Our climate change strategy states we will seek 'to reduce our consumption and generation of resource and waste' as well as encouraging and working with partners to 'establish innovative approaches to waste diversion, reutilisation, and recycling'.
Why waste reduction and recycling are important
All waste requires energy to transport and process it, and some processing creates more greenhouse gases than others. The best way to tackle the climate change impacts of waste is to reduce the amount of waste we create and manage that waste carefully.
The 3Rs is a practical way of managing our waste in order of the most to the least sustainable options:
- Reduce - the amount of waste we create, for example buy less or choose products with less packaging.
- Reuse - check if there are used stationery items rather than buying new. Buy refills.
- Recycle - choose items and packaging that you know can be recycled through the facilities available.
Placing incorrect materials in the recycling bin causes contamination and requires more energy-intensive processing, so it's important we all use the recycling bins correctly.
If waste can't be reused or recycled (residual waste) it will go for disposal - either energy from waste (EfW) or landfill, so materials are taken out of the production cycle. Managing waste as a resource is a concept called the circular economy and is more sustainable.
What we're doing
We have a team that monitors and manages Derbyshire's ' historic closed landfill sites which still release methane. It isn't viable to use this as a fuel, so the gas is 'flared' or burnt off to prevent methane emissions. Many of these landfills are running out of methane, so the flares can be moved to other sites.
We have various waste contracts in place to provide workplace recycling. Most council premises (including schools if they wish to opt in) can get a recycling collection through the corporate waste framework contract. For more information email waste@derbyshire.gov.uk. Waste is taken to Veolia's materials recovery facility in Mansfield and sorted into different materials before going to be recycled into new products. You can watch a video to find out more about sorting.
Our waste management team deals with the disposal of household waste and new contracts cap the amount of waste sent to landfill. The operator of household waste recycling centres continually explores new recycling outlets for more materials such as mattresses and plastic film. There are plans to create reuse shops on some sites, to reduce emissions and provide a useful service for residents.
What you can do - top tips
If you treat yourself to a coffee from a local shop when at work, bring your reusable coffee cup. Plastic-lined takeaway cups cannot be placed in the recycling bin as they are difficult to recycle, even those marked as compostable.
Bring lunch in a plastic tub that can be washed and reused to reduce packaging.
Many kitchenettes have filtered water taps. Bring your bottle and refill for free!
Book Climate Change - Everybody's Business training to increase your understanding of climate change and its implications.
Use the recycling facilities available and ensure the right materials are placed in the recycling bin. Report to your manager if recycling bins or signage are missing. At County Hall, clear plastic bags are used for recycling and black bags for other rubbish.
Rinse any residue out of plastic food pots and soup cans and put them in the recycling bin. Food residue contaminates paper or card in the recycling bin meaning it can't be recycled. A quick rinse to get the worst off is all that's required.
What you can recycle
County Hall blue bins:
County Hall kitchenette recycling bins:
- cardboard (but no paper, coffee cups or contaminated food packaging)
- plastic bottles (clear and coloured, but no black plastic, plastic bags or cling film)
- tins and cans (clean and empty)
- glass bottles and jars (rinsed clean)
- cartons (for example, juice)
Recycling bins at sites on the Veolia contract:
- cardboard (but no coffee cups or contaminated food packaging)
- plastic bottles (clear and coloured, but no plastic bags)
- tins and cans (clean and empty)
- paper (but no tissues, hand towels or napkins)
To request a printable poster for your building email climate.change@derbyshire.gov.uk
For managers
Think about what you buy for your work area. Can you choose items with less packaging or more recyclable packaging?
Make sustainable work practices an item on your team meeting agendas.
Encourage staff to use recycling facilities. If there isn't a recycling bin or clear signage as to what can be recycled:
Lead by example and book Climate Change - Everybody's Business training.
Benefits of recycling
Recycling plastic bottles or office paper into new products reduces consumption of finite natural resources and uses less energy (even when transport is included), meaning less greenhouse gas emissions. In the UK, recycling saves about 10 to 15 million tonnes of carbon emissions a year, the equivalent of taking 3.5 million cars off the road. Source Recycle Now - why is recycling important?.
Around half of the UK's residual waste is sent to energy from waste plants, which has significant carbon benefits over landfill. Benefits increase as the amount of plastic in the waste reduces (source Eunomia - greenhouse gas and air quality impacts of incineration and landfill). However, some plastics are hard to recycle (such as plastic film packaging which is not recyclable through office recycling bins), so it's more important wherever possible to choose items which are packaged in recyclable materials such as paper.
Recycling also reduces waste sent to landfill sites, which are responsible for 81% of the waste sector's emissions of methane. This is a powerful greenhouse gas, caused mainly by organic waste rotting within landfill sites. Methane emissions from the UK waste sector have fallen by 75% in 2020 compared to 1990 (source United Kingdom methane memorandum) due largely to an EU directive requiring significant reductions in organic waste sent to landfill.