Plastic Recycling Collections Tailor Made to Your Business
If your business generates waste plastics, we can help. At Utopia Waste, we provide businesses and local authorities across the UK with a full range of plastic recycling services.
No matter what industry you are in, and how much plastic you want to recycle, we can offer a bespoke waste management and recycling plan that meets your specific requirements.
If you generate small quantities of plastic waste, such as plastic bottles, our dry mixed recycling service may be ideal. With this service, you can have a single container, such as a wheelie bin, where you can dispose of all your dry recyclables, including paper, cardboard, metal cans and of course plastic.
For businesses that generate larger volumes of plastic, we can offer a full range of industrial containers and compactors. If required, we can even supply and install a baler, enabling your business to compact your plastic waste into bales directly on-site.
Whatever your requirements may be, we are ready to help. Contact us today using our online quote form to find out how we can help your business with plastic recycling and all waste management needs.
The History of Plastic in the UK
Plastic products were introduced for various reasons in the 1960s. They were manufactured in the form of disposable containers and utensils so restaurants could cut down on the cost of labour that is generally required for the dishwashing and cleaning tasks. Plastic items also became very convenient for home use as well which gave rise to the production of many other types of plastic utensils and disposables.
Between the 1970s and 1980s, plastic bags started to replace paper bags due to concerns over the number of trees that were cut down to manufacture paper packaging materials for businesses. From that time onwards, the plastic manufacturing process has become more efficient and cost-effective.
Plastic is a material that is cheap, flexible and offers a convenient manner in which products ranging from food to medical instruments can be stored.
Everyone benefits from plastic products and many use them daily, but there is a major problem with plastic that people are becoming more and more aware of.
Plastics do not degrade easily and can take a very long time to break down into smaller pieces. Plastic waste has been polluting the marine environment and putting people’s health at risk.
The UK alone produces more than 5 million tonnes of plastic waste every year with very little of it making its way to recycling facilities. A lot of plastic waste still ends up in landfill sites, but the ultimate goal should be to collect these products and either recycle them or convert them into energy.
At Utopia Waste, we are committed to working towards a zero-landfill policy. We want to provide businesses with effective waste management solutions that will help them to boost their plastic recycling in an efficient and cost-effective way.
As experts in the field of waste management, we can provide convenient plastic waste collection and recycling services that will be ideal for your business as well as for the environment.
Plastic Waste Recycling – An Overview
Plastic products are often cheap to produce, but they can generate massive amounts of waste right from the first step of their production. Some types of plastic are specially engineered to be used as industrial plastic or to be used as construction products.
If poorly managed, plastic waste can cause pollution. Therefore, it is important to reuse and recycle as much plastic waste as possible.
Plastic recycling involves recovering plastic waste and reprocessing it into new raw material and functional products. The objective is to reduce the rate of pollution which in return puts less pressure on crude materials that are initially required for the production of plastic. Recycling is a process which helps conserve energy and resources. It also helps divert plastic waste from oceans, lakes, rivers and landfills.
Plastic recycling is an important aspect of the proper management of waste. Recycling rates can be increased through public awareness and improvements in recycling operations. The efficiency of the operational processes can also be enhanced through advanced research and development initiatives.
Types of Recyclable Plastic?
There are seven main types of recyclable plastics which can be identified by their codes. Here’s a look at what they include and their examples.
- PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) – one of the most common types of plastics used in consumer products. Examples include water bottles and fruit juice bottles.
- PS (Polystyrene) – offers a variety of uses such as foam packaging, clamshell food containers, Styrofoam drinking utensils, etc.
- PP (Polypropylene) – is lightweight and tough with heat resistant properties. Some common examples include ice cream containers, bins and trays, straws, etc.
- LDPE (Low-density polyethylene) – is less toxic and safer than most of the other types of plastics used today. These are often used to make shrink wraps and plastics for packing food items such as bread.
- PVC (Polyvinyl chloride) – flexible and soft plastic used in the manufacture of various consumer products ranging from cooking oil bottles, food wrappers and even toys.
- HDPE (High-density polyethylene) – hard-wearing and stiff plastic that is resistant to high temperatures. They are often used in making rubbish bins, picnic tables, etc.
- Other (Polycarbonate and BPA) – all kinds of polycarbonates and other kinds of plastic fall into this category. Their uses range from the manufacture of baby bottles to manufacturing car parts.
How We Can Help
We offer a full range of bins and containers to help you manage your business waste effectively. We can help you recycle the plastic waste your business produces to minimise its impact on the environment, boost your recycling rate and save you money on waste disposal.
Our professional team can even visit you at your premises and devise a plan that is most suitable for your waste management needs. We understand that different businesses produce different volumes of plastic waste and therefore your waste disposal requirements may vary. This is why we are committed to offering a tailor-made solution that fits your needs perfectly.
We are a one-stop-shop for all your waste collection and recycling needs. We can combine our services to offer a bespoke recycling and waste management package that will be cost-effective and efficient for your business.
Our range of bins and containers include wheelie bins ranging in sizes from 240litres to 1100litres, front end loaders, read end loaders, skips and compactors. We can help you choose the right containers based on the volume of plastic waste generated by your business. We will also ensure that a suitable collection schedule is arranged which matches your requirements.