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LSPS Ltd
61-70 Harrison Close ,
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Leicester , LE18 4ZL
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6 skip hire safety tips

clip_image002If you intend to hire a skip to clear out some rubbish from your home, possibly created by recent DIY home improvements, it’s important that you load your skip in a safe manner. The following six tips will help you maintain a safe working environment for the benefit of both you and the other people around you.

1. Preparation

Prior to delivery you must carefully choose where to locate your skip to allow for easy loading that minimises the risk of injury. To achieve this you should select an area that is flat, stable and free of obstructions.

2. Skip delivery

When it comes to the day your skip is delivered you must give the driver clear instructions as to where and how you want the skip positioned. You must also make sure the immediate vicinity is clear of people, pets or children. Skips are very heavy, therefore you should not attempt to reposition the skip because you could cause injury to yourself or cause damage to your property.

3. Public Safety

If your skip needs to be located on a public road you will be need to get a skip permit from your local authority. We can secure this permit on your behalf.

4. Skip loading

The best way to fill a skip is to load all the larger/heavier items first and smaller items such as rubble and soil will fill in the gaps. However, when loading heavy items it is highly recommended that you seek an extra pair of hands. Because of the real risk of injuring your back you must pay particular attention to the way you lift heavy objects. You should always bend your knees and lift with your legs.

5. Don’t overfill your skip

One of the most dangerous scenarios is an overfilled skip and it is illegal for a skip hire company to move a skip that is overfilled. An overfilled skip is where the waste contents are protruding above the sides of the skip. So make sure you order a skip that is big enough in the first place to avoid having to order two skips.

6. Hazardous waste

Hazardous waste items should not be put in a skip. Items like asbestos, batteries, tyres or fridges have to be disposed of differently to the majority of building waste.

If you are considering hiring a skip, more information can be found here or contact us on 0800 083 7807 to find out how we can help.

Single-use plastic bags cut by 80%

clip_image002In October 2015 the government introduced a 5p charge for single-use carrier bags in the hope that more people would use reusable carrier bags or ‘bags for life’. The early figures from leading supermarket Tesco suggest that the 5p charge has led to an almost 80% drop in the amount of single-use carrier bags being used.

This reduction has exceeded Tesco’s own expectations and is in line with the higher end of the government’s estimations. Prior to the 5p charge the average British shopper used 11 carrier bags a month and the cost to clean up plastic bag waste was around £10m each year. In England alone, 7.64 billion plastic bags were given away by supermarkets in 2014.

The 80% drop produced by the 5p scheme is in line with figures from Wales and Scotland. Single-use carrier bag charges were introduced in Wales in 2011 and in Scotland in October 2014. Stats from these countries suggest that the amount of ‘bags for life’ used has quadrupled and both have seen a 79-80% drop in the amount of single-use carrier bags used.

Importantly, the profits from the 5p charge will be donated to a charity of the retailers own choosing and the drop in the amount of single-use carrier bags being used should be beneficial to our environment. The long term goal of the 5p charge scheme is to reduce the amount of single-use carrier bags being taken home which will in turn reduce the amount of litter and waste produced by the product. This scheme is encouraging people to reuse carrier bags which is recycling in its most basic form and the more recycling we can do the better our environment will be.

At LSPS, recycling is a major consideration of ours and we are committed to recycling every possible item in order to reduce the amount of waste being delivered to our landfill sites. For more information on our waste recycling and waste disposal services please click here or contact us on 0800 083 7807 to find out how we can help.

How 5 different scrap metals are re-used

clip_image002[1]Metal is a very important material that is used in a wide variety of products. In a previous article we discussed 3 crucial benefits to recycling metal and in this article we will highlight what products can be created using recycled metal.

1. Copper

Copper is the most commonly sold metal because of its value. The material is an excellent conductor of electricity and is frequently used to create electrical wire, circuits, switches and electromagnets. Additionally, it is commonly used in plumbing for pipes and can be found in refrigerators and cookware.

2. Aluminium

Aluminium is a widely used material because it is a strong, flexible and light-weight material and compared to other metals it has a low melting point meaning it is easier to recycle. Recycled aluminium is used in several different products such as vehicles, building materials, packaging and high voltage electrical lines.

3. Tin

Tin is another highly valued form of metal that has many uses. One of the most common products made from tin is cans. These are made from a tinplate, a steel sheet with a thin layer of tin applied. Other uses of tin can be found in the mechanics of vehicles, springs and flat panel display screens such as plasma TV’s.

4. Lead

Recycled batteries are one of the main sources of lead. Lead can be recycled from a battery and used in a new battery but it is also used in X-ray machines for radiation protection.

5. Zinc

Zinc is a material that we come into contact with regularly because our £1 and £2 coins are partly made out of zinc. To protect steel and iron from corrosion a zinc based coating is applied in a process called galvanisation. Zinc is also used as an anode material in batteries and by alloying zinc and copper you can make brass.

If you are interested in selling any of your scrap metal for recycling, LSPS is one of Leicestershire's largest independent ferrous and non-ferrous metal recyclers. For more information on our scrap metal recycling services please click here or contact us on 0800 083 7807 to find out how we can help.

3 crucial benefits to recycling metal

clip_image002Presently, metal is one of the most widely used materials and the cost to our planet for mining these materials in their raw form is huge. Using recycled metal to produce new products not only reduces CO2 emissions, but also reduces the impact of mining on our natural environment and adds a significant boost to the UK’s economy.

1. Less greenhouse gas emissions

Simply put, it takes far less energy to melt and remanufacture scrap metal when compared to mining for raw materials. For example, aluminium can be melted at a relatively low temperature in order for it to be recycled. This process of recycling uses up to 95% less energy compared to extracting the raw material and the environmental benefits to recycling metal can be broken down even further. With steel production it is possible to reduce the amount of air pollution by 86%, water pollution can be up to 76% less and steel recycling process uses 40% less water.

2. It boosts the UK’s economy

In the UK, the metal manufacturing industry is one of the largest sectors and the UK is one of the largest exporters of scrap metal, with the export market continuing to grow. This means that scrap metal is rarely sent to landfill sites because recycled metal is a key component to the UK’s economy.

· Each year, approximately 2 billion aluminium and steel cans are recycled

· Roughly half of the UK’s recycled metal comes from end of life vehicles and the EU has set a target to recycle at least 85% of scrapped vehicles.

· Electrical waste is recycled as it uses a lot of non-ferrous metals

· The industry is also recycling materials from lead-acid vehicle and industrial batteries

3. A better natural environment

It goes without saying but the more the world recycles the less dependent we are on mining for raw materials. This results in reduced pollution, a better natural environment and less disruptions to our wildlife.

At LSPS one of our key aims is to reduce the amount of waste that ends up at landfill sites. We operate one of Leicestershire's largest independent ferrous and non-ferrous metal recyclers equipped with our own electronic 50 tonne weighbridge. For more information please click here or contact us on 0800 083 7807 to find out how we can help.

How to securely recycle electrical equipment

Most businesses are well aware of their data protection duties and the high risk of fraud that can loom over them. Because of this, businesses in the UK need to make sure that their electronic equipment, such as computers, are disposed of in a responsible way, in order to meet European Union Directives such as the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive. This infographic details the risk and how to manage it.

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Further information on our waste disposal services can be found on our website, or alternatively you can contact us on freephone 0800 083 7807 for more advice.

Aluminium foil recycling rate reaches 40% in the UK

clip_image002When it comes to recycling in your home, most people are aware that they can recycle items like glass bottles, newspapers and aluminium tins. However, it can be easy to get confused about other less commonly used materials.

With the rise in popularity of ready meals, especially with many supermarkets and convenience stores stocking high-end ‘luxury’ ready meals, a need has arisen for materials that can be used to adequately contain them.

Aluminium foil trays are commonly used for this purpose and often house meat, poultry, fish and even pet foods. As well as being used at home, they are also increasingly being used in the catering and food service industries as they can easily be disposed of and are very hygienic. They are also favoured for use as disposable BBQ’s and take away restaurants.

Thanks to national campaigns, more and more consumers are beginning to understand that while aluminium foil may look metallic and possibly too dense to recycle, it is perfectly fine to be recycled.

The latest data shows that the recycling of aluminium foil trays has risen from 50% to 55% throughout Europe from 2010-2013 with 85% of aluminium foil recycled in Germany and 40% in the UK.

Here at LSPS recycling is a major consideration and one of our key aims is to reduce the amount of waste that ends up at landfill sites. We operate our own site waste transfer station with an extensive range of specialist, state of the art equipment. Please click here for further information: http://www.lspsskiphire.co.uk/waste-services-leicester.html or contact us on 0800 083 7807 to find out how we can help.

What happens to your recycled scrap metal?

clip_image002One of the many strengths of metals such as steel, iron, aluminium, brass and copper is that they can be recycled many times to make new products. Reusing metal in this way not only reduces the amount of raw materials that need to be mined but it also decreases the amount of waste we produce. Recycled scrap metal can form many household products and the repurposed material is also widely used in the manufacturing industry.

In its purist form, scrap metal can be found in modern art sculptures or decorative metalwork which gives items a new lease of life once they are no longer usable. While this is not to everyone’s taste, recycled scrap metal can be found in furnishings, fixtures and lighting while metal roofing is commonly made from recycled metal.

Additionally, the packaging for canned food products is largely made of recycled materials and it is becoming more common for this kind of packaging to be made from 100% recycled metal. Furthermore, the production of recycled aluminium produces less greenhouse gases as well as being cheaper to manufacture when compared to the production of new aluminium. The process is so efficient that recycled metal food containers can be found again on our supermarket shelves within two months.

In the manufacturing industry, recycled scrap metal is widely used and can be found in new products such as home appliances, shipping containers, aeroplanes, cars and building materials.

If you have any scrap metal you wish to sell for recycling, please get in touch with LSPS who can collect your scrap metal from your premises and offer you a fair price. More information on waste disposal can be found on the LSPS website,  or alternatively you can call LSPS on our free phone number: 0800 083 7807.

Interesting Recycling Facts

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Argos launch electrical waste trade-in scheme

clip_image002With the UK’s population estimated to now have £1bn worth of neglected electrical equipment, Argos have recently taken a bold and responsible step by becoming the UK’s first major retailer to offer an electrical waste trade-in scheme.

This service will allow customers to earn Argos vouchers by trading-in their unwanted mobile phones or tablets which otherwise could be destined to end up in waste disposal sites. Items can now be traded in at any of the firm’s 788 stores around the UK and will either be refurbished and resold or recycled for parts.

The scheme has been developed and supported by WRAP, a charity who aim to help companies develop more resourceful business models. WRAP’s mission is to ‘accelerate the move to a sustainable resource-efficient economy’ and the ambition of this scheme is to reduce the amount of electrical items that are being sent to landfill.

Head of Corporate Responsibility at Argos, Amy Whidburn said: “As a leading technology retailer we know that our customers are looking for solutions to responsibly dispose of unwanted gadgets when they replace or trade-up devices. Our new scheme in conjunction with Wrap offers them a safe way to do this, in a really convenient location on their local high street or retail park, with the added benefit of receiving a gift card in return immediately.”

Argos are initially only accepting mobile phones and tablets but they hope to extend the trade-in scheme, depending on the response from customers, to include laptops, satellite navigation devices and cameras. When customers trade-in their devices in store they will receive an instant quote for the item or items and if accepted they will receive a gift card equal to the valuation.

More information on waste disposal can be found on the LSPS website, or alternatively you can call LSPS on our free phone number: 0800 083 7807.

How to dispose of unusual or bulky items

clip_image002When making big changes to your home or upgrading appliances it can often be difficult to dispose of big or unusual items. This sometimes leads to unwanted items being left on the streets because it can be inconvenient or difficult to dispose of this large waste effectively. This kind of rubbish is not only an eyesore but it also creates a hazard for other people and wildlife.

One of the best ways to dispose of a large item is to donate it to charity so that it can be used by someone else. Alternatively, see if you can give the item a new purpose by upcycling or repurposing it. There are lots of ideas for repurposing on the internet with the DIY Network and Pinterest being great sources of inspiration. Alternatively, before replacing a broken appliance it is worthwhile attempting to fix the issue yourself. Again, there are many online resources that can help you maintain and fix items so you can continue using them. Doing this can help limit the amount of waste that is dumped in our landfill sites.

If your only option is to dispose of your bulky items you should do this as soon as possible to prevent them from becoming a hazardous eyesore. Your local council’s household waste recycling centre can usually dispose of the vast majority of items but before making the trip there you should check your local council’s website to see if they will accept your waste.

Alternatively, some councils now offer a bulk waste collection service. In Leicestershire, Leicester City Council is starting to help residents with the disposal of their unusual or bulky waste items by providing one free collection of up to five bulky items and one free collection of up to 15 items of garden waste every two months. If you live in Leicester and wish to use this waste collection service you can book a collection online here. However, if you live outside of Leicester you will need to contact you district council to arrange a bulky waste collection.

More information on waste disposal can be found on the LSPS website, or alternatively you can call LSPS on our free phone number: 0800 083 7807.

Waste management around the world

clip_image002The UK government has substantially upped its efforts to improve recycling over the past decade. With landfill sites filling up and space at a premium in the UK, more and more of us are being encouraged to recycle.

However, whilst many of us seem to have caught the recycling bug here in the UK, large scale change can only be achieved through worldwide participation in recycling practises, and whilst considerable improvement has been made, the UK is still a long way off meeting our EU target of 50% of our waste to be recycled. So what is the rest of the world doing when it comes to waste recycling, and is there anything that we learn from it?

Recycling policy differs from country to country and the amount each country recycles will ultimately depend on a combination of both the attitude of the government in place at the time and the amount of consumer pressure in that area. As of 2013, the UK ranked in 11th place in the recycling tables at 39%. In contrast, fellow EU member Austria topped the world tables with a recycling rate of 63%. Austria has managed to make such considerable advances because of two main factors. The first is media presence. Austria has managed to use advertising and the media to cultivate really positive attitudes surrounding the recycling process, which in turn has diffused through the whole of Austrian society, encouraging more and more people to recycle. Secondly, with state of the art facilities and machinery available to companies, more and more people are being incentivised to go into the recycling business, which in turn has increased demand for recyclable materials.

However, whilst it’s important that we don’t dismiss the UK’s shortcomings compared to Austria, it is important to point out that the UK has undoubtedly made considerable improvement, doubling how much it recycles over the past 15 years, and there are still plenty of countries that the UK is vastly outperforming.

Nigeria is one example. Africa’s most populous country is one of those guilty of lagging far behind with what is expected when it comes to recycling. Their infrastructure is unequipped to deal with the waste that they are producing and many of it ends up in open landfill. Estimates suggest that only 13% of recyclable materials are ever recovered from city landfills, meaning that more and more new products have to be created in order to feed the demand for plastics and glass whilst recyclable materials lie unprocessed in landfill sites.

Romania is another example. The country has extremely lax laws when it comes to waste management. Despite agreeing to EU targets being set at 50% of its waste to be recycled, Romania has been guilty of badly failing in its recycling efforts. Without the right controls put in place, and a lack of investment in both facilities and schemes, meeting these targets has been made almost impossible. Estimates suggest that just 1% of waste is ever recycled.

So, whilst the UK is doing ok, it could still do much better, which could be helped by government intervention, more awareness campaigns, more financial incentives, and businesses having the equipment needed to recycle more. Recycling is a major consideration for LSPS in Leicester, and we are dedicated to recycling everything possible to reduce waste going to landfill. If more companies offered the same service, recycling as much waste as possible, then it could greatly help with the UK’s performance. For more information about recycling, please read our article, “Recycling: are we doing our bit?”

What can I put inside my skip?

clip_image002One of the most common questions that comes up when people are inquiring about hiring a skip is what items are they allowed to put in it.

Whilst skips are an excellent choice for getting rid of most things, for legal or practical reasons some items, such as liquids, are not permitted to be put in skips and therefore need to be disposed of in other ways.

Different skip hire companies will often have different rules as to what can go in their skips, so if you have items that you are unsure about it is always best to ask first before hiring. However, this article aims to give a broad overview of the type of products that might not be allowed. Everyone has different reasons for choosing a skip, so to make it easier, we’ve divided this guide up into common uses for skips.

Skips for household use

If you’re moving house and getting rid of some old possessions, or perhaps just looking to de-clutter your home as part of a spring clean then hiring a skip can be a handy solution. But you should be aware that some items, such as fridges and freezers are not permitted to be disposed of in skips as they contain harmful gases. However, you can arrange for fridge freezers to be collected by the council; typically, this costs around £10-30, or alternatively you can look to transport the fridge to a designated fridge freezer recycling plant yourself. Other household items they may be forbidden include electrical equipment such as TVs and computer screens, fluorescent tubes and air conditioning units. Batteries are also not allowed in skips, but there are many places within local communities that now have battery recycling facilities.

Construction and decorators waste

The nature of the construction process typically requires a place to put lots of waste products such as concrete, stone, bricks and other rubble. For this reason, skips are commonplace in building sites across the UK. If you’re looking to renovate old buildings and houses, you should be aware that asbestos is not permitted to be disposed of in skips as this material is dangerous for anyone in contact with it. Furthermore, paints and solvents should not be placed in skips, as paint is a chemical compound and skip hire firms do not hold licenses to dispose of this type of hazardous waste. Plasterboard is often not allowed in skips either.

Garages

Oil, petrol and diesel are all products that are highly flammable and are not permitted to be put into skips as there is always a chance that they could ignite. The same applies to gas bottles and canisters. Tyres and vehicle batteries are also not allowed to be disposed of in this way as these materials are extremely toxic to the environment and need to be disposed of at a registered recycler. In fact, as a general rule of thumb anything that is considered to be a hazardous or toxic material is not allowed in a skip.

Clinical or medical waste

Medical waste cannot be disposed of in skips because these materials could prove hazardous to those who come into contact with them. As a result, this type of waste is subject to very tight controls and doctors, vets or pharmacies who want to get rid of this type of waste must contact a company that is authorised to recover and dispose of medical waste.

Most other items can be disposed of in skips, but if you have got any specific concerns about what you can or cannot put in a skip, or for other general queries then please call LSPS on 0800 083 7807. More information about hiring a skip can also be found in our article “Hiring a skip? Here are some ground rules”.

Recycling and the difference it can make

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA         With global warming on the increase and waste produce at an all-time high it is important that we are recycling as much as possible. Recycling involves converting a waste product into a reusable state to avoid the need for new raw materials being sourced. Not only does this reduce the need for new resources, but also the process of recycling waste products is more energy efficient as a greater amount of energy is needed to extract refine, transport and process raw materials than is required to recycle a product.

There is a limit to our planet’s natural supplies and by using recycled materials we can extend the lifespan of the materials we source in order to get the most value out of them. Recently we came across an interesting local example of recycling with Dunton & Broughton Rangers FC nearby in Leicestershire. Their five-a-side pitch was in such a state and the team were unable to replace the pitch due to limited finances that they were forced to train elsewhere.

Fortunately, the team was donated new turf that was previously used as a five-a-side pitch in Canary Wharf. This turf was initially destined to end up in a landfill site but thankfully this has been avoided by giving the turf a second home and Dunton & Broughton Rangers FC can once again train as a complete team at their preferred location.

This is one example on a small scale that summarises the recycling process. Recycled products can be anything from bags, clothes, books and toys to furniture, construction materials and bins. In a nutshell it involves a material that could be labelled as waste being reused in a different capacity therefore extending the material’s life and limiting the amount of waste that finds its way to our landfill sites.

LSPS are scrap metal recycling and waste management specialists. We are one of Leicestershire’s largest independent ferrous and non-ferrous metal recyclers and have a 50 tonne electronic weighbridge onsite. More information can be found on the LSPS website, information specifically about our waste recycling and disposal services can be found here or alternatively you can call LSPS on our free phone number: 0800 083 7807.

Does your business need a license to carry waste?

skip lorryAt LSPS, our waste transfer station is designed to meet the waste disposal needs of businesses. Our extensive range of specialist, state of the art equipment makes this possible and our services are open to all traders who are licensed waste carriers. But what does being a licensed waste carrier mean? This article investigates.

As a business, if you transport, buy, sell, dispose of or arrange for someone else to buy, sell or dispose of waste then you are required to register for a waste carrier’s, broker’s or dealer’s license. If the waste you transport is produced by your own business then the registration is usually free and renews automatically but if you transport other people’s waste, such as construction or demolition waste then you are required to pay a fee of £154 for a 3 year licence.

In fact, if you don’t register you can face a fine of up to £5,000. The exception to this license requirement is for home owners and businesses who only move waste within their own premises – these parties do not require a waste carrying license.

This waste carrying license is split into two levels, lower tier and upper tier. In England, the upper tier registration covers waste management and construction businesses whereas the lower tier registrations include smaller scale businesses like carpet fitters and confidential waste collection companies.

If you are a licenced waste carrying trader in Leicestershire, LSPS can correctly process your waste ready for recycling or disposal. We do not accept waste that is considered hazardous and we do not except items such as fridges, freezers, asbestos, tyres or gas bottles.

More information can be found on the LSPS website, information specifically about our waste recycling and disposal services can be found here or alternatively you can call LSPS on our free phone number: 0800 083 7807.

Book your skip online with LSPS

clip_image001If you are considering hiring a skip it is important that you book the right skip to meet your needs. At LSPS we have taken steps to make the process of hiring a skip as straight forward and hassle free as possible, whilst also ensuring that you get the right skip for you at the time and place that you need it.

It is very quick and easy to hire a skip from LSPS using our online skip booking form which asks for:

· the size of skip you require

· when you need the skip to be delivered

· when you need the skip to be collected

· your preferred delivery time

· the address the skip needs to be delivered to

· your contact telephone number

· the type of waste the skip will be used for (mixed, builders waste, green waste, scrap metal or paper)

· whether the skip is to be positioned on or off road

· whether you will be available to pay the driver on the delivery date

In addition to these fields you also have the opportunity to detail any special requirements that are unique to your skip hire order such as the need for lockable doors that prevent unauthorised access. Once you have submitted the online booking form we will contact you to confirm the order’s details and discuss skip availability.

When ordering a skip your primary concerns should be booking a skip that is an adequate size for your needs, assessing any site access issues and acquiring a skip permit if your skip is to be positioned on a public road or pavement. To avoid additional skip hire costs you should consider hiring a skip that is slightly larger than what you think you might need. LSPS can also acquire your skip permit to give you peace of mind during use. If you are unsure what type of skip would be best for your needs then you can visit our skip hire guide for more details.

More information about LSPS Ltd services can be found on our website, or alternatively you can call LSPS on our free phone number: 0800 083 7807.

Experience is crucial when moving machinery

clip_image002If your business is looking to move items of machinery, we strongly recommend that you consult with a professional team to minimise the risk of causing damage. Attempting to move machinery with inadequate equipment could lead to the loss of production time or create significant bills to repair items damaged in transit. The process of moving machinery requires extensive planning, precision, extreme care and an attentive approach to health and safety. Above all, experience can be the most important asset during the process of relocating a machine. The knowledge required to foresee potential issues or spot developing problems during the moving process can only be gained through on-the-job experience.

For over 35 years, LSPS Ltd have assisted numerous companies with their machine relocation, removal and installation requirements. Our experienced team can move single or multiple machines within your business premises and provide transport for offsite relocation or dismantling. To do this effectively LSPS Ltd uses an extensive range of specialist machine moving equipment:

· fork lift trucks with 1-40 tonne load capacity

· hiabs with a 65 tonne lifting capacity at 1 metre

· stepframes

· curtainsides

· low-loader trailers

· mega lifts

Hiring LSPS Ltd to move your machinery will allow the process to be run smoothly, in a timely manner and will relieve your business of the stress that this delicate procedure can cause. Regardless of the scale of a project, our company can adapt and meet your machinery moving requirements, and with an international service we can relocate machinery to anywhere within Great Britain or Europe.

More information about LSPS Ltd services can be found on our website, or alternatively you can call LSPS on our free phone number: 0800 083 7807.

The benefits of using recycled wood as a heat source

clip_image002It is estimated that around 7.5 million tonnes of waste wood is created in the United Kingdom each year. Currently, only around 16-20% of this waste is being recycled, either through reuse or by being converted into an energy product ready for incineration. Around 6 million tonnes (or 80%) of waste wood finds its way into UK landfill sites every year.

As well as the costs involved for our county councils, landfill sites also contribute a huge amount to land, water and air pollution. Increasing the amount of recycled and reused wood is a big concern of ours as the demand for wood is still on the rise. Recycling or reusing more waste wood would reduce the amount of wood waste left rotting in landfill sites and reduce the number of trees needed to maintain the world’s need for timber.

Using recycled wood to create heat

Recycled waste wood is providing a second use for the material and is reducing the amount being buried in landfill sites. Wood was one of the first materials used as a heat source because when dry the properties of wood allow it to produce a good amount of heat over a long period of time. When burnt in an enclosed stove wood can burn up to five times more efficiently than an open fire. It is important to state that you should never burn wood that is painted, coated in plastic or melamine, chipboard and MDF as these will produce toxic fumes.

Wood burning stoves are engineered to be highly efficient and are a great way to heat your home. Switching from a gas or electric heating system to using a wood burning stove as your main source of heat can dramatically reduce your carbon footprint. This is because you are replacing a fossil fuel with a sustainable fuel source. In addition to the eco-friendly aspect of recycling wood, there are significant benefits to using recycled wood products as a heat source in your home.

At LSPS we use the waste products from environmentally friendly saw mills to create our Wood Briquettes and Wood Pellets. Therefore, our Wood Briquettes are made from 100% recycled material, they burn more efficiently than regular timber and even radiate more heat compared to coal. These products can be used in open fires, stoves and boilers or cookers designed for these materials. They have very low moisture content which allows them to light quickly. They are smoke, spark and spitting free. They produce very low emissions, and leave a far smaller amount of ash residue.

More information can be found on the LSPS website, or alternatively you can call LSPS on our free phone number: 0800 083 7807.

Confidential Waste Disposal

clip_image002[29]Identity fraud continues to be a serious threat to people and businesses. The government estimates that the cost of such crimes is around £2 billion a year. Therefore, it is imperative that businesses dispose of their confidential waste as safely and securely as possible.

The data protection act is in place to ensure that businesses securely destroy old accounts and archived information; failure to do so can lead to prosecution. To avoid the unlawful disclosure or accidental loss of personal data, every business must have a data control policy to effectively manage their disposal process. Every item that contains personal data (names, addresses, financial and legal details) must be completely destroyed using a secure waste disposal method. The legal responsibility for any information that requires disposal falls to the data controller. It is vital that the data controller receives a certificate of destruction from the company disposing of the documentation as proof that the process was completed securely.

Prior to processing confidential information for disposal, there are a number of ways you can limit the risk of identity fraud:

· The most important step is to create an effective data disposal policy and stick to it.

· Ensure that any documents containing sensitive material are locked away and limit access to only the staff that require it. This reduces the chance of information being disclosed to the wrong people.

· Make sure your staff are well informed about the risk of identity fraud and provide them with your data disposal policy.

· Staff should also be aware that there is a risk involved when supplying company information without confirming who they a dealing with in both online and telephone communication.

· Today, internet security is essential and it is important that your company’s firewall and anti-virus software is maintained effectively.

· Where possible, authenticate and verify the identity of both your employees and customers. Doing so will confirm that they are who they say they are.

Useful guidelines to follow when disposing of confidential information:

· Check your department’s retention periods before destroying any confidential information. Destroying information earlier than necessary may be in breach of the law.

· Double check any paper waste you throw away to be sure that it does not contain any sensitive information which must be treated as confidential waste.

· Place any paper waste that includes sensitive information in a confidential waste bag and ensure the confidential waste bag is kept in a secure location.

· When no longer required, confidential information stored on USB drives, DVDs, CDs, external hard drives and internal hard drives must be professionally destroyed.

· When required contact a reputable disposal company to safely and securely dispose of your confidential waste.

Identity theft is a crime that has continually been on the rise, so using a reputable company to dispose of your businesses information is a crucial step you can take to preventing crimes of this nature.

More information can be found on the LSPS website, or alternatively you can call LSPS on our free phone number: 0800 083 7807.

Recycling waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE)

We’re all getting used to recycling waste items such as paper, bottles and tin cans in the correct recycling bins, however there are some items that need special attention, such as the recycling of electrical items such as:

  • Laptops, computers
  • MP3 players, sound equipment
  • Light bulbs, batteries
  • Mobile phones, tablets
  • Wiring
  • TVs, DVD players

Unfortunately you can’t simply stick these items in your standard recycling bins, so here we look at where they should go.

Facts about WEEE?

clip_image002[9]Anything that needs plugs or batteries in order to work is classes as waste electrical and electronic equipment, which is becoming one of the fastest growing waste streams in Europe. Around one million tonnes of WEEE is thrown away every year – over 75% of this ends up in landfill.

But electrical waste can be recycled, so it’s important to play our part and not simply throw old appliances out.

Recycling electrical and electronic waste

Regulations came into effect in 2007 with the intention to boost WEEE recycling rates, now retailers have to provide a way of returning end-of-life electricals and take responsibility for reusing or recycling them.

We also have a responsibility of recycling waste electricals, ways of doing this are:

  • Recycling old electricals: hire a skip, take to the tip or return the items to the retailer.
  • Giving unwanted electricals away – sometimes other people or charities may find a use for your unwanted electricals, this keeps them away from landfill.
  • Investing in electricals with longer warranties, this means that they are less likely to break and the retailer has a responsibility to dispose of them.

Recycling WEEE

If you only have one item that’s not too bulky then you can simply take it to your local household waste recycling centre.

However, if there is a lot of electrical waste then you can hire a skip, with larger quantities this can be by far the easiest option. A good skip hire company will recycle WEEE for you, along with other recyclable waste, and relieve you of the hassle of transporting everything yourself.

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Getting a head start on the summer – garden clearance

imageIt’s that time of the year again when you look out your back window and realise that the garden has seen better days – overgrown shrubs, out of control trees and garden beds in need of some serious attention. If this is sounding familiar it’s time to put some spring in your garden’s steps with some garden clearance!

Firstly, get organised and hire a skip – that way you don’t have to worry about making several trips in the car to the dump. It’s easier to have a skip dropped off, you can fill it and then all your waste will be picked up and removed once you’ve finished. Look at our Guide to hiring a skip.

Trees

Deal with the overgrown branches and long grass surrounding the base of the trees. There may also be significant leaf debris depending on what tree it is, so use a rake. Trim the branches that are looking unhealthy or dead in order to encourage new growth.

Hedges

After being left all winter the hedges will require a healthy trim. Always start at the bottom and work your way up when pruning a hedge, and make sure the top of the hedge is even. Rake up all the trimmings and add to your skip.

Garden beds

Check the soil in your garden beds to make sure it’s still in good condition to grow plants in. If not then look at re-soiling or fertiliser, removing any dead plants or debris beforehand. For plants that are still alive but a little unhealthy then plant them in a smaller pot and nurture them indoors until they come back to life.

Shed

Our trusted garden shed usually becomes the dumping ground for all sorts of items, so it’s best to take everything out and start from scratch, identifying all the broken items such as garden furniture or broken garden utensils, and putting them in the skip.

Once this spring clearing of your garden is done, you can sit back and enjoy the summer!

Get composting!

image Do you know that new research has discovered that almost half of your household waste rubbish and garden waste can be composted? But surely your waste will be broken down in landfill, right? Wrong – when waste goes to landfill it’s piled so high that air cannot reach the organic stuff, so as the waste breaks down it creates a harmful greenhouse gas which damages the Earth’s atmosphere: methane.

However, if this waste is composted above ground, say in a compost bin, then the oxygen can reach the waste to break it down, meaning that hardly any methane is produced. What’s more, in about nine months you get a bin full of free fertiliser for your plants and flowers!

Making your compost

Making the compost is easy, try to aim for a balance of 50% greens and 50% browns to get the right mix:

Greens are quick to rot and provide important moisture and nitrogen; examples of greens are:

Annual weeds, carrot tops, coffee grounds, cut flowers, grass mowings and hedge clippings, old bedding plants, vegetable peelings, tea bags, fruit peelings

Browns, whilst slower to rot, provide carbon and fibre to allow air pockets to develop:

Autumn leaves, Christmas trees, cotton towels, egg shells, straw, used kitchen paper, vacuum cleaner contents, wood ash, thorny prunings

Check out the full list of greens, browns and “don’t includes” click here.

Try keeping the contents of your compost bin regularly aerated by stirring the compost occasionally. Positioning the bin in a sunny position can also help to speed up the composting process.

Using your compost

clip_image001The compost process usually takes between nine and twelve months; once your compose turns into a crumbly, dark material then it should be ready to use.

Simply open the hatch at the bottom of the bin and scoop out the fresh compost using a spade or fork – don’t worry if there are twigs and eggshell still in it, just remove the larger pieces and put them back in your compost bin.

Apply a 5cm layer of compost over existing soil on your borders but leave gaps around any soft stemmed plants. Spread a thin layer of compost around the base of plants and in flower beds, and crumble compost around the vegetable patch.

Happy composting!

If you’re clearing out your garden for the warmer months then you’ll need a skip, read our Tips for garden clearance.

The metals recycling industry

clip_image002One of the areas we cover as waste management specialists is scrap metal recycling. Over 400 million tonnes of scrap metal is recycled worldwide every year in order to process ferrous and non-ferrous metal scrap into secondary raw material, which can then be used to produce new metals.

Virtually all metals can be recycled into high quality new metal. The recycling process is different for each metal, but it’s important as using these secondary raw materials means less use of the natural resources needed to make new metal compounds - metal recycling still produces metals of equivalent quality.

Metal manufacturing continues to be one of the UK’s largest manufacturing sectors, so recycling metal has a significant economic value and therefore rarely discarded or sent to landfill.

The UK is one of the five largest metal scrap exporting countries in the world with around 60% of our metals exported worldwide:

Packaging: approximately two billion aluminium and steel cans are recycled each year in the UK.

Vehicles: over 75% of a car is metal, around half of the material processed in metal recycling shredders comes from vehicles.

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE): European Community directive that recycles most rejected household appliances.

Batteries: metals recycling industry already recycles most lead acid vehicle and industrial batteries.

Scrap metal recycling companies carry out a range of functions in order to recycle metals, including some of the following:

  • Collection, weighing, sorting and distribution
  • Shearing – reducing the size of larger pieces of metal by cutting
  • Bailing/compacting – for ease of transport and handling
  • Shredding – reducing to smaller pieces, separating any other material from the metals using magnets and air classification
  • Media separation – additional separation of any non-ferrous metals using liquid density and hand or mechanical sorting
  • International metals trading – transporting metals around the world

See more about our recycling services for ferrous and non-ferrous scrap metal.

For more information on hiring the right skip for your scrap metal needs, then visit our guide: Hiring a skip, here are the ground rules.

Source: BMRA

Removal of construction waste

clip_image001Construction waste is defined as leftover materials resulting from building, repair or demolition of buildings or other structures, and as the majority of construction waste is a by-product of commercial building jobs the local councils do not class it as domestic waste, and therefore will not accept large quantities at the local recycling facilities.

Whether the construction project is a small domestic job, or a larger scale commercial job, hiring a skip is the only practical solution for the removal of construction waste.

Skip sizes for construction waste

Whilst a range of skip sizes are available, the most popular size is the Builders Skip. This has an 8 cubic yard capacity and will accommodate up to 8 metric tonnes (8,000 kg) of construction waste, including bricks, rubble, mortar, hardcore, paving stones and soil.

Whilst larger skips are available (up to 40 cubic yards), these are generally not so suitable for heavy commercial waste removal because of the maximum weight restrictions applicable to the combined weight of the full skip and the lorry needed to transport it.

Separating waste materials prior to collection

Historically, the majority of construction waste has been taken to landfill sites. However now, as natural resources are becoming increasingly harder to source, regulatory changes have been introduced to encourage recycling and the re-use of building materials. So it is encouraged to collect different types of waste such as brick, wood, metal and soil separately before removal is arranged.

For more information on hiring the right skip for your needs, then visit our guide: Hiring a skip, here are the ground rules.

Recycling facts in the UK

clip_image001We try to do our bit for recycling, and it’s widely accepted in the UK as a good thing, but surveys show that 9 out of 10 people say that they would recycle more if it were made easier. Here are some recycling facts that could help to encourage us to recycle more:

1. A tonne of recycled paper can save 17 trees, 380 gallons of oil, three cubic yards of landfill space, 4,000KW of energy and 7,000 gallons of water.

2. Every person in the UK on average throws away their own body weight in rubbish every seven weeks.

3. On average, 16% of the money we spend on products pays for the packaging – which is ultimately thrown away.

4. The UK produces more than 434 million tonnes of waste each year. This rate of rubbish generation would fill the Albert Hall in London in less than two hours.

5. Glass takes up to 4,000 years to decompose in a landfill, yet can be recycled indefinitely.

6. Incinerating 10,000 tonnes of waste creates one job, 10,000 tonnes of waste that goes in landfill creates six jobs, but recycling the same amount of waste creates 36 jobs.

7. clip_image002As much as 50% of waste in an average dustbin could be composted.

8. £36,000,000 worth of aluminium cans are thrown away each year.

9. Each tonne of paper that’s recycled can power a three bedroom house for a whole year.

10. Gold can always be recycled because of its value; modern jewellery could contain gold that was mined back in prehistoric times.

11. With our wide range of charity shops in towns, Britain only recycled 2-4% of its clothing.

12. We bury 80% of our rubbish in landfill sites, Switzerland buries only 7%.

 

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