Case Studies

Recycling
Rik Still - The Glen Rothay Hotel and Badger Bar - Rydal

CGBF recently introduced me to a Eden Community Recycling who provided a cage system consisting of 18 green wheelie bins as well as all the space between and above the bins for other waste. This cage is proving to be of immense value in terms of (i) reduction of what we send to landfill as well as (ii) a huge reduction in our waste removal bills overall.Prior to the introduction of the cage we were recycling our glass and some of our cardboard. This was costing in the region of £250 per year, but in addition we required two 1,100L commercial Biffa bins per week for the remainder of our rubbish. Biffa charge £20.28 per bin, so this was costing an additional £2,109 per annum, and all of this went to landfill.We are now paying Eden Community Recycling £90 per cage and I estimate we will need a cage every two months (equals £540 per annum). We are recycling all our glass, soft plastics, hard plastics, aluminium foil, other metal, polystyrene, paper and cardboard via this method. We have created two large compost heaps for raw vegetable matter. Cooked waste is fed to the local badger population each evening. This leaves extremely small amounts of waste to be sent to landfill - so far we have reduced our Biffa bins on site to one as well as asking Biffa to empty it just once every two weeks. Our annual Biffa charge is therefore going to be only £527.Overall therefore, the introduction of the Recycling Cage has led to our waste 'cost' being reduced from £2,359 to £1,067 - a 55% reduction, as well as what we send to landfill being reduced by at least 75%.The workforce has taken the initiative well, spending more time separating and taking a greater interest in environmental issues. As a reward we offer a incentive where the less we send to landfill the more money goes in the Staff Christmas fund!!