8 minute read
Recycling & Waste
Recycling & Waste Management Is using recycled plastic in construction the answer to saving the earth?
The sad truth about plastic waste is that, for far too long now, it is still largely burnt, landfilled, or scattered into our landscapes and oceans. However, HAHN Plastics have been battling this waste for over 25 years now, through the development of high-quality recycled plastic products created with our own unique raw material - hanit®. hanit® is made from 100% recycled plastics that last a lifetime! It is estimated that in western industrialised countries, every person generates around 37 kilos of plastic waste each year. Last year alone, HAHN Plastics produced around 55 million kilos of recycled plastic products from plastic waste that is collected from bins. That’s the same as six Eiffel Towers!
Across 8 locations in Europe and North merica, we offer a range of over 2,000 hanit® products that are durable, ecofriendly, simple to process and extremely economical. hanit® Foundation Pads are a great example of this. hanit® Foundation Pads can take heavy loads, survive onsite drops and scrapes, and can be easily stored anywhere. Produced for secure and easy stacking, they can be used as single pads or securely stacked and reinforced with rods. They’re virtually unbreakable and available to hire or purchase.
Made of our super strong hanit®, our Foundation Pads are 100% recycled plastic, re-useable, weatherproof, and perhaps most importantly, are entirely recyclable. They’re ideal for supporting or levelling shipping containers, temporary offices, mobile homes and other structures.
Lighter than concrete and more durable than wood – choosing hanit® is a no brainer! Why hanit®?
For us, recycling is a serious business and a labour of love. Our environmentally friendly processes make attractive and practical things out of waste plastic packaging. We turn bottle tops into a park bench that will last for decades.
Our commitment to the environment is matched by our 400 staff – all dedicated recyclers. Because where waste cannot be avoided, recycling is the solution. So always choose products out of recycled materials wherever possible, and always separate your rubbish carefully.
Together, we can make a big difference!
For more information on HAHN Plastics’ range of outdoor furniture and groundwork products, contact 0161 850 1965 or visit
www.hahnplastics.com
Recycling & Waste Management
With the UK currently recycling just 45.5% of its waste, there is a nationwide push to increase recycling. But, do you know what actually happens to your recyclables after they’re collected? We took a look inside industry expert Bywaters’ Material Recovery Facility (MRF), to find out how your waste is recycled. The Process
Operating within a vast space in East London, Bywaters 24/7 operations are a hub of activity. A constant flow of material from all over the UK is tipped in the impressive facility, which makes up London’s largest undercover MRF. Capable of processing up to 650,000 tonnes of material a year, recovering over 95% to be recycled.
Once your waste is tipped, it is greeted by Bywaters friendly staff for inspection. Contaminated waste and nonrecyclable waste is separated from the recyclable material and siloed to produce energy from waste. To reduce emissions, the waste is transported to the incinerator via barge.
After the inspection is complete, your waste is collected by ‘the grab’. An automatic material picking machine that scoops bulk material and deposits it into two large rotating bag splitters, to remove any excess packaging.
Before your waste goes through a wild journey of spinning discs, speeding conveyor belts, infrared lasers and whirling magnets. Bywaters employees remove nonrecyclable waste at the presort cabin, as well as any other residue that could obstruct the efficient processing of the dry recyclables.
Bywaters state-of-the-art equipment works in harmony, taking mixed recyclables like metals, plastics and glass and sorting them to be turned into new products like cans, bottles and notepads.
Flying out of the cabin, the mixed recyclables speed on to a series of large screens designed to separate waste based on shape. First, an OOC (old corrugated cardboard)
screen consisting of numerous giant rotating axles/gears simultaneously sorts large pieces of cardboard whilst extracting fine material to be used as aggregate in many local building projects.
A second screen is aligned at a steep 45-degree angle, the gyrating screws help separate 3D and 2D items. 2D items gain traction, climbing up the polishing screen to a final sorting cabin where the paper is sorted based on quality - whilst 3D items tumble down the screen in a spinning whirl of colour, leaving just plastics and metals to be separated.
Trundling along the conveyor belt, the 3D materials, mainly consisting of plastic and metal drinks containers, travel toward the high-tech “triple-level nearinfrared optical sorting system”. Using infrared lasers to read the material’s chemical makeup, plastics are shot with a jet of air throwing them into the required silo, ensuring HDPE, PET and any other plastics are kept seperate. An overband magnet attracts ferrous metals whilst an eddy current simultaneously repels non-ferrous metals like aluminium, sorting the materials ready to be baled.
The siloed materials are compressed and baled into blocks that can weigh up to 700kg. The baled material, which can be up to 99% pure, is sent to repressors, where it is cleaned and processed into brand new products that can be sold and reused, starting the process again. A more sustainable solution
Bywaters’ MRF uses sustainable energy from 4000 solar panels installed on its roof. The 1MW array reduces associated carbon emissions by around 45%, producing enough power to run 237 homes for a year. The recycling process saves far more energy than gathering virgin materials. For example, recycling aluminium through Bywaters’ recycling process can save up to 95% more energy than would be needed to make aluminium from raw materials.
Recycling your waste, broadening your knowledge and being a more conscious consumer are all crucial to lowering the UK’s carbon footprint. Bywaters recycling services repurpose old material turning it into something new, helping the UK’s push toward a circular economy and protecting the limited raw resources we have on our planet.
www.bywaters.co.uk
Recycling & Waste Management
A reliable waste management service
Part of running a successful facilities management operation is having reliable partners you trust to deliver a consistently high service level, enabling your teams to be more productive in their roles. An effective waste management service is key to ensure that it does not take time and space away from your teams, as well as causing minimal disturbance to any clients. This is on top of the responsibility you have ensuring that the waste is disposed of legally.
It is disappointing to see the recent annual statistics on fly-tipping in late February by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) which show that fly-tipping is a gigantic problem in England. During 2019/20 976,000 incidents were recorded (up 2% on 2018/19) and the reported cost of large fly-tipping incidents hit £10.9 million. The most common size category for fly-tipping incidents was equivalent to a ‘small van load’ (34% of total incidents), which would include waste carriers who are not acting in a responsible manner. The responsibility of the waste remains with the customer, who has the legal obligation to make sure waste is only passed on to a licensed waste carrier and not a rogue trader who may be likely to fly-tip.
HIPPO is a recognised and trusted brand who are leading the way in this field. Our proposition is simple and effective to use, and we can still provide the full detail of the waste transfer for each HIPPOBAG, including the split between different waste types. We can support you meeting many of your Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR) by easily increasing your recycling rates, minimising your environmental impact, reducing carbon footprint whilst also saving money.
Using HIPPOBAGs to deal with your irregular waste streams and ad hoc waste
events will provide you with a number of benefits in managing waste disposal across your regional or national estate. Whilst regular bins are simply too small, large skips can take up too much space, take too long to fill and can be costly, HIPPOBAGs can provide the balance you need. Our service is not a regular scheduled waste collection covered by a bin contract, you can use us for unexpected waste events whenever you need us. And instead of you needing to have multiple contracts you can benefit from one simple solution with standardised pricing and a standardised service nationwide.
Our HIPPOBAGs can be filled with heavy and bulky waste and are ideal for applications where a skip or larger container is not appropriate, like awkward locations or areas with access restrictions such as lifting over fences and walls as required. HIPPOBAGs are non-bulky, lightweight and come flat packed, meaning that space can be saved onsite and bags can be carried easily and stored in vehicles or on properties. In addition, HIPPO’s reliable, flexible and convenient service allows the segregation of different types of waste from your facilities.
Alternatively where access to waste is restricted, or when you want us to clear the waste for you, our Man and Van service (known as ‘Here to Clear’) is the perfect solution. Our branded Transit Tipper vans are double manned with our professional HIPPO employees and can hold up to 14 yards or 1 tonne of waste.
This solution can often be ideal for reactive waste requirements too, our Here to Clear Reactive provides rapid removal of unplanned waste – such as fly-tipping, emergency repair or site clearance. This form of waste can cause a number of issues, but with one nationwide solution and standardised service you can rest assured knowing that the waste will be swiftly and professionally removed.
We work with organisations of every size so rest assured that whatever your requirement we can offer a fantastic solution to meet your business needs.
Further information can be found on our website www.hippowaste.co.uk/ business. If you have any questions or would like any more information on the services HIPPO can offer then please feel free to contact our sales team at enquiries@hippowaste. co.uk or call 02393 871911.
