DESPITE negative reports that thousands of tonnes of recyclable rubbish is being stock-piled in warehouses around the country, instead of being recycled, businesses are being urged by workplace equipment supplier, Slingsby to maintain their ‘Green Agendas’ in order to avoid paying landfill taxes which again increased in April 2009.
Various recent news articles have reported that the downturn in the economy has hit the market for recyclable waste and it is no longer viable to export waste materials, including paper and plastics, to countries such as China, which reuse them when making new products and packaging.
However,with the standard rate of landfill tax having risen from £32 per tonne to £40 per tonne, businesses that don’t recycle will face significantly higher charges to dispose of rubbish in landfill sites.
Reducing the amount of waste that is sent to landfill also lowers the amount of methane and other gas emissions that landfill sites emit. Wrap, the government recycling agency, worked out that recycling in 2006 saved 18 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, the equivalent of taking five million cars off the road.
Lee Wright, marketing director of Slingsby,explains:“Negative press about recycling combined with pressures organisations to reduce costs could lead to some companies choosing to cut back on, or completely abandon, their green credentials. However, because landfill tax is increasing, this is likely to be false economy and businesses that have significantly reduced their environmental impact in recent years should be continuing to build on this progress.
“Despite the short term concerns,over a longer period of time there’s no denying that recycling will be worthwhile and have a positive impact on the environment. It’s also important to bear in mind that recycling programmes don’t have to be over-complicated and can be very quick and easy to implement.”
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