The Impact Of Recycling Centre Closures

With the recycling rules changing more frequently than ever it is now increasingly difficult to stay on top of the latest legislation, ensuring your business procedure adapts.

To help you with this is our april paper waste quiz which will ensure you’re following the new recycling regulations without compromising on service or cost of waste collection!. While at skiphire uk we’re always looking to expand our network of recycling centres and sources of waste management services, it’s equally important that we help and support existing providers when the inevitable roadblocks may arise.

One such occurrence is the recent rise in the number of recycling centre closures around the uk.as we know, recycling centres act as a safe space for anyone who wishes to responsibly dispose of waste, therefore it is of great concern when we see this service being withdrawn from our local communities, forcing people in these areas to consider alternatives that aren’t always effective or easy to work with.recycling centres are businesses and like all other uk-based industries, are liable to closure. But why exactly are recycling centres closing down?

And what does this mean for household recycling? Here, we take a look at the impact of recycling centre closures on the way we dispose of our waste for good.

The Impact On Household Waste

The amount of waste generated in the uk has increased by 421% over the last 44 years. Numbers are alarming: in 2014 we generated 63.1 million tonnes of household waste, which was an increase of 4% on the previous year.

This staggering rise is due to greater consumption, longer lifespans and increasingly complicated lifestyles.regional waste data from the uk shows us that although there has been an increase in overall recycling, the proportion of mixed recyclable waste actually going to be recycled has dropped by 23.5 per cent. This is a worrying statistic and will have a negative impact on recycling rates for mixed recyclables in the year ahead.it is no secret that we are spending more time at home thanks to advances in technology.

A report released by deloitte in 2007 indicated that people spend a record amount of time at home. With the average person spending 97% of their day indoors, there has been an increase in volume of waste produced by households.in the united kingdom it’s estimated that families produce around 532 kilograms (1115 pounds) of household waste per year .

This makes up over 20% of our overall rubbish produced each year. This is set to increase in the near future with many people now spending more time at home than they used to.the impact on household waste.

With many of us spending considerably more time at home, volumes of household waste were always going to increase. Here we explore some of the different reasons for this increase and what they mean for recycling rates.there are a few different reasons why we are seeing the increase in household waste. I’ll explain them below and how it impacts the recycling market.

So, Has Lockdown Impacted Household Waste Levels Positively Or Negatively?

So, has lockdown impacted household waste levels positively or negatively?. First and foremost, let’s take a look at the big picture: overall, there was a 49% increase in household waste this summer over last. This is an increase of around 3% on the previous budget year, 2016/17, which suggests that general waste levels were already on the rise even before the lockdown initiative came into play.

Nonetheless, this figure alone does not tell us much about the overall impact that lockdown has had on household waste generation - it’s also crucial to look at whether landfill sites were able to contribute to mitigating landfill tax and support them reaching their diversion targets.now that the uk has experienced its longest ever national lockdown (from 22nd july - 30th july), we’ve now got all the data at our fingertips to analyse. The main aim of the initiative was to reduce crime on a local, regional and national scale. It focused on 6 crime types: burglary, car thefts and arson in particular.

However, given that within every community household waste figures generally increase by over 200% during a lockdown, we decided it was worth looking at household waste levels during this period.so, has lockdown impacted household waste levels positively or negatively? Overall, data confirms that levels of household waste increase dramatically during a national lockdown, which is to be expected. However, it also has a direct impact on both recycling rates and fly-tipping figures.

Here we look at some of the standout positives and negatives from the lockdown data we have analysed:. Household waste increases  during a national lockdown, household waste goes up by more than 18%. As an example of how outstanding this figure actually is, it compares to a normal daily increase of just 0.95%.

To Summarise

The three-day national lockdown which began on november 4 has brought mixed news for recyclers. The council has reported an increase in recycling rates following the end of the three-day period, up by two per cent. They have reported that this is “in line with previous lockdowns” and put it down to people being too busy to do their recycling in the run up to lockdown.

This comes as no surprise. It’s always a busy time for us at recycle now who have all hands on deck when fly tipping hotspots are created due to works taking place somewhere.the decrease in revenue from fines and fees being accrued by councils has seen them turn to other sources of income, namely from landfill tax and residents. On one hand i can understand why the authorities have turned to further advancements in waste disposal (recycling), but on the other hand i do worry about how this is affecting individuals and our country’s environment.what does this mean for the average joe?

Well, for starters we may see an improvement in recycling rates and waste management. This is great news for the environment and landfill sites! Sadly enough, increased trash often attracts unwanted attention, with the result of more acts of fly-tipping being carried out across mainland europe.one of the biggest lockdown periods of the last decade occurred in 2010 when a man armed with a saiga rifle ran amok in cumbria.

We know that these incidents bring about both positive and negative effects. Whilst recycling rates have increased during lockdown periods, sadly so have instances of fly-tipping.it is clear to see that both these factors have a direct impact on the environment. However, it is extremely evident that many local authorities are indeed struggling to deal with the increasing fly-tipping crisis facing our country.

The Positives

The trouble with the global financial crisis we are currently in is that it has led to an increase in fly-tipping in great britain. Increasing landfills costs, coupled with a financial downturn means that many householders are finding themselves unable to pay for their waste disposal.

Whilst householders are left wondering what to do with waste and trash, criminals have taken advantage of this situation, and as such many instances of fly-tipping have been reported around the country.with a national and mandatory lock-down period beginning yesterday evening, with an expected impact on the amount of waste needing to be collected over the next 14 days. It is reportedly estimated that street cleaning will take place once per week instead of twice as it normally would. The exception to this is if there is an ‘external factor’, like an exceptional weather event, which may require daily collections.the number of incidents of illegal dumping has risen by 25 per cent in the 24 hours since the start of a national lockdown on friday, according to a cross-party committee.

In the same period recycling rates have increased by 5 per cent, with amounts set to rise throughout the week during which householders are unable to take their usual rubbish outside of their own property.there’s no getting away from it – a national lockdown does come with some negatives. It is a stressful time, and the inability to be able to leave your home can also have an affect on you physically.

But while we are unable to step outside our door, there have been positives that have appeared out of nowhere, such as an increase in recycling efforts. This got me thinking….we’re lucky that these incidents are an extremely rare occurrence and though the downside is clear, there are a number of positives associated with lockdowns. Many of these are classed as ‘impossible to collect’ waste since they’re not suitable to be collected in segregated blue bins.

The Negatives

The phenomenon of ‘lockdown’ began in march 2018, when local uk councils asked residents to separate their waste into different categories. Due to approximately a third of all greenhouse gas emissions being contributed through our consumption-based society, the argument is that individual recycling efforts can be much more effective in combating climate change than government action.

The positive benefit of a three-bin system is that it simplifies recycling for many households, who often claimed they threw away items unsure if they would fall into the second or third category.what, you might be thinking, has this got to do with google? Well, whilst the government continues to bury its head in the sand, we have to continue to drive awareness of recyclable and reusable waste. In terms of energy and resource, it’s as we don’t need much to put back into our eco-system.

Recycling saves us all money when considering the cost of landfill tax and disposal costs. By recycling during a national lockdown period, we are putting cash back into our local economies.after the recent increase in contaminated waste landfill levies, councils around the country have imposed national lockdowns during which wheelie bin collections are suspended.

This has proven to be effective in reducing the amount of contaminated waste being deposited at landfills since it was introduced by wealden district council in september 2014, increasing recycling rates by more than 10%. Although this is a very positive change, it does bring with it some negatives.a national lockdown brings both waste-related positives and negatives to us all. Whilst recycling rates have increased during lockdown periods, sadly so have instances of fly-tipping.