In March 2000, the Consumer Information Obligations (CIO) were introduced as part of the Packaging Waste Regulations to place a responsibility on organisations that carry out a selling activity (i.e. supplying packaging to an end user) to provide end users with the following information:
- Where packaging can be recycled
- The end user’s role in recycling
- The meaning of labels on packaging
- Relevant chapters on packaging in the National Waste Strategies
recycle-more.co.uk
At this point, Valpak’s packaging compliance scheme had been running for three years and Valpak decided to go above and beyond to help seller members to offset these additional obligations by creating the UK’s first branded waste awareness website – www.recycle-more.co.uk
UK’s first recycling bank locator
During the development phase, we decided that one of the most helpful features of this website would be a Bank Locator tool, which would direct householders from across the UK to their nearest Household Waste Recycling Centres – where materials could be dropped off and stored for recycling.
We set about working with local authorities, retailers and other organisations, who had established collection networks for recycling, to accurately record and geographically tag sites across the UK by materials.
The result was the development and establishment of the UK’s most comprehensive and detailed recycling Bank Locator.
Over the past few years it has proved difficult to keep the Bank Locator up to date, as ever changing local council landscapes meant some drop off sites closed, some opened and some moved location, or the range of items accepted changed for better or worse.
Importance of updating recycling site information
Our recycle-more Team work hard to maintain and update the inventory of sites by regularly contacting local authority and retailer contacts; however, errors and omissions sometimes occur. This can cause consumer frustration and incorrect behaviour; therefore, we want to ensure it is as up to date and accurate as it can be.
If your business owns a collection network or recycling site and you wish to update the information on recycle-more or add sites, please email [email protected] and a member of the team will be happy to help you!
Add recycling locations to the recycle-more Bank Locator
Our aim is to have the best national data set of recycling locations; therefore, we will be happy to include data from any source and display this in the Bank Locator, if information is up-to-date and accurate. All we will need is a list of materials and products that can be collected at your drop off facilities, site addresses, postcodes and a complete list of sites.
Adding your sites to the recycle-more Bank Locator will ensure that members of the public can easily find your sites, meaning they will be used more frequently and will help to boost recycling rates.
In addition, we often publish best practice guides to prevent contamination of waste streams. These go some way to help to improve the quality of material collected and site cleanliness.
In-store collection points – Clothing, coffee cups, contact lenses
Many retail outlets provide collection points for domestic batteries and over 600 Boots Opticians, and some independent opticians across the UK, take back disposable contact lenses, blister packs and foil covers.
Also, certain Primark, M&S, H&M and Zara stores offer clothing drop off points to avoid old fashion items ending up in landfill. Many in-store collection points can be found via the recycle-more Bank Locator, making it an extremely valuable resource for consumers, local authorities, retail outlets and collection networks alike.
In addition, with recent media furore and public debate surrounding paper cups, many sellers have now joined the National Cup Recycling Scheme, which Valpak helps to coordinate and run. Consumers can find out which coffee shops accept cups for recycling using the Bank Locator on recycle-more. This is also available at www.cuprecyclingscheme.co.uk
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this weblog represent those of the individual authors and not those of Valpak Limited or any other organisation.