measured in
months, not years.
- Savings of around £1,000 per employee are typically made
through resource efficiency programmes.
- Many waste minimisation measures cost nothing, but yield big
results.
- Customers increasingly favour environmentally friendly
companies.
- More and more businesses demand resource efficiency from their
suppliers and partners.
- Legislation, both in the UK and from Europe, is forcing us all
to address the issue of waste. Non compliance means fines. Even
prosecution.
- Waste costs more than you may realise. When you consider the
materials, the costs of treatment, energy and wasted labour, you'll
find the real price tag on waste is often 5-20 times the cost of
disposal.
For more business recycling facts and figures please check
the Recycling facts.
Can I take my business waste to the Household
Waste Recycling Centres?
No, the Household Waste Recycling Centres are only licensed to
accept household waste only.
What resources are available for business
recycling in Suffolk and the surrounding areas?
There are a number of resources in and around Suffolk that may
aid businesses with their recycling initiatives:
Please note the listing is not exhaustive, further resources can
be found in your local business telephone directory.
For further details of your responsibility please visit
http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/netregs/.
SCRRN
The Suffolk Community Reuse and Recycling Network exists to
support, develop and promote new and existing community and
voluntary sector organisations that are involved in composting,
reuse and recycling activity in Suffolk. See
www.scrrn.org.uk
Eastex Suffolk Materials Exchange
Eastex is a FREE online service for businesses, organisations,
societies and schools to help keep reuseable items in circulation
and out of landfill. This online forum works on the concept that
one organisations waste is another's raw material. It allows users
to place adverts for items and materials that they available or for
those that they require.
Anything that has a reuse value can be placed on this site and
recent exchanges of items and materials in Suffolk to date include
office furniture, wood and timber, paper and card, scaffold towers,
computers, building materials, porta cabins, pallets and much more!
Eastex offers a fantastic opportunity for businesses to improve
their environmental performance and reduce waste disposal costs. It
also helps Voluntary and Community Sector organisations and Social
Enterprises source vital resources and create partnerships with
businesses.
Eastex is an Eastern Region project funded by EEDA through the
Business Resource Efficiency and Waste programme (BREW). The site
had received over 2 million hits since it was launched in May 2006.
In Suffolk, we are fully supported by Suffolk County and all
District Councils, The Environment Agency, The Federation of Small
Businesses and Business Link for Suffolk.
Please take a look at Eastex at
www.eastex.org.uk/suffolk
and help spread the word of this FREE service. If you hear of items
no longer wanted or destine for landfill please urge people,
departments and organisations to consider utilising Eastex
first.
Questions? Contact your Mark
Webster on 01473 264782 or
mark.webster2@et.suffolkcc.gov.uk
Aid to Hospitals Worldwide
Aid to Hospitals Worldwide refurbishes all kinds of used and
redundant equipment that can be used by hospitals and schools. We
take all kinds of servicable equipment that the NHS and private
hospitals in the UK no longer need and send it to the developing
world. Equipment in our hospitals soon gets outdated, but to
hospitals in Africa and Eastern Europe, this equipment can save
lives. A2HW cleans, refurbishes and packs equipment from our
premises in Bury St Edmunds ready for shipping to hospitals and
schools all over the world. We're careful where we send. We take
every precaution to make sure these precious items end up
benefiting the neediest people. No charge is made for any piece of
equipment we supply, and we source items to order. A2HW links up
with existing charities and organisations to arrange delivery. And
you can help: by volunteering, offering equipment (such as IT or
stacking chairs) or giving funds.
PO Box 603 Bury St Edmunds Suffolk UK IP33 9DF
0781 336 8396
Ipswich Furniture Project
The Ipswich Furniture Project is a charitable organisation that
collects furniture items (that adhere to fire regulations) which
they pass on to low-income families for a nominal charge.
The Project also collects redundant metal appliances e.g. fridges,
and cookers that they then recycle for scrap metal.
Ipswich Furniture Project
Hogarth Road
Ipswich
Suffolk
Tel: (01473) 404004
Email: ipswichfp@aol.com
Suffolk Scrap Store
The project is a reuse/recycling scheme collecting waste items
from the Ipswich area for use in art, craft and education by a vast
number of schools and community based organisations. All
sorts of clean materials can be reused in this way. Contact
them at suffolkscrapstore@btconnect.com
To discover many more ways that your business can reduce its
environmental impact, visit
www.greensuffolk.org/what_can_i_do/businesses