Much of the material that we throw away as rubbish could be recycled and reused. The key to recycling this material is in separating it away from the contaminated waste that cannot be recycled. To keep contamination to its lowest level, it is best to avoid mixing the recyclables with the waste in the first place by using separate collection systems and vehicles for our recyclable waste materials.
SITA UK has been operating dedicated recycling collections for local authorities for many years and has realised the benefits of this in the creation of uses and markets for the high quality, and therefore higher value, materials that result.
A variety of collection systems can be offered by SITA UK depending upon the needs of the client authority. These can range from a sack based system for paper, through a box based system for a wider range of recyclables, to householders being provided with a dedicated wheeled bin for virtually all of their recyclables. For each system a different type of vehicle is necessary. This means that an authority’s recycling collections need careful planning so that they fit efficiently into the wider waste management infrastructure and services that are being provided as part of a long term strategy.
Each type of recyclable material needs to be bulked up until sufficient quantity is collected to make a load to go off to the differing end markets and uses. This bulking site is often known as a Material Recycling Facility (MRF). Some of these MRFs have sophisticated sorting systems that can sort mixed recyclables into each commodity. Recyclables can be delivered 'co-mingled', such as arise from a wheeled bin recycling collection system. Other MRFs do not have the capacity to sort material. These therefore require the recyclate to be delivered as separate streams by material type. This is achieved by SITA UK staff sorting the householders waste individually, at the kerbside, into separate compartments of a specialised vehicle.
SITA UK has constructed and operates a network of material recycling facilities around the UK.
Collecting thousands of tonnes of recyclable material through its local authority contracts every year, SITA UK has been able to secure long term outlets at stable and attractive prices with material reprocessing markets.
UK local authorities have challenging targets to meet to divert waste away from landfill and increase recycling levels. SITA UK’s knowledge and experience of delivering this is proving of tremendous benefit to our local authority partners.
Green waste
SITA UK has operated composting facilities in the UK for many years, and now provides green waste collection services to a number of Councils. This service makes a significant contribution to achievement of recycling and composting targets and diverts waste away from landfill disposal routes. The compost that we produce is accredited to be of high standard and much of it is sold under the APEX and Organo brands through garden centres.
