NowRecycle Blog

Plastic Omnium has launched a new range of underground recycling banks called Minimax that provides a discreet, safe and effective answer to boost recycling targets.

Minimax has a pillar at ground level which conceals a larger, underground storage space. This preserves the pedestrian environment and makes it ideal for areas where space is limited such as communal areas in apartment blocks, city centres and tourist attractions. Minimax promotes the recovery of numerous waste streams including glass, paper, cans and packaging.

The large capacity afforded by Minimax – from three to five cubic metres – enables increased volumes of waste to be collected. This improves operational efficiency by enabling a reduction in the frequency of collections. Furthermore, Minimax also provides a more aesthetically-pleasing solution for most environments by taking less useable space, and reducing noise pollution as well as unpleasant odours.

Environmentally, fewer collections mean less fuel pollution is generated. Furthermore, the aperture of each Minimax bank can be colour-coded to represent a specific waste stream in order to maximise recycling habits. Finally the sturdy and vandal-resistant, design of the bank is child-safe.

Simon Dutta, marketing director of Plastic Omnium, said, “Minimax helps raise recycling rates because it’s so convenient for passing pedestrians to sort their waste. Local authorities can now cut their collection costs, save the public purse, as well as provide a sound environmental and economic answer to waste management.”

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Editors’ notes:
NowRecycle.co.uk is a trading style of Plastic Omnium Systems Ltd - a European market leader in waste containment solutions that provides a wide range of waste containers and services including wheeled bins, litter bins, banks, composters and sacks. It is part of the International Plastic Omnium Group, a world leader in contract waste container solutions with worldwide sales of more than £1.8 billion. It employs over 9,000 people in 25 countries, across four continents, in manufacturing and service solutions for the automotive, environment and performance plastic products.

Press Contact: Simon Dutta, N European Marketing Director, Plastic Omnium Urban Systems Ltd
Telephone: 01952 582 583

With a 400-litre capacity and small footprint (780mm x 820mm) to fit into awkward spaces, Plastic Omnium says its new Citybac has all the hallmarks of becoming an industry standard for commercial bins.

The 400L Citybac bin is suitable for household as well as commercial, dense waste. It is predicted that its durability, lightweight design (just 25Kg) and manoeuvrability, coupled with its side grips and practical handles, will reduce work-related musculoskeletal injuries and long-term sickness for operatives.

With the overall accident rate in the waste industry running at nearly five times the national rate, and most injuries being of a handling and sprain nature due to heavy weight, the manufacturers of the bin believe its functional benefits will be ideal for a number of sectors. They also say that as a minimum, it will improve working conditions as well as save time and money.

Simon Dutta, head of marketing and customer services at Plastic Omnium, said “this bin proved very popular on trials in Copenhagen. It doesn’t take up much space because of its square shape yet it holds so much rubbish - it’s a bit like filling a void! Most bins live in long, narrow corridors and entrances and the Citybac shape has been designed with that in mind.

“It’s also easier to use than a metal bin. It’s much lighter and the weight is better distributed over the four wheels yet it’s highly robust to take the knocks. That means it requires less physical force to move it, which will help avoid common problems such as back-strains. It also allows for faster transit of the bin to pick-up points which saves time and money. It won’t corrode and at the end of its life, you simply recycle it.”

Tomas Bjork, managing director of Plastic Omnium in Scandinavia said the trial in Copenhagen suggested the 400L bin was becoming a popular alternative to traditional 2-wheel bins. He explained:

“Traditional 2-wheel bins are more difficult to handle because of their weight and limited manoeuvrability and our trials showed that the 4-wheel 400L bin could be a good alternative.

“The trial has also encouraged us to develop a ’silent’ lid as many European cities have problems with the noise caused by closing lids. It’s about continually assessing and developing our products to satisfy the market,” he added.

The 400-litre Citybac is made from recyclable, injected high-density polythene (HDPE) and is available in over 100 colours affording waste segregation uses. It can be customised with hot foil stamping, stickers, engraving, printing or photo injection. Optional additional functions include: special openings for different types of waste (paper, glass, etc) an electronic tag for each bin, a central brake, tow bar, reinforced bar, pedal opening, automatic bolt or lock and drain plug.

Technical detail
- height: 1141mm, depth: 780mm, width: 820mm
- empty weight: 25kg
- max weight with load: 185kg
- complies with EN 840-5 and 6 standards for mechanical, hygiene and safety characteristics

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Editors’ notes:
NowRecycle.co.uk is a trading style of Plastic Omnium Systems Ltd - a European market leader in waste containment solutions that provides a wide range of waste containers and services including wheeled bins, litter bins, banks, composters and sacks. It is part of the International Plastic Omnium Group, a world leader in contract waste container solutions with worldwide sales of more than £1.8 billion. It employs over 9,000 people in 25 countries, across four continents, in manufacturing and service solutions for the automotive, environment and performance plastic products.

Press Contact: Simon Dutta, N European Marketing Director, Plastic Omnium Urban Systems Ltd
Telephone: 01952 582 583

The first of the UK’s ‘next generation’ waste management sites, Battlefield in Shrewsbury, has replaced its metal recycling containers with plastic banks. The supplier said that plastic represented less of a moving risk to workers who are exposed to musculoskeletal injuries with metal bins.

Ian Collins, managing director of Plastic Omnium, the world’s market leader in waste containment, said the change from metal to plastic was typical of the global trends in waste containment:

“Plastic is becoming more popular all the time,” he explained. “And you can see why more authorities and waste management companies are changing over.

“As well as being safer for employees to move, plastic is more aesthetically-pleasing and organisations like the fact that plastic containers can be branded or identified by different colours which helps with coding for waste separation.

The Battlefield site in Shrewsbury – owned by Shropshire County Council and managed by Sita – is a ‘drive-through’ waste site allowing local residents to recycle and dispose of their waste in a covered environment.

Gavin Twyford, from Sita, explained why plastic banks had been chosen for the new facility. He said:

“The metal bins had served us well in the past but we needed more flexibility and manoeuvrability, particularly as Battlefield is an indoor facility.

“The plastic Citybulle banks also represent an operational cost saving for us as we no longer require lorries to move the banks around – they can be easily and safely moved.”

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Editors’ notes:
NowRecycle.co.uk is a trading style of Plastic Omnium Systems Ltd - a European market leader in waste containment solutions that provides a wide range of waste containers and services including wheeled bins, litter bins, banks, composters and sacks. It is part of the International Plastic Omnium Group, a world leader in contract waste container solutions with worldwide sales of more than £1.8 billion. It employs over 9,000 people in 25 countries, across four continents, in manufacturing and service solutions for the automotive, environment and performance plastic products.

Press Contact: Simon Dutta, N European Marketing Director, Plastic Omnium Urban Systems Ltd
Telephone: 01952 582 583

One of Europe’s leading waste container companies, Plastic Omnium, has won a contract with south east-based recycling company, F&R Cawley, to supply a variety of plastic containers.

F&R Cawley’s move away from traditional metal containers follows the launch of a campaign by the Health & Safety Executive to encourage manual workers to take better care of their backs when lifting.

Simon Dutta, head of marketing and customer services at Plastic Omnium, said F&R Cawley’s move was increasing typical in the industry. He explained:

“Plastic is becoming more popular all the time. A report by the Health & Safety Laboratory - part of the Health & Safety Executive - encourages manufacturers of bins to use lightweight materials, especially in the larger 360 and 1,100 litre sizes. It’s because less physical force is required to move them which avoids common problems such as back-strains.

“Plastic also makes for a more aesthetically-pleasing bin and organisations prefer containers which can be branded or identified by different colour codes, helping with waste separation and people with sight disabilities,” he added.

Plastic Omnium will supply 1,100 litre flat lid containers on an ongoing basis to F&R Cawley’s sites at Milton Keynes, Wellingborough and its head office in Luton.

Tony Goodman, F&R Cawley’s sales director, explained why the company was so happy to continue its relationship with Plastic Omnium.

“Plastic Omnium has supplied our plastic 1,100 litre bins in the past,” he said, “and the feedback from customers has been very good so it makes sense to continue using the products.

“We’re also increasingly aware of the musculoskeletal injury risks associated with heavier, metal bins – plastic containers create a better environment for our people to operate in,” he added.

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Editors’ notes:
NowRecycle.co.uk is a trading style of Plastic Omnium Systems Ltd - a European market leader in waste containment solutions that provides a wide range of waste containers and services including wheeled bins, litter bins, banks, composters and sacks. It is part of the International Plastic Omnium Group, a world leader in contract waste container solutions with worldwide sales of more than £1.8 billion. It employs over 9,000 people in 25 countries, across four continents, in manufacturing and service solutions for the automotive, environment and performance plastic products.

Press Contact: Simon Dutta, N European Marketing Director, Plastic Omnium Urban Systems Ltd
Telephone: 01952 582 583

Plastic Omnium has developed Citybac Bio - a wheeled composter which enables green waste to be stored in a way that it can be recycled after collection.

“If green waste isn’t isolated in the collection process, it becomes unrecoverable,” said Ian Collins, managing director of Plastic Omnium. “Most local authorities have addressed this issue by providing composters either freely or at favourable rates to householders but that’s of little use if you live in an apartment as people increasingly do. Add to this that many British homes have no space for a composter in their garden and you can see there’s a clear need to find a way to recycle green waste to hit the impending, more challenging targets.”

Plastic Omnium – Europe’s market leader in waste containment – started in Paris where few people can recycle green waste with their own composters. The company responded to the recycling challenge by developing a container which stores green waste in a way that’s acceptable to modern living standards – ie cleanly and odourlessly - while it awaits collection.

“Our Citybac Bio wheeled bin drains green waste and lets the air in, in such a way that it remains recyclable before it’s collected,” said Collins. “The walls, lid and handles of the bin are impregnated with an innocuous, anti-bacterial agent to prevent the proliferation of certain fungi, microbes and bacteria as well as minimize fermentation and therefore any odours.

“The internationally-approved* design gets air into the waste through perforations on the sides of the bin, a studded lid which keeps air flowing in from the top and through a grill at the bottom of the bin which also allows water to drain into a reservoir below keeping the waste dry and minimising odours,” said Collins.

Plastic Omnium says the smooth sides of the Citybac Bio afford easy cleaning of the bin and, because it measures the same size as a normal wheeled bin, it allows for easy storage.

The green waste loses as much as 25% mass over a fortnight. That means reductions in waste collection cost but, more importantly, the Citybac Bio affords local authorities a way to make a step change in their recycling.

The waste collected in this way goes to make organic fertiliser.

Editors’ notes

* The Citybac Bio conforms to IN standards: IN 840-1, IN 840-5 and IN 840-6 for wheeled bin performance as well as hygiene and safety requirements.

Editors’ notes:
NowRecycle.co.uk is a trading style of Plastic Omnium Systems Ltd - a European market leader in waste containment solutions that provides a wide range of waste containers and services including wheeled bins, litter bins, banks, composters and sacks. It is part of the International Plastic Omnium Group, a world leader in contract waste container solutions with worldwide sales of more than £1.8 billion. It employs over 9,000 people in 25 countries, across four continents, in manufacturing and service solutions for the automotive, environment and performance plastic products.

Press Contact: Simon Dutta, N European Marketing Director, Plastic Omnium Urban Systems Ltd
Telephone: 01952 582 583

“Some councils have banned kerbside boxes because they expose both operatives and householders to the risk of injury,” said Ian Collins, managing director at Europe’s largest waste containment and recycling company, Plastic Omnium.

John McClean, health and safety officer at union, GMB says, “I understand the pressure local authorities are under to recycle their waste which has made them rush into kerbside boxes. The GMB believes this a backward step because it means they’re moving away from mechanisation back towards manual handling.”

Workers at risk

In its Waste Industry Health and Safety report, GMB says, ‘manual handling training, sometimes called kinetic lifting training, should be given before the jobs start. This should be appropriate to the task and not set in an office environment where training, on how to pick up empty boxes is given, but real on the job training is required.’

Kerbside box dangers

“Kerbside boxes are convenient for households where one or more wheeled bins can’t be accommodated,” says Ian Collins. “If there’s space for a kerbside box, then there’s generally space for the safer option with two and half times the capacity ie a small 140L wheeled bin which takes up the same footprint as a 55L kerbside box.

“The problems arise when you have to move that box to the kerbside. Carrying a loaded box out of the home to the collection highway is not suitable for many and does nothing to encourage recycling -although it is preferable to plastic sacks. As the GMB says, it’s also a backward step away from modern mechanisation to manual manpower.

Kerbside boxes are rife with health and safety issues as explained by specialist lawyer, Andrew Stacey, at Pinsent Masons, “section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) imposes a duty on all employers to conduct their undertaking by taking all reasonably practical steps to ensure the health and safety of any person who might be affected by their undertaking.

Householders at risk

“Clearly, with kerbside boxes, the householder is obliged to lift the kerbside box from their home to the kerbside if the local authority is going to collect that element of refuse. The local authority - and its contractor - is relieved of this responsibility if householders choose to make their own arrangements eg going to the bottle bank or paper bank.

“But given that local authorities are seeking to encourage householders to recycle their waste, they presumably want to make it easy for householders to comply with their policy,” says Stacey.

“The key issue is the weight of the box when full or semi-laden and that the local authority puts a warning notice on each box asking householders to take care and possibly advising them to seek assistance or make repeat trips.

“Employees - ie refuse collectors - are protected under the same act but a different section (2),” says Stacey. “This states that their employer must take all reasonable and practicable steps to ensure their health and safety while at work. This calls for adequate training and appropriate resources to be supplied by the local authority.”

WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme) agrees. “Many factors influence local authorities’ choices of containers for recycling, such as the type of housing and space available both in the home and outside, the materials being collected, the frequency and type of collection, ease of use by residents and health and safety considerations,” said Linda Crichton, WRAP’s Rotate manager. “All types of container (ie boxes, wheeled bins and sacks) have a role to play and all have their pros and cons which local authorities need to consider in their local context.

“Whereas recycling may have developed on a rather piecemeal basis in the past, local authorities now need to take an integrated approach to the planning and delivery of their collection services to ensure efficiencies are achieved, cost increases are minimized and recycling is maximized. This means that decisions about containers for dry recyclables cannot be taken in isolation but must include consideration of the containers being provided for refuse and garden/organic wastes to ensure that overall the right amount of storage capacity is provided to householders.”

Plastic Omnium’s Ian Collins said, “although many British local authorities use kerbside boxes, they are a sign of a piecemeal approach to recycling. The efficiencies offered by more integrated recycling systems result in greater volumes of waste being recycled as well as cost savings for example by making better use of vehicles.”

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Editors’ notes:
NowRecycle.co.uk is a trading style of Plastic Omnium Systems Ltd - a European market leader in waste containment solutions that provides a wide range of waste containers and services including wheeled bins, litter bins, banks, composters and sacks. It is part of the International Plastic Omnium Group, a world leader in contract waste container solutions with worldwide sales of more than £1.8 billion. It employs over 9,000 people in 25 countries, across four continents, in manufacturing and service solutions for the automotive, environment and performance plastic products.

Press Contact: Simon Dutta, N European Marketing Director, Plastic Omnium Urban Systems Ltd
Telephone: 01952 582 583

A new range of recycling bins manufactured by Plastic Omnium and designed in conjunction with the Eden Project is now handling the waste of over a million visitors and communicating a vital environmental message.

The new Eden range was devised as part of the Cornwall-based project’s Waste Neutral programme which communicates, educates and pursues best practice in waste management, minimisation and recycling.

‘Waste Neutral’ is reached when Eden buys-in a greater weight of products made from recycled materials than the weight of materials sent for recycling and disposal.

Plastic Omnium’s Eden range was developed specifically for Eden and other visitor attractions. It features double-walled medium density polyethylene outers - secured to the ground - with pedal-activated lids so that waste can be dropped into the 140-litre wheeled bins beneath. Waste can be easily segregated into cans and plastics, paper cartons/cups, glass, food and general waste. A waist-high key keeps waste safely locked away.

“Our visitors want to see all forms of sustainability and that includes waste recycling,” said Dave Meneer, Eden’s marketing director. “Over a million visitors pass through our gates every year so we’ve a golden opportunity to show sustainability in action and get them into a habit which they will hopefully continue at home. In conjunction with Plastic Omnium, we’ve developed the next generation recycling station which segregates waste at source.”

Visitors to the Eden Project start the recycling process by segregating their waste at point of disposal. This helps both Eden and its visitors to throw away less, sort better and save money.

Design features include: curved lids to prevent people sitting on them or leaving waste on top, polycarbonate panels on the front of each bin showing samples of waste and thereby easing visitor selection of the right bin as well as surfaces designed to resist fly-posting and grime.

“Contamination of waste streams is low because visitors are clearly and simply instructed to the right bin for the waste stream,” said Simon Dutta, head of marketing and customer services at Plastic Omnium. “Each is colour-coded to the WRAP Recycle Now campaign standard. Those colours are carried on the front and top of each bin dedicated to that waste stream. Clear script and Braille also identify the waste stream as does the clear panel at the front of the bin revealing its contents.

“This innovative, stylish and contemporary bin is ideal for visitor attractions,” said Simon Dutta. “However, the 140-litre container that the bin houses means that large volumes can be collected, reducing the frequency of emptying, and that makes it suitable for high street locations. This also gets over manual handling issues, sometimes associated with waste containers, as the wheeled bin is easily manoeuvrable and can be lifted with any standard waste vehicle.”

“We started with just two Eden Range recycling stations in February this year (2005),” said Dan Ryan, Waste Neutral, public learning coordinator at the Eden Project. “We’re about to put many more sets in this summer with an anticipated 50 being in place across site eventually. We’re particularly happy with what we’ve achieved by working hand in hand with Plastic Omnium. Anyone who’s been to the Eden Project will know that the layout and structure of the ex-quarry site presents logistical challenges when shifting materials around the place. Sorting our waste into separate streams, at the point of disposal, has helped us both with its removal and made for a slicker and more efficient operation.”

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Editors’ notes:
NowRecycle.co.uk is a trading style of Plastic Omnium Systems Ltd - a European market leader in waste containment solutions that provides a wide range of waste containers and services including wheeled bins, litter bins, banks, composters and sacks. It is part of the International Plastic Omnium Group, a world leader in contract waste container solutions with worldwide sales of more than £1.8 billion. It employs over 9,000 people in 25 countries, across four continents, in manufacturing and service solutions for the automotive, environment and performance plastic products.

Press Contact: Simon Dutta, N European Marketing Director, Plastic Omnium Urban Systems Ltd
Telephone: 01952 582 583

With spiralling waste management costs and a recycling rate of only 15%, SICTOM Loir-et-Sarthe - a local authority in Maine-et-Loire, France - needed to find a way to incentivise householders to recycle more without increasing budgets.

They decided to introduce a financial incentive whereby residents that recycled more, paid less for their waste collection. But to achieve this, they needed to understand their residents’ waste habits.

To meet this goal, Plastic Omnium’s Ecosourcing Identification and Weighing System was introduced in 2004 in five pilot regions covering 44,000 residents. The project comprised three key phases. First, a steering committee, including SICTOM and Plastic Omnium, was created to measure the success of the scheme, as well as ensure a smooth handover from the existing system.

Second, a communications campaign was devised to persuade the public to recycle more. This campaign involved press conferences, public exhibitions and magazines. Door-to-door surveys helped residents determine the most suitable waste containers for their needs - both by type and size.

The final phase of Ecosourcing’s implementation involved the distribution of waste containers and registering these containers to individual homes by fitting them with an identification tag.

The Ecosourcing ID and Weighing System enabled SICTOM to automatically weigh the waste containers and generate individual invoices based on the actual residual [ie non-recyclable] waste produced by each householder. This gave householders a clear incentive to recycle more of their waste through recycling bring banks.

Within eight months, residents’ behaviour had changed dramatically. Recycling rates leapt from an average 15% to 50%, an increase of 233%, on glass, plastic, paper/carton and metal waste flows. A reduction in waste processing costs, resulting from an overall reduction in the volume of household waste produced, provided an added bonus.

SICTOM is now considering rolling out the scheme to other regions.

Ends

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Editors’ notes:
NowRecycle.co.uk is a trading style of Plastic Omnium Systems Ltd - a European market leader in waste containment solutions that provides a wide range of waste containers and services including wheeled bins, litter bins, banks, composters and sacks. It is part of the International Plastic Omnium Group, a world leader in contract waste container solutions with worldwide sales of more than £1.8 billion. It employs over 9,000 people in 25 countries, across four continents, in manufacturing and service solutions for the automotive, environment and performance plastic products.

Press Contact: Simon Dutta, N European Marketing Director, Plastic Omnium Urban Systems Ltd
Telephone: 01952 582 583

Plastic Omnium has just launched a new system to help Britain rise through the European recycling ranks.

According to statistics DoE statistics (Department of the Environment, 2001), the UK only managed to recycle 13% of its waste against the Netherlands’ star performance of 59%. Although the UK hit its 17% target in 2003/4, radical steps need to be taken to achieve the Government’s 30% target by 2010.

EcoSourcing is a new solution to help local authorities meet with that challenge. Developed by Europe’s market leader in waste containment - Plastic Omnium - EcoSourcing is a complete waste management solution. It will significantly assist local authorities and waste management companies in hitting recycling targets by reducing operational costs and improving profitability.

The cradle-to-grave solution tracks and manages waste containment, billing, reporting and customer communication. By electronically-tagging each bin, Plastic Omnium’s EcoSourcing solution optimises recycling rates, collection revenues, profitability/cash flow, route planning, operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.

According to Simon Dutta, head of marketing and customer services at Plastic Omnium, the turn-key solution is a first for the UK market. “We’ve been successfully offering this solution to our French and Belgian customers for a number of years and have just finished fine-tuning it for the UK market,” he said.

“The real beauty of EcoSourcing is that it provides local authorities and waste management companies with detailed reports on their customers and collections thanks to identification and weighing technology.

“That information can be used to reduce costs, improve overall efficiency and increase the service experience for the customer. For example, collections are stamped for date, time and location as well as missed lifts being coded, with reasons, to prevent customer disputes.

“Management reports validate ‘white’ lists, optimise pricing, improve times between lifts for the round and allow highly sophisticated, communication campaigns to improve recycling targets.

“We all know that recycling targets are going to get tougher and that new legislation linked to landfill waste and animal by-products will take some getting used to. EcoSourcing is specifically designed to help the UK meet those new demands.

“We’ve already talked to several local authorities and waste management companies about the benefits of EcoSourcing and they see it as a very attractive solution, bearing in mind the changes that lie ahead for the sector,” he added.

EcoSourcing is now available to local authorities and commercial waste management operators across the UK.
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Editors’ notes:
NowRecycle.co.uk is a trading style of Plastic Omnium Systems Ltd - a European market leader in waste containment solutions that provides a wide range of waste containers and services including wheeled bins, litter bins, banks, composters and sacks. It is part of the International Plastic Omnium Group, a world leader in contract waste container solutions with worldwide sales of more than £1.8 billion. It employs over 9,000 people in 25 countries, across four continents, in manufacturing and service solutions for the automotive, environment and performance plastic products.

Press Contact: Simon Dutta, N European Marketing Director, Plastic Omnium Urban Systems Ltd
Telephone: 01952 582 583

Ian Collins, managing director of Europe’s leading waste containment company, Plastic Omnium Urban Systems, cites some of the company’s experience of recycling in mainland Europe.

“The problem with recycling waste from apartments is there’s definitely not a ‘one size fits all’ solution. Additionally there’s the manual handling issue of how best you get occupants taking their waste to a central collection point without risk of injury when negotiating steps or lifts.

“Add to these factors, there’s limited space to store waste - both in the apartment and the block itself. Then it can also be difficult to ensure waste streams are segregated as there’s generally little ownership when you have hundreds of residents using the same facility. How do you change the behaviour of people who may simply throw their waste into the nearest bin when you can’t identify who they are?

“The good news is that there are several proven solutions.

“Crucially you need to find the right container for each household and, in our experience, that entails undertaking a door-to-door survey. One of the best containers for apartments is a simple, yet special, woven and resilient carrier bag. The handles on the bag make it easy to carry in comparison with gripping a box. It also offers people the flexibility to make as many, or as few, trips to the recycling point as is convenient for them.

“People with disabilities - which prevent them recycling - generally call for local authorities to take special measures. These are picked up by the door-to-door survey.

“Wherever possible, the entire block’s recycling containers are best located in a basement as it saves them from graffiti and also contains any odours. The apertures accessing these containers are both aesthetic and can be designed to only accept their specified type of waste.

“Another location is a waste shelter containing wheeled bins. Again these wheeled bins can be designed to only accept certain waste streams and to be locked down to avoid littering. The latest generation of bins have sound-proofing. Higher density living, coupled with 18 and 24 hour-living patterns means noise is less tolerated than it used to be.

“A recent development allows you to track who’s using which bin at different times of day. Swipe cards have made a big difference to generating ownership among residents for their waste disposal and recycling. Each resident is given a card which they swipe to open a bin. That means you know the bin they’re using and at what time they’re using it. It’s also easy to see if someone is only using the general waste bin. You can then better target communications to encourage recycling.

“Progress has also been made along the lines of ‘007′ technology. A laser beam is shot across each bin at any given level which, when broken, sends a text message to the waste operator saying which bin is ready for collection and at which location.

“By British standards, I appreciate it all sounds a bit futuristic, but this is what the Benelux and Nordic countries have been doing for a number of years. That’s why they’re achieving in excess of 50% recycling rates while we still languish around 20%.”

- Ends -
~ 530 words ~

Editors’ notes:
NowRecycle.co.uk is a trading style of Plastic Omnium Systems Ltd - a European market leader in waste containment solutions that provides a wide range of waste containers and services including wheeled bins, litter bins, banks, composters and sacks. It is part of the International Plastic Omnium Group, a world leader in contract waste container solutions with worldwide sales of more than £1.8 billion. It employs over 9,000 people in 25 countries, across four continents, in manufacturing and service solutions for the automotive, environment and performance plastic products.

Press Contact: Simon Dutta, N European Marketing Director, Plastic Omnium Urban Systems Ltd
Telephone: 01952 582 583