Waste and Recycling
CGBF are constantly looking for better local Business recycling services not just for your General business waste but for the business waste generated that now falls under the WEEE Directive (waste electrical equipment) and hazardous waste such as Fluorescent light tubes and cooking oil!
An estimated 10 tonnes of resources such as raw materials, energy and packaging are consumed to make just one tonne of useful products. A high proportion of the resources, including many of the products themselves, end up in landfill sites or are incinerated.
In 1996 Landfill Tax was introduced as an incentive to produce less waste. It operates at a standard rate of £24 per tonne for active waste which includes household waste.
Controlled Waste:
packaging materials
obsolete appliances
redundant furnishings
Special waste (subject to Special Waste Regulations):
waste oils
redundant lead batteries
appliances containing PCBs.
anything containing harmful, toxic, carcinogenic or corrosive substances
Reducing Waste
The best way of dealing with waste is not to create it in the first place. The next best thing is to segregate wastes for reuse, recovery or recycling. Consider these options:
- reduction of waste - ask suppliers to reduce packaging where practicable
- re-use of waste - ask suppliers to take back containers for refilling
- recovery of waste - redundant furniture and furnishings can be recovered or repaired.
- recycling waste - glass, paper, metal and plastics are all recyclable.
The Government has set a target for a 25% reduction in biodegradable (vegetable) waste going to landfill. This is because decomposing wastes generate methane, a lethal gas which is both highly explosive and also contributes to global warming.
Composting vegetable wastes has three key benefits:
- reduces the concerns of landfill gas and global warming
- reduce the cost of disposal and makes more space available for inert wastes
- provides nourishing compost for the garden.
Duty of Care:
Waste management responsibilities under the Duty of Care should ensure the following:
- safe and secure storage
- a description of the waste, including where it came from and the amounts involved
- choosing a registered carrier or waste manager licensed to accept your waste or a waste collection authority (local council)
- completing and signing a transfer note including a description of the waste
- keeping a copy of the signed transfer note for two years;
- ensuring that the waste is being dealt with properly e.g. tracking its disposal route.
Remember! - Breach of the duty of care is a criminal offence, punishable on summary conviction (in the magistrates court) by a fine of up to £2,000, or a conviction on indictment (in the Crown Court) by an unlimited fine or possibly imprisonment.
Places to Recycle
Eden Community Recycling Colin Nineham - 07778 483043
Colin will deliver a cage containing upto 18 wheelie bins. Once these are full you can stack cardboard and paper above to maximise volume.
Mixed glass, mixed paper cardboard, all metals, plastics.
Ho also sells compactors for cardboard. Businesses already using this service are Drunken Duck (Including compactor), Langdale Leisure, University of Cumbria (St Martin's) and Hillthwaite House Hotel.
A G Bell Waste Paper Merchants - 07860 686735 - 01229 869876
Free Collection Service - Bundled seperately and tied up in bunbles so that it can throw onto the truck.
Based in Barrow, he collects from the Ambleside area and other South Lakes areas regularly.
Enviro-first
We have recently been told of this local recycling company, see link below. They are using technology to separate glass into it's constituent colours. This gets over two of our glass problems, 1 that it is used separately and 2 that you only need one bin.
Notes for Recycling:
It is imperative that cross contamination is avoided as this reduces the financial value and recyclability of the resource. For instance; can banks are purely for cans and no other metals (including aluminium foil)
It takes only 2% contamination to completely ruin a consignment.

