Post-consumer waste, or PCW, refers to materials that have already been used and discarded by consumers. These materials have completed their initial use cycle and are now separated from other waste for disposal. Instead of ending up in landfills, PCW can be recycled and repurposed into new products, thereby extending its lifecycle and contributing to environmental sustainability.
To address the issue of PCW, we have launched an innovative free mobile scheme designed to collect and recycle waste polythene. As a crucial component of packaging, polythene often ends up as bulky waste destined for landfills or incineration. Our new scheme aims to change this by collecting and recycling waste polythene, transforming it into new plastic wrapping.
How Does It Work?
Our mobile scheme utilizes a van equipped with an onboard compactor. This van travels to various locations, collecting waste polythene from businesses. The collected polythene is then compacted and bailed onboard the van, ready to be recycled and reused. This process not only reduces waste but also promotes sustainability by turning waste polythene into new, useful products.
James Woollard, our managing director, highlights the significance of this initiative:
“As a waste product it’s just an inconvenience, but it’s 100% recyclable. It’s so recyclable, it’s untrue. So it’s very frustrating to know that 800,000 tons a year approximately is going to landfill or incineration.
What we need is this stuff back, recycle it, back into the chain, back to me, back to the customer, back to me, back to the customer, back to me,“
One of our first participants in this scheme is the Spar store in Minster Lovell. Store director Ian Lewis shared his enthusiasm: “We have around six deliveries a week, producing an amazing and enormous amount of waste. This new polythene scheme is really attractive to us, and I think it’s going to benefit both us and the environment.“