Tag: recycling

Why it took a pandemic to open our eyes to the importance of sustainability

As demand for sustainable shopping alternatives increases, The Leith Collective prepares to come back even bigger than before:

Lockdown restrictions may be easing, but one person hoping the temporary pause in human activity over the past few months may prove to have a long-lasting, positive effect on consumer behaviour is Sara Thomson, founder of The Leith Collective.

The Leith Collective comprises more than 90 artists and makers from all over Scotland, brought together by a common aim to reuse, recycle, reclaim, and resell items that may otherwise have been destined for landfill.

Sustainability is at the heart of all they do, and their approach is proving popular with consumers whose eyes have been opened to the issue during the coronavirus pandemic. As a result, The Leith Collective has moved to bigger premises in Edinburgh’s Ocean Terminal to accommodate this increase in demand.

Commenting on the link between the coronavirus pandemic and the increase in awareness of sustainability, Sara Thomson explained: ‘I think there are a number of factors at play. Firstly, with shops and attractions closed, more people have explored their local countryside, and thanks to the reduction in traffic, wildlife has flourished and birdsong heard more clearly. All this has helped many people connect with nature as never before.

‘Secondly, with many people on furlough enjoying more time on their hands, we’ve seen a marked increase in hobbies such as gardening which naturally opens one’s eyes to sustainability.

‘Thirdly, the closing of the rubbish dumps may have presented some people with a stark realisation of just how much we throw away without thought. I believe it has no doubt spurred some people on to consider how many household items could potentially be repurposed.’

The Leith Collective is anticipating an increase in the number of customers wanting to embrace a more sustainable way of shopping and living as they prepare to open the doors to their larger premises today (Monday 13th July).

The all-new Leith Collective store features an outdoor area, with increased space to shop whilst safely socially distancing. The new shop location is just the latest way The Leith Collective has successfully pivoted in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

When Lockdown restrictions were first announced, The Leith Collective launched an online shop and offered local delivery throughout the Scottish capital. They then turned their attention to making a range of reusable masks, created using recycled material – designed to offer a sustainable alternative to disposable masks, with the added bonus that it would help keep their resident makers in business.

The success of this initiative has been tremendous – not only has it provided a genuine lifeline to many makers not eligible for government assistance, The Leith Collective was also able to donate hundreds of pounds worth of masks to children in care and care leavers, and give proceeds to the mental health charity, North East Edinburgh Counselling Service.

The all-new Leith Collective opens today (Monday 13th July) at RU65, Ocean Terminal, Ocean Drive, Edinburgh, EH6 6JJ. Opening hours are Monday – Saturday 11am – 6pm, and Sunday 11am – 5pm.

Recycling Centres to reopen on Monday – but it’s appointment only

Edinburgh’s Household Waste and Recycling Centres (HWRCs) will reopen from Monday (1 June), with changes in place to ensure the safety of staff and the public. To minimise crowding and help staff and customers to maintain physical distancing, centres will reopen on an appointment-only basis.

HWRCs are expected to be extremely busy at the beginning so we’re encouraging the public only to visit if necessary and if waste can’t be stored safely at home.

Time slots can be booked online from this afternoon (Thursday, 28 May) though will be limited to one per household for the first two weeks of reopening.

Anyone without an appointment will not be permitted to enter recycling centres. Full details of restrictions at each of the city’s three sites will be available online.

Special uplifts will also resume on Monday, 1 June, and the council will be accepting online bookings for the collection of bulky items from today (Thursday, 28 May), with a maximum of five items per household.

Both services were suspended in March due to staff shortages and physical distancing guidance, as well as Scottish Government advice against non-essential journeys.

However, in light of changes to guidance from the Scottish Government, HWRCs at Seafield, Sighthill and Craigmillar will reopen. With enough crew members now in place the council is now able to resume special uplifts too.

Council Leader Adam McVey said: “We’ve been working extremely hard to deliver services as close to normally as possible and, as of Monday, HWRCs will be reopening, on an appointment-only basis.

“However, it’s likely recycling centres will be extremely busy at the beginning, so please only visit if you are unable to continue storing your waste safely at home and ensure you book an arrival slot if you are coming.

“It’s essential that we look after the health of all those who work in and visit our HWRCs, and there will be changes to the way they operate for the foreseeable future to allow us to do this.

“I’m grateful to residents for their patience as we have adjusted to this unprecedented situation, and I’d like to thank them for holding on to any bulky items, and those who continue to do so during the initial busy period.”

Depute Leader Cammy Day said: “I’m pleased that, following Scottish Government guidance and as changes to allow crews to maintain physical distancing have bedded in, we’ve been able to reintroduce these services while ensuring the safety of our staff.

“It’s thanks to the efforts of our waste team that we have been able to resume this service, albeit on a reduced basis, and I hope that residents join me in recognising the commitment they’ve made to keeping the city moving during this difficult time.

“Please help us to protect workers’ safety, and your own, by following our guidance and only visiting HWRCs if it is absolutely necessary.”

A dedicated online booking system for HWRCs will be available on the Council website from this afternoon – it won’t be possible to book visits over the phone as the contact centre continues to focus on emergency calls.

During the initial period only cars will be permitted on-site, no vans or trailers, and staff will not be able to help unload vehicles so please only bring what you can carry.

Queueing is expected at each HWRC upon reopening and there will be traffic management in place, including at Seafield, where we will be temporarily reverting to the old entrance on Fillyside Road for the first three weeks.

The special uplift service is expected to be busy during the first weeks, so there may be a wait for collections – check the council website for updates.

Residents can book an uplift on the Council website – though not currently over the phone while phone lines are kept free so contact centre staff can deal with emergency calls. Special uplifts are charged at £5 per item and details of what we can and can’t collect are available online.

Garden waste collections were reintroduced from 12 May after they were suspended in April, and glass recycling collections, which were suspended in March, recommenced from 28 April.

Further information on changes to bin collections and other services can be found on the Council website.

Scotland’s deposit return scheme passed by parliament

The Scottish Parliament has voted to approve regulations which will establish Scotland’s Deposit Scheme to boost recycling of single-use drinks containers.

The scheme will see people pay a 20p deposit on metal cans and PET plastic and glass bottles, refunded when they’re returned for recycling.

The final regulations, which were laid in the Scottish Parliament in March, maintain the ambitious approach to materials, with glass included alongside PET plastic and aluminium and steel.

Following consultation with island communities, feedback from the Scottish Parliament’s Environment Committee and stakeholder input, the Scottish Government made changes to the regulations.

These include a commitment to review the performance of the scheme by October 2026, including the deposit level, materials and the collection targets.

Zero Waste Scotland has been advising the Scottish Government on the design of the scheme, which builds on evidence from successful international schemes and the response to the Scottish Government’s public consultation.

Zero Waste Scotland’s Chief Operating Officer, Jill Farrell, says the scheme will be a “game-changer” for recycling and the circular economy in Scotland.

“By giving people an extra incentive to do something good for our environment, and having a consistent approach across Scotland, it will be easier for all of us to do the right thing”, she said. “This will improve the volume and quality of recycling and help tackle litter in the process.

“With a huge network of places to return your bottles and cans, it will be just as easy to return a drink as it is to buy one in the first place. I’m proud of Zero Waste Scotland’s role in advising the Scottish Government on this design, which has resulted in a blueprint for a world-class scheme.”

The Scottish Government has also published the Stage 1 Full Business Case for the scheme. This document, which provides the overarching framework for the preferred scheme design and commercial approach, can be access on the Scottish Government website.

Now that the scheme has passed into law, details on how to apply to become a scheme administrator(s) that will run Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme will be available shortly.

Until the deposit return scheme is up and running, as Scotland continues to tackle coronavirus, consumers should follow the latest government and local authority advice on dealing with recycling and waste items.

You can find help and guidance on managingourwaste.scot which includes our simple and practical advice on how to manage your waste effectively to help ease the pressure on our essential services.

You can also find lots of useful recycling and waste reduction hints and tips on the new How To Waste Less website.

 

Careless recycling leading to MORE rubbish in landfill

· As Brits admit to using 242 plastic bottles and more than 100 coffee cups each year, DS Smith exposes the confusion in recycling.

· A survey revealed 30% of recycled waste goes in the wrong bin.

· To combat this, DS Smith has announced its Circular Design Principles to help companies design reuse and recyclability into their packaging.

New research from sustainable packaging leader DS Smith has showed that the average Briton gets through 242 plastic bottles, 109 coffee cups and 209 crisp packets each year.

We will also bin 378 snack wrappers, 251 cans, and 374 cardboard boxes or paper packets annually. The study also found it’s not just food and drink packaging piling up, as the UK will collectively throw away 468 million spray bottles from cleaning products and 520 million shampoo bottles every year.

The figures also show that 83% of Brits are not clear which of these types of items can and can’t be recycled. Indeed, the average Brit admits to throwing 30% of their recyclable material into general waste, potentially costing the economy more than £95m each year.

This lack of clarity hasn’t gone unnoticed and this week DS Smith announced its Circular Design Principles to help companies design reuse and recyclability into their packaging so that it becomes easier for customers to become part of a circular economy. The principles have been developed in collaboration with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a global thought leader on the circular economy.

Risk-averse recycling

The figures show that when unsure about whether a package can be recycled, over four in ten (44%) Brits say they prefer to ‘play it safe’ and place their packets in the general waste bin.

A total of 56% of Brits admitted that they had put things in general waste they thought could be recycled, with 32% of these saying they did so because the label was unclear.

Experts at leading sustainability packaging brand DS Smith have labelled these people ‘risk-averse recyclers’ and highlighted that their desire to not contaminate recycling waste could mean that 2.6m tonnes of recyclable materials could be going to landfill each year.

Stefano Rossi, Packaging CEO, said, “There is an undeniable desire from the public to help with the climate crisis, but a lot of packaging is still not recyclable, and people are confused about what packaging goes into which bin.

“We have launched our Circular Design Principles to help companies evolve to meet the needs of the public. By introducing this set of principles, we can design for recyclability, design out waste and pollution, create packaging suited to a circular economy and make it easier to provide labelling to help consumers recycle more.”

Wish-cyclers

At the other end of the spectrum are ‘wish-cyclers’: the 30% of people who, faced with uncertainty over whether their boxes, bottles and containers can be recycled, put them in the recycling bin and hope for the best.

More than half (51%) admitted to putting things in the recycling that can’t be recycled, and among those, 44% said it was because they didn’t know where else it should go, and 21% because they were hopeful the packaging would get a second chance and recyclers would put it in the right bin.

More than a third (37%) said that they’ve even put something in the recycling bin that still has food and drink on it – which will contaminate the recycling.

Some of this could be attributed to laziness: 16% have put general waste into the recycling because it was easier and more than a quarter (27%) have done so because they weren’t paying attention. What’s more, around a fifth (19%) Brits confessed that they rarely or never check labels before putting an item in the recycling.

A lack of clarity

However, what’s clear is both wish-cyclers and risk-averse recyclers are suffering from the same core problems – unclear recycling rules and unclear recycling information on packaging.

More than half of all those surveyed said the recycling information on packaging is unclear (56%) and almost a third (32%) said there was no clear recycling label to follow. Further to this, a fifth (21%) reported that they are uncertain about the recycling rules where they live with a similar number (23%) admitting they don’t know which recycling bins to put rubbish in in the first place.

In addition to making recycling clearer, DS Smith’s Circular Design Principles have been developed to design out waste and pollution, keep products and materials in use, and regenerate natural systems. A circular economy model benefits the environment and can drive growth for the packaging industry.

DS Smith’s five Circular Design Principles are:

1. We protect brands and products – Designers must always ensure that packaging successfully protects its product. Damaged products from poor packaging have an economic and environmental impact

2. We use no more materials than necessary – Optimised use of packaging materials saves resources and reduces waste

3. We design for supply cycle efficiency – Our designers drive efficiency by changing the layout of products within boxes for stacking in delivery vehicles

4. We keep packaging materials in use – We eliminate waste by keeping packaging products in use for as long as possible. We can ‘close the loop’ for customers in 14 days by recycling packaging into new products

5. We find a better way – We empower our designers to challenge the status quo and support customers in the drive for a circular economy

Kerbside glass recycling collections resume next week

Kerbside glass recycling collections will resume next week after being suspended under changes to help the city respond to the coronavirus outbreak.

We’ll begin collecting blue boxes for glass recycling from Tuesday, 28 April, returning to usual fortnightly collection schedules.

The service was stopped in March to help prioritise resources for other essential bin collections while enabling waste collection crews to observe social distancing guidelines.

Following the return of several team members from absence, as well as the bedding in of new collection arrangements, we will be able to reintroduce kerbside glass recycling collections.

Council Leader Adam McVey said: “We’ve been working extremely hard to deliver essential services with as little disruption as possible during this challenging time, so I’m pleased that we’ll be able to reintroduce these collections after a short break.

“It’s with thanks to the hard work and dedication of crews that we can do this, as well as continuing normal collections for most bins, so I’d like to recognise their efforts over recent weeks. This contribution has been crucial to keeping the city moving and helping residents to adjust to this unprecedented situation.

Depute Leader Cammy Day said: “This is a particularly unsettling time and I’d like to thank residents for their patience during the changes we’ve had to make.

“It’s been heartening to see so many people looking out for one another and I hope they’ll be able to continue checking on neighbours and family and offering to put bins out for anyone who is unable or might be self-isolating.

“We’d also urge residents to only put out one box at a time, with boxes only filled to the top, and store any excess glass for their next collection, to help us protect the health of our crews by reducing the need to lift heavy boxes.”

In March the number of operatives in refuse lorry cabs was reduced in order to give crew members the space to stay two metres apart, meaning we needed increased resources to carry out the collection of kerbside and communal general waste, food recycling and dry mixed recycling.

While the glass recycling service will recommence on Tuesday, 28 April residents should check collection calendars for their next blue box collection date. We’re encouraging people to put out only one blue box and to store any excess glass for the next collection, as boxes may become too heavy to lift, posing a health risk to crews.

Garden waste collections and special uplifts are currently suspended while Household Waste and Recycling Centres remain closed though we’re working hard to reintroduce these services as soon as it is safe to do so.

Anyone with symptoms of coronavirus is encouraged to follow the guidance on how to dispose of waste correctly to help protect the safety of bin collection crews.

Additional measures taken to safeguard waste and cleansing workers’ health have included the increased provision of hand sanitiser supplies, in addition to hot water handwashing points in a number of vehicles, the washing down of lorries at the end of shifts and efforts to encourage social distancing in depots.

Further information on changes to bin collections and other services can be found on the Council website.

Toiletries: make it clear!

The battle against plastic waste is being held back by a mountain of poorly-labelled bathroom products that could go unrecycled, Which? is warning.

Which? analysed the recycling information on the labels of 20 common toiletries, as well as the type and volume of packaging, to determine how clearly the products are labelled and how difficult they would be to recycle.

The consumer champion found that 12 out of 20 (60%) products had no recycling information on the label, despite most of them being partially or wholly recyclable.

Only six of the products (30%) that Which? looked at seemed to be getting the labelling right – advising consumers that the products should be recycled and with specific instructions on how to do so.

The consumer group is concerned that this lack of coherent labelling could cause confusion among consumers and lead to significant numbers of recyclable products being sent to landfill.

Which? found that while two-thirds (67%) of people think recyclability of packaging is important when supermarket shopping, a majority (65%) of Which? members said they were not cutting back on plastics in the bathroom.

A third (33%) explained that this was because it would be too difficult to replace bathroom products they regularly use, while a quarter (23%) hadn’t thought about it before. One in six (16%) explained that they don’t know how to cut back on bathroom plastic.

Experts at Which? found that Head and Shoulders classic clean shampoo (500ml), L’Oreal Elvive Colour Protect conditioner (400ml) and Listerine Total Care mouthwash (500ml) had no clear labelling regarding recycling, despite being made of recyclable materials.

While many brands fell short of the standards Which? expected, Carex’s Complete Original handwash (250ml) displays clear labelling about how to recycle the bottle, and encourages people to do so. Radox Feel Refreshed shower gel (250ml) gives similarly clear instructions.

For most people, the recycling habit has taken hold more effectively with groceries and other kitchen products. Previous Which? research found that on average 58 per cent of packaging for grocery products was clearly labelled.

Which? is concerned that many toiletry brands are not doing enough to offer consumers clear information about whether or not their bathroom products are recyclable.

The onus is now on these brands to make significant changes to the way they approach the production of plastic packaging and how they communicate with their customers.

Which? is also calling on the government to make recycling labelling simple, clear and mandatory and ensure the necessary infrastructure is in place to make it easy for everyone to recycle, regardless of where they live.

Natalie Hitchins, Which? Head of Home Products and Services, said: “Recycling and sustainability are a high priority for many consumers – so the lack of clear information on the products we looked at is inexcusable in this day and age.

“With the packaging of many recyclable bathroom toiletries going into landfill in the UK, brands must take action to ensure bottles of shampoo, conditioner and shower gel are clearly labelled and can be disposed of in an efficient way.”

Which? advice for consumers:

  • Items such as shampoo, conditioner and shower gel bottles can usually be recycled by emptying, rinsing and replacing the lids.

  • When recyclable products have pump dispensers, you usually need to remove the pump and throw it away separately.

  • Some retailers offer refills for certain branded toiletries so you don’t have to buy another container.

  • A lot of plastic-free options can actually save money, such as using a soap bar and buying refills in bulk. Other plastic-free options include:

    • Reusable face wipes

    • Solid shampoo / conditioner bars

    • Bamboo toothbrushes

    • Toothpaste and mouthwash tablets

    • Menstrual cups

    • Plastic-free deodorant

    • Recyclable / plastic-free toilet paper

Full table of products

Product

Packaging

Recycling information provided on label

Recyclability

Andrex: Classic Clean Toilet Paper (4 rolls)

Cardboard, plastic film

Tube – widely recycled

Cardboard collected at kerbside, plastic film not widely recycled

Sure Men: Invisible Ice aerosol anti-perspirant deodorant (150ml)

Aluminium

Widely recycled

Collected at kerbside

Sure Women: MotionSense Invisible Aqua deodorant (50ml)

Plastic (unspecified)

Widely recycled

Collected at kerbside

Simple: Kind to skin vital vitamin day cream facial moisturiser (50ml)

PP and cardboard

Please recycle me. Jar and lid are PP; carton is cardboard

Collected at kerbside

Simple: Kind to skin vital vitamin face wash (150ml)

PE and PP

Please check if packaging is recyclable in your country. Tube is PE. Cap is PP.

Collected at kerbside

Radox: Feel Refreshed shower gel (250ml)

PP

Widely recycled, please recycle but remove cap first

Collected at kerbside

Complete: Original handwash (250ml)

PET

Widely recycled, reuse our pump, recycle our bottle

Collected at kerbside when pump removed

Nivea Men: Rehydrating moisturiser (75ml)

Cardboard and LDPE

Mobius loop image

Cardboard collected at kerbside; LDPE not widely recycled – check local recycling

Gilette: Fusion5+ 10-blade men’s razor

Cardboard and plastic packaging

No recycling labelling

Packaging collected at kerbside, razors non-recyclable (except through specialist collection schemes like TerraCycle)

Gilette Venus: Swirl women’s razor

Cardboard and plastic packaging

No recycling labelling

Packaging collected at kerbside, razors non-recyclable

(except through specialist collection schemes like TerraCycle)

Gillette: Fusion 5 shaving gel (200ml)

Steel

No recycling labelling

Collected at kerbside

Head and Shoulders: Classic clean shampoo  (500ml)

HDPE

No recycling labelling

Collected at kerbside

L’Oreal: Elvive Colour Protect conditioner (400ml)

HDPE

No recycling labelling

Collected at kerbside

VO5: Matte clay hair styling product (65ml)

Aluminium

No recycling labelling

Collected at kerbside

Oral B: Indicator 35 medium toothbrush

Cardboard and plastic packaging

No recycling labelling

Packaging collected at kerbside, toothbrush non-recyclable (except through specialist collection schemes like TerraCycle)

Colgate: Total Original toothpaste (125ml)

Cardboard packaging and mixed plastic tube

No recycling labelling

Cardboard collected at kerbside; tube non-recyclable

(except through specialist collection schemes like TerraCycle)

Listerine: Total Care mouthwash (500ml)

PET

No recycling labelling

Collected at kerbside

Tampax: Pearl Compak regular tampons (18 pack)

Cardboard packaging and plastic applicators

No recycling labelling

Cardboard collected at kerbside; mixed plastic applicators not widely recycled

Neutrogena: Hand cream (50ml)

LDPE

No recycling labelling

Not widely recycled – check local recycling

Radox Scent Touch Feel Fresh shower gel (200ml)

Mixed plastic

No recycling labelling

Not widely recycled

 

Holyrood committee welcomes Deposit and Return Scheme proposals

Scotland’s proposed deposit return scheme will have a real and lasting impact on tackling climate change, according to a report issued today by the Scottish Parliament’s Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee.

In its report, the Committee notes that whilst the scheme itself had widespread support, there was disagreement about some aspects of the operation of the system, including what materials should be included, how it will operate and when it will come into effect. Continue reading Holyrood committee welcomes Deposit and Return Scheme proposals

Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham visits recycling depot to promote circular economy

Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham paid a visit to secure shredding and paper recycling firm Shredall SDS Group’s new Scotland depot. The Environment Secretary was given a tour of the site’s state-of-the-art recycling facilities to explore the potential to help develop Scotland’s circular economy.  Continue reading Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham visits recycling depot to promote circular economy

Edinburgh and Lothians Aldi stores to trial reusable bags for loose fruit and veg

Aldi stores in Edinburgh and the Lothians are to trial reusable bags for loose fruit and vegetables in an effort to cut single-use plastics.

From the end of November, more than 14 stores across Edinburgh and the Lothians will offer the bags as a more sustainable alternative to single-use plastic. Continue reading Edinburgh and Lothians Aldi stores to trial reusable bags for loose fruit and veg