Is your house a tip? Hire a skip!

It’s a common headache for households at this time of year. The Christmas tree is coming down, the mince pies are all gone, and the stockings stored away for another year, yet the house is looking more cluttered than ever. The New Year can often bring a fresh perspective and the chance for some positivity and goal setting, but if your home is crowded with too much “stuff” then it can be hard to get started.

In fact, it’s a well-known fact that humans work best in clear and organized settings. A home that is cluttered and messy can make it hard to focus on the task ahead, whether that’s managing the morning school rush or simply just relaxing to read a book. What’s more, an abundance of things in your home can also contribute to negative mental states like stress and anxiety. Not the best footing to start 2018.

So, what can you do? Well if you want to avoid the headache of a long and laborious clean up and several journeys to the local tip then the best place to start is by hiring a skip to the dirty work for you.

How do I order a skip?
With our new online booking system, it’s easier than ever to order your skip. Click here and order your skip with just a few clicks. Or alternatively give us a call on 0800 083 7807 to speak to one of our team.

What am I not allowed to put in a skip?
While skips are the number one most effective tool in clearing the clutter from your home, there are still a few items which don’t belong in there. The following items do not belong in a skip: liquids, oil, petrol, diesel, paint and paint cans, fluorescent tubes, gas bottles, gas canisters, asbestos, batteries, tyres, fridges, freezers, air conditioning units, hazardous or toxic materials and clinical or medical waste. For help disposing of these items please call our team for advice.

Do I need a permit?
If your skip is going on your driveway or your own private land, then you don’t need to worry about a permit or license. However, if you are short on space and wish to put it on a public road or pavement then you will indeed need one. Failing to do so could lead to the skip being removed early, or even monetary fines. Permits are typically issued by councils and can take a bit of time (3-7 days) to be issued, however we know the process well and can apply on your behalf.

Ready to book your skip and reclaim your home? Call us now on 0800 083 7807 or click here to order your skip online.

What impact does fly tipping and litter have on local wildlife?

Did you know that there are as many as 900,000 cases of fly-tipping in the UK each year and that the annual cost for cleaning it up accounts to almost £1billion? These figures from the Department of Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) are quite shocking; however, the negative impact goes beyond just the financial, as the impact on the environment and local wildlife is even more worrying.

As demonstrated in this blog from Countryfile Magazine, some of the nation’s greatest national parks including the Peak District, Dartmoor, Yorkshire Dales and Snowden have all been severely blighted by the dumping of unwanted waste. Incidents of fly-tipping among our national parks, nature parks, woodland areas and waterways is becoming increasingly common and it is having a devastating effect on wildlife.

Animals who use these areas as their homes can suffer direct health problems because of anti-social fly tipping. Take marine litter for example. Marine litter effects as many as 1 million birds and 100,000 marine mammals every year as they become entangled in litter or ingest it.

On land, animals can often become trapped in ropes, nets or plastic containers. They can injure themselves on sharp objects or find their food sources contaminated by hazardous chemicals or liquids. What’s more, money that could have been spent on improving and protecting wildlife reserves is often diverted towards the clean up of waste, or volunteers who donate their time end up collecting litter rather than spending their time on conservation efforts, restoring and improving wildlife habitats.

The legal side of fly-tipping
Fly-tipping is entirely against the law and poses a dangerous threat to both people and wildlife. If you see anyone disposing of waste in an illegal way then you should report their activity to the police and your local authority. Make a note of the amount of waste, the type of waste, how many people were there, and details of any vehicles used to transport it.

Here at LSPS recycling is of great importance to us and we help businesses and individuals across Leicestershire to reduce the amount of their waste that ends up at landfill sites. Our Waste Transfer Station is open to traders and has an extensive range of state of the art equipment.

To find out how about we can help with your waste disposal needs please contact us on 0800 083 7807, or visit our website for further information.

Reducing your food waste at Christmas

Did you know the average household in Britain wastes over £480 worth of food every year? This typically means excess food that you buy, store in your fridge and then never get around to eating before it goes ‘off’.

At Christmas many of us take this to the extreme as our eyes become bigger than our bellies and we stock up on all the party food and trimmings we can get our hands on. Here are a few tips to be more frugal at this time of year, but still have a good time.

1 – Write a list and stick to it!
It’s so easy to get carried away when we go shopping. Supermarkets pull out all the tricks at Christmas time and it’s hard to turn down some of the excellent deals that you run into as you push your trolley around. However, a few days down the line that extra food that you weren’t planning on buying could be scraped or chucked straight in the bin. Instead, you should plan out exactly what you are going to eat over the festive period, including meals, drinks and snacks. Write all down on a list and stick to it as you make your way down the aisles. If you want to take all of the temptation out of the shopping experience, then you could even order online.

2 – Be realistic
It’s easy to get carried away with portion sizes, but how many of us end up over indulging and then bashfully searching Google for the cheapest gym membership you can find come New Years Day? What’s more, according to consumer goods giant Unilever, as many as 4.2 million Christmas dinners are thrown away in the UK every year – food that we thought we wanted but we became too full to eat! The average Brit spends around £112 on food alone at Christmas, but ask yourself, do you really need that much food?

3 – Make the most of your freezer
If you do decide to go for the 2-4-1 bargains and offers and you unsurprisingly end up with more food than you are likely going to eat, then make the most of your freezer. Free up space in the run up to Christmas and leave yourself room to freeze any unwanted food for later on. Leftover deserts, breads, cheeses, vegetables and some meats are all fine to freeze.

4 - Use your leftovers
What would Christmas be without leftovers? Your leftovers can keep you going for ages if you’re creative. Vegetables and meats can be used in sandwiches, soups, omelettes, fajitas, curries and much more.

Here at LSPS we take recycling very seriously. To find out how about we can help with your waste disposal needs please contact us on 0800 083 7807, or visit our website for further information.

What to do with unwanted presents?

We’ve all been there – nervously unwrapping a Christmas gift, knowing that your nan has yet again bought you a garish jumper or a bottle of your least favourite spirit. It’s not too difficult to force a smile and a thank you, but once all the festivities are over what exactly do you do with your unwanted gifts and presents? Here are a few ideas.

1 – Swap your presents
Just because you don’t like a present doesn’t mean that someone else won’t. Maybe your sister-in-law is feeling the same way about her third-successive ‘Selfie-Stick’ as you are about your Michael Buble album. Ask around the table to see if anyone fancies swapping – but try to be sly, you don’t want to upset anyone!

2 – Auction them off
Research from eBay suggests that every year we open around 115 million ‘undesirable’ gifts which equates to around £2.2billion. They also say that they see a huge rise in the number of listings in the days and weeks surrounding Christmas. Some items will of course make more money than others, and some items you won’t be able to get rid of no matter how hard you try. However, for the vast majority of unwanted gifts you should be able to list them easily and get a nice portion of pocket money to buy something else you actually want.

3 – Exchange
If you’re really lucky then you might find the receipt tucked away inside the gift wrapping. This is the perfect scenario really. Let’s say you receive a really tacky piece of jewellery, you can avoid upsetting the gifter by enthusing about the gift when you get it, only to return it to the shops in a few weeks. Just keep your fingers crossed that your relative doesn’t ask why you aren’t wearing it next Christmas!

4 – Pay it forward
One selfless option which will do a great deal of good is to consider gifting your unwanted goods to charity. Christmas is supposed to be the season of good will, and there is always someone in more need than you, and someone who hasn’t had anything to open on Christmas morning. Search online or in the paper for schemes operating in your area and get some karma points in return.

5 – Recycle, recycle, recycle!
Some presents you just can’t give away – and not for positive reasons. If you’re left with a particularly horrible bottle of whiskey, then you shouldn’t drink it just for the sake of it. If despite all your best efforts you can’t find a new home for it then pour it down the drain and recycle the bottle. Always be careful to open the item and filter out any recyclable packaging that could be used again and will avoid adding more waste to landfill sites.

Here at LSPS we take recycling very seriously. To find out how about we can help with your waste disposal needs please contact us on 0800 083 7807, or visit our website for further information.

How to declare WAR on junk: a room by room guide

As discussed in our recent blog there are plenty of reasons for clearing the clutter from your home. From making money on old video games and electrical items to providing a warm coat for someone without a home, there are plenty of reasons to have a good clear out.

However, it can be difficult to know where to start. Here we will provide a few key tips for tidying each room of the home.

Sheds and garages
‘Out of sight, out of mind’. We often have grand ambitions for our sheds and garages, perhaps hoping to turn them into home-cinemas, gyms, offices or workshops. However, more often than not, these rooms end up as abandoned outposts where step ladders, plant pots and long forgotten toys go to die. The best way to tackle your shed and garage is to do it in the summer when the weather is good. This way you can make the most of your garden or driveway and begin sorting through all your discarded objects. Remember, it’s okay to use sheds and garages as storage space but only keep what you think you’ll use in the future.

Living room
After the kitchen, the living room is the second most important room in most people’s homes. This is where we relax, where we read and where we do our homework. As these are quite social rooms, our living rooms don’t always tend to be the worst offender for junk, but that isn’t always so. Electrical items are usually the biggest offenders here so have a root through your cupboards and chuck out any long unused VHS tapes, DVD’s and that coffee table that’s seen better days.

Kitchen
The kitchen is the beating heart of the home and where we spend much of our time. A good restaurant chef knows that to create a good meal everything must be in its rightful place and your kitchen should be no different. Often the best way to keep your kitchen clutter-free is to organise it well. This means taking a minimal approach with just the basic amount of furniture and appliances that you need, allowing you space to do your thing.

Bedroom
It’s proven that clutter inhibits a good night’s sleep, so the bedroom is certainly one room which needs to be tackled in your war on junk. To improve your sleep, you need to have a real dedicated sort out. Begin by sorting your clothes into piles, take a view of clothes that you regularly wear, never wear or are broken and get rid!

Bathroom
No-one wants a dirty bathroom, but they can be hard to keep clean. To keep things in order you should try and get in the habit of picking up after you and throwing away any empty products such as toothpaste and shampoo. Easier said then done, so it might be worth doing it in one great swoop once a month.

Final thoughts
Doing a full audit of all our belongings can be a difficult thing to do. It’s not unusual to form emotional bonds with the things that you own, however you shouldn’t be afraid to chuck them away. After all, the benefits of having a clean and tidy household with space to breathe cannot be overestimated!

If you’re planning your own mass clear-out then we can help. To book a skip, please contact us on 0800 083 7807, or visit our website for further information.

3 reasons you should clear the clutter from your home

Is your home beginning to resemble a landfill site? Whether it’s shoes and clothes, kids’ toys, ornaments, furniture or other odds and ends, it’s easy for the clutter to build up and get out of hand. However, while spending our weekends and evenings cleaning up might be the last thing on our to-do-list, it can have some hidden benefits.

1 – Turn a profit
They say one man’s trash is another man’s treasure and there’s only one way to find out of it’s true. Root through your belongings and you might be surprised at the value of what you find. Write down a list of all the items that you are considering throwing away and then get to work. Long gone are the days when you had to suffer the cold, early morning starts of car boot sales; now you can now easily sell all your unwanted goods on the internet. Thanks to websites like eBay and Pre-Loved, as well as so-called ‘selling groups’ on Facebook, it’s quite easy to offload your wares to the people in your neighbourhood.

2 – Finding forgotten treasures
The second reason that you should be pulling on the marigolds is that you never know what you might find. It’s easy to lose track of what we purchase over the years and behind sofas and underneath beds there is a whole world of phone chargers, cables, clothes, toys and other forgotten objects. Who knows what you might find, and it may even save you some money down the line.

3 – Helping others
Another good reason to clear the clutter is to help others. Whether it’s people in your local community or friends and family in need of some help, there is always someone that could benefit from your unwanted belongings. Some of your items can easily be gifted off through recycling bins, taken to charity shops or given away on ‘Freecycle’ groups on Facebook.

Final thoughts
While the internet and charity shops can provide a good outlet for some of your unwanted items, there are plenty of items which we just can’t seem to give away. Electrical goods, missing cables, clothes and toys beyond repair or awkwardly shaped pieces of furniture. If that’s the case, then the best option for you is to consider a skip.

Here at LSPS, all the waste that we collect is taken to our own waste transfer station so that it can be processed ready for recycling or energy generation. To find out more or to book your skip, please contact us on 0800 083 7807, or visit our website for further information.

UK reaches milestone of half a million tonnes of plastic recycling

A recently published ‘Household Plastics Collection Survey’ by Recoup of local authorities across the UK has revealed a 2.7% increase in plastics recycling across the nation which has brought the total amount of recycling to over half a million tonnes.

The latest figures from the charity show that 512,475 tonnes of plastic were collected for recycling in 2016. Upon analysis the figures show that 340,000 tonnes of recycling accounted for was categorised as plastic bottles and a further 170,000 tonnes consisted of other plastics like pots, tubs and trays.

While these figures seem impressive, Recoup has been quick to add that the figures show an increase of less than 1% in collection of plastic bottles from households. There have also been just seven new kerbside collection schemes launched in the past year by local authorities. When looking at some of the reasons behind this, Recoup reported that 51% of Local Authorities in the UK received budget cuts for waste and recycling collections or to their communications departments who seek to get the word out about good waste recycling habits.

The report goes on to stress the importance of consistency in recycling standards among Local Authorities so that a consistent message can be given out to households over what they can and cannot recycle – helping to increase the number of people recycling and reduce the amount of contaminated waste. Click here to read the survey: http://www.recoup.org/p/229/uk-household-plastics-collection-survey-2017.

Do you think recycling rules are clear enough? Tweet us at @LSPSltd and let us know.

Here at LSPS, recycling is of great importance to us and we help businesses and individuals all across Leicestershire to reduce the amount of their waste that ends up at landfill sites. Our Waste Transfer Station is open to traders and has an extensive range of state of the art equipment.

To find out how about we can help with your waste disposal needs please contact us on 0800 083 7807, or visit our website for further information.

What can we do to make the UK’s water sources cleaner?

In the UK it’s estimated that over 8 million tonnes of plastic finds its way into our rivers, seas, oceans and other waterways every year. At the current rate this means that by the year 2050 there would be more plastic in our waters than there would be living fish. The impact of plastic pollution is felt not only by animals but also humans with micro-plastic fibres found in tap water samples worldwide and the average seafood eater expected to consume 11,000 pieces of micro plastic year on year.

With this in mind, many environmental charities such as Recycle Now, Greenpeace and Surfers Against Sewage are leading the way in encouraging both businesses and individuals to take steps to reduce their plastics consumption. Here are a few ways that you can reduce your impact on the oceans with small and simple steps.

1 – Phase out your plastic bag usage and bring your own material bag with you next time you go shopping.

2 – Avoid shower gels, toothpaste and scrubs which contain microbeads – look for alternatives that are more friendly to our oceans.

3 – Avoid ‘single use’ plastics. Plastic products like straws, bags, cutlery, cup lids and water bottles are often only used once before they are thrown away. Opt for items that will get much more use out of them instead.

4 – Carry your own cutlery and non-plastic water bottle with you to avoid the need to use disposable ones which are also single-use items.

5 – Find new uses for plastics. Packaging can’t be avoided completely but that doesn’t mean you have to throw it out. Try and find new and unique ways to reuse any materials that you do end up with to stop them ending up in landfill.

6 – Support companies which package their products in environmentally friendly materials. Let them know through social media or through letters and phone calls if you think they are doing a good job. Equally make sure you voice your concerns if they are excessive with their packaging.

7 – Cook your own food instead of ordering takeaways, or at the very least try and reuse as much of the packaging as possible.

8 – Pick up litter next time you go to the beach or to the park – even one coffee cup or cigarette butt can cause damage to the nearby environment.

9 – Buying products that you get through regularly in bulk can help to cut down wastage and can also save you money in the long run.

Do you have any of your own tips for cutting your plastic usage? Tweet us at @LSPSltd and let us know.

Here at LSPS recycling is of great importance to us and we help businesses and individuals all across Leicestershire to reduce the amount of their waste that ends up at landfill sites. Our Waste Transfer Station is open to traders and has an extensive range of state of the art equipment.

To find out how about we can help with your waste disposal needs please contact us on 0800 083 7807, or visit our website for further information.

What does it mean to be a ‘Zero Waste to Landfill’ company?

More and more businesses every day are recognising the need for environmental sustainability. By analysing their operations and taking steps to reduce their wastage they can not only make a positive contribution to the environment but also save money and improve their corporate image.

‘Zero Waste to Landfill’ is a certification which means that a company aims to ensure that all of their waste, whether manufacturing or non manufacturing, avoids landfill. To do this it is composted, recycled or reused. However, the term does not have a universal standard which means that some businesses take a more relaxed approach to ZWTFL and view the idea as more of a guideline than an a stringent set of rules to stick to.

Typically a business will analyse themselves and look at their various ‘waste streams’ – usually things like cardboard, glass, food waste and plastics. They would then undergo steps to ensure that these materials avoid landfill. For example food waste might be used as compost, glass melted into new products or plastic and cardboard used for new packaging materials. Following this they would be audited by a certification provider who if satisfied with their efforts and will award them certification.

With advocates of ZWTL including companies like Ford and Proctor and Gamble it’s obvious that there are many benefits to the certification. Not only can it help businesses to make significant savings and create revenue, but it also provides a good PR opportunity as the businesses can talk to local press about their transition, generating news coverage.

Many businesses also view becoming a ‘Zero Waste’ company as a good opportunity to attract new customers - typically environmentally conscious buyers who want to spend their money with businesses that take a pro-active approach towards environmentalism.

Here at LSPS recycling is of great importance to us and we help businesses and individuals all across Leicestershire to reduce the amount of their waste that ends up at landfill sites. Our Waste Transfer Station is open to traders and has an extensive range of state of the art equipment.

To find out how about we can help with your waste disposal needs please contact us on 0800 083 7807, or visit our website for further information.

Meet the bin that does your recycling for you!

Do you like to ‘do your bit’ when it comes to recycling but simply don’t have the time? An invention by a Polish technology company could save precious time for would-be recyclers who don’t have enough hours in the day.

The Smart Bin designed by start-up company Bin.E automatically recognises different types of waste and sorts it for you. Using sensors and cameras it senses the type of waste that has been entered and automatically partitions it into one of several smaller internal bins.

According to CTO Marcin Lotysz, the Smart Bin not only saves time but also helps to cut down on unintentional waste contamination. “People often unintentionally dispose of items in the wrong way. In most cases this is not down to laziness or carelessness, but confusion because it can be difficult to know what the things we dispose are actually made of. This means objects and packaging is repeatedly placed into the wrong types of bin. This can result in contamination, and lead to the entire contents of the recycle waste bin ending up in landfill,” he explained.

Currently in the UK homeowners are often given several different bins to cover non-recyclables, metals, plastics, paper, cardboard and garden waste. However, without a proper understanding of what is supposed to go in each bin and how to prepare items for recycling it can be easy to fall foul of the guidelines. For instance, while you might think that a pizza box can be recycled – if the box is heavily soiled from oils and other residue then it is normally classed as contaminated and unable to be recycled. So, without proper diligence recycling efforts can sometimes be wasted.

Bin E’s smart bin is set to launch in 2018 and as well as a home edition there are also plans afoot for voice activation, a smart phone app and an office bin to help businesses recycle waste in their working environments.

Here at LSPS recycling is of great importance to us and we help businesses and individuals all across Leicestershire to reduce the amount of their waste that ends up at landfill sites. Our Waste Transfer Station is open to traders and has an extensive range of state of the art equipment.

To find out how about we can help with your waste disposal needs please contact us on 0800 083 7807, or visit our website for further information.

Recycling rate of aluminium cans reaches 70%

According to figures released by the Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation (Alupro) as many as seven out of every 10 aluminium drinks cans sold in the UK last year were eventually recycled.

The European metal packaging sector is collectively working towards a goal of having 80% of metal packaging recycled by the year 2025, so these latest reports show positive signs that the target will be reached, perhaps even sooner than the target year.

Aluminium is one of the best examples of recyclable materials on the market. It can be reused time and time again without degrading and its production uses just 5% of the energy needed to create metal out of raw materials. In terms of C02 emissions, recycling aluminium again creates just 5% of the C02 produced by making metal from scratch.

While the latest figures are focused on drinks cans, aluminium is used in a variety of other products which can also be recycled at home after being properly prepared for recycling. Foil trays, for instance, are regularly used in ready meals and can be recycled after being given a quick rinse under a tap. Aerosols such as deodorant and hair sprays can also be recycled provided they are not squashed or pierced – just be careful to remove the plastic cap if it is safe and easy to do so. Other examples of commonly used household aluminium products include bottle tops found on wines, alcohol and cooking ingredients like olive oil as well as wrapping used for cakes, sandwiches and other cooking products. While these rules are best practice for most councils, your council may have different guidelines under which they operate, so it is best to seek advice from your local council website.

We take recycling seriously at LSPS. For more information or to find out how we can help with your waste disposal efforts, please visit our website or call us on freephone 0800 083 7807.

UK on track to meet annual recycling targets

Figures just released by the National Packaging Waste Database have shown signs that the UK is closing in on targets for the recycling of packaging and will likely meet its quota by the end of 2017.

The latest figures published by the National Packaging Waste Database on behalf of the Environment Agency show that the amount of recycling in the UK has already achieved at least two-thirds of required targets with paper achieving 73% of its quota and wood already reaching 94%. However, the picture looks less promising for Glass and Plastics recycling which lag behind at around 52-54% respectively. The report can be viewed in full here: https://npwd.environment-agency.gov.uk/Public/PublicDEFRAReport.aspx.

Despite the positive indications from wood and paper, some industry figures such as Ecosurety have raised concerns about the levels of plastic recycling, noting that the price of plastic continues to rise, spurred on by the Chinese Government’s plans to ban imports of scrap plastics and unsorted paper waste. As of last year china imported 7.3 million tonnes of waste plastics per annum accounting for over half of the world’s imports and valued at around £2.8billion. Early indications show that China’s clampdown on waste plastics may push the flow of materials into other markets such as India, or may even begin to open up wider trading throughout the UK and Europe rather than relying to heavily on China.

We take recycling seriously at LSPS. For more information or to find out how we can help with your waste disposal efforts, please visit our website or call us on freephone 0800 083 7807.

Interesting tips for reducing household waste

In a recent article by The Guardian readers sent in some of their best tips for reducing their household waste, inspired by the Australian TV programme War on Waste. Here are a few of our favourites.

One reader uses garden waste instead of bin liners. Instead of using a bin liner to catch liquids and nasty smells from their rubbish they use a layer of garden soil. They simply empty the soil back out into the garden and replace with fresh soil after emptying and sorting their general waste.

Another reader recommended home brewing their own beer. While you may have to wait a little longer than normal to have a drink you can save money and cut down on bottle waste by reusing old bottles for your homebrew.

Rather than using freezer bags one user decided to wrap unwanted food portions in baking paper. This meant less food waste as they could simply store them away in their freezer unit until they needed thawing out for a later meal. Alternatively one couple claimed that they simply gave the large majority of their food waste to their chickens who returned the favour by providing them with the occasional free range egg for breakfast.

One interesting tip recommended was to group certain materials together if you fear they may be too small to recycle. For example, plastic cutlery is often too small to be effectively recycled and may be rejected but if you group it together by placing inside a container or a bottle then it can be processed.

Another genius repurposing of household waste that we discovered was to use jam jars or coffee jars as cups for hot drinks. The glass jars and lids are perfect for storing your drink and a closable lid means no spillage. Click here to read the full article for more tips. Don’t forget to tweet us at @lspsltd and share your own tips for repurposing waste.

Here at LSPS we take recycling very seriously. To find out how about we can help with your waste disposal needs please contact us on 0800 083 7807, or visit our website for further information.

Coca-Cola to increase levels of recycled plastic in bottles

Coca-Cola has announced plans to greatly increase the amount of recycled plastic that they use in their bottles after pressure from environmental groups such as Greenpeace.

The company, which sells an estimated 1 million plastic bottles every minute across the world, has pledged to increase the amount of recycled plastic in their bottles to 40% by the year 2020.

The environmental charity Greenpeace had previously accused the world’s biggest drinks company of “refusing to take responsibility” for the environmental impact of creating and selling so many plastic bottles which were unable to be recycled. After studying Coca-Cola’s output of single-use plastic bottles their senior campaigner Louise Edge went on to say that “Our oceans simply can’t stomach any more of Coca-Cola’s plastic”.

According to the charity, in the UK alone 16 million plastic bottles end up in our environment every single day and Coca-Cola should be taking steps to reduce single-use plastic usage which at present account for almost 60% of its packaging globally.

Environmental campaigners are also encouraging drinks manufacturers to consider a deposit return scheme. This would involve a drink purchaser paying a small additional fee for their bottle, once the container is returned they will be refunded their deposit and the bottle will go on to be reused or recycled. Until recently Coca-Cola had resisted any notion of a deposit scheme claiming to be sceptical about its effectiveness, however it has now pledged support for testing a scheme in Scotland.

Here at LSPS we take recycling very seriously. To find out how about we can help with your waste disposal needs please contact us on 0800 083 7807, or visit our website for further information.

How to cut down on junk mail

Are you slipping over takeaway menus and flyers every time you open the door? Junk mail is a nuisance for many homeowners and it’s also a big contributor towards waste with many flyers, leaflets and magazines going straight in the bin. So what’s the best way to deal with junk mail and put a stop to it?

Step 1
Be careful what you sign up for. One of the biggest contributors to junk mail is online sign-ups. This is when you are filling out an online form and you tick a box to say that you are happy to receive communications from the company in question. They then use your address to send you marketing material that in all honesty you probably never wanted. The best way to deal with this is to be very careful when you fill out online forms, purchase items online or enter competitions. The forms can often be misleading, or you might fill out a form in a hurry but try to be vigilant if you want to cut down on your mail.

Step 2
One physical tactic that you can use to cut down on junk mail is to display a sticker in your window which specifically prohibits junk mail. However, while this might cut down on unsolicited mail you will still receive letters that are specifically addressed to you.  So, car washing flyers and kebab menus are less likely to be delivered but you may still have some letters to open.

Step 3
The Mailing Preference Service (MPS) is a free service set up 20 years ago by the direct mail industry to have their names removed from industry lists. Backed by the Royal Mail, signing up can have your name removed from 95% of direct mail marketing lists.

Step 4
Finally you can also inform the Royal Mail of your anti-junk mail stance. By calling them on 0345 266 0858 or emailing your name and address to optout@royalmail.com they will note down your preference.

Here at LSPS recycling is of great importance to us and we help businesses and individuals all across Leicestershire to reduce the amount of their waste that ends up at landfill sites. Our Waste Transfer Station is open to traders and has an extensive range of state of the art equipment. To find out how about we can help with your waste disposal needs please contact us on 0800 083 7807, or visit our website for further information.

How to encourage your children to recycle

According to recent statistics from the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, levels of household recycling in the UK are sadly on the decline.  As we discussed in some of our recent blogs, many recycling charities are laying the blame at the feet of councils who often have confusing rules regarding what can and can’t be thrown away and how to do it.  The solution to this is for councils to clear up confusion over what exactly can and cannot be recycled from household waste. However, beyond that, the key to improving household recycling is to find ways to encourage the whole family to get involved.

Educate
The first step to encouraging your children to get involved with recycling is to educate them on why it’s so important, otherwise they might find it difficult to get on board. Find creative ways to show them the direct effects, for example pointing out litter on a beach or in a local park. By showing them the litter in a place where they can see wildlife around them they can draw a direct link between their actions and the potential harm of littering.

Be colourful
Activities which are a painful chore for adults can often be surprisingly enjoyable for our children. Tasks like sorting your recycling bin can become a game.  For example you could offer a small, token prize to whoever can sort their bag of rubbish into recyclables and non-recyclables the quickest.  Choose brightly coloured recycling boxes and containers and allow your kids to decorate them with stickers or drawings of their favourite animals.

Repurpose
Another fun activity related to recycling is that of repurposing.  This is taking something that has a specific use and giving it an entirely new one. For example, using glass jars to store small items like coins or buttons, or using toilet roll tubes to create arts and crafts like this cardboard castle.

Learn all the facts
In order to make your recycling efforts a success you need to make sure you know all the facts. This means getting clued up on exactly what your local authority does and doesn’t collect.  Search for your local council’s website on Google and bookmark it in your favourites so that you can access it quickly whenever you are unsure about a particular item. It’s also worth having your recycling dates pinned on your fridge so that you can plan in advance.

Getting your family to participate in recycling can be difficult, but if you can educate them on its importance as well as making it easy and fun then you should be onto a winner.

Here at LSPS recycling is of great importance to us and we help businesses and individuals all across Leicestershire to reduce the amount of their waste that ends up at landfill sites. Our Waste Transfer Station is open to traders and has an extensive range of state of the art equipment.

To find out how about we can help with your waste disposal needs please contact us on 0800 083 7807, or visit our website for further information.

Medicine Wastage: The Facts

Have you ever ordered too much medicine? In the UK there is a growing problem with wastage of medical products. In fact, estimates report that as much as £300million worth of unused medicine is wasted every year, money which could have been used elsewhere in the NHS on valuable services such as cancer treatment.

Why is medicine wasted?
The reasons for not using medicine and returning it to the pharmacy or GP can vary. It could be that a patient has recovered and no longer needs the medicine, their condition might have progressed and they now need a different treatment, a patient might over order medicine “just in case” they need it, or a patient might sadly pass away and then the medicine is returned by relatives or carers.

What happens to wasted medicine?
Sadly, more often than not the unwanted medicine cannot be reused or given to another patient for safety reasons.  So if wasted medicine actually makes it back to the pharmacy or doctors, rather than sitting in a cupboard, then it tends to just be destroyed by means of an incinerator.

How can we reduce medicine wastage?
Stockpiling medicine is one of the biggest contributors to the £300million loss as people will sometimes order more of a product than they actually need because they fear running out. This is why the NHS launched the ‘Only Order What You Need’ campaign to combat waste.  You can read more about it here: http://www.medicinewaste.com/campaign.

Another reason for wastage is caused when a patient fails to stick to their course of prescription. Often, medication works the quickest and most effectively when it is used for a consistent period of time. If a patient forgets to take their prescription and stops and starts their course, they are more likely to have to begin a course again or for the course to take longer to work – thus driving up the cost.

Here at LSPS recycling is of great importance to us and we help businesses and individuals all across Leicestershire to reduce the amount of their waste that ends up at landfill sites. Our Waste Transfer Station is open to traders and has an extensive range of state of the art equipment.

To find out how about we can help with your waste disposal needs please contact us on 0800 083 7807, or visit our website for further information.

Coffee pods – a headache for sustainability?

Coffee is the most popular drink in the world with around two billion cups consumed every day. Despite our international reputation for favouring tea, in the UK we manage to drink 55 million cups of coffee every-single-day.  In recent years there has been a boom in the number of UK households and workplaces switching from drinking instant coffee to ground coffee and single-serve coffee pods. These single serving coffee pods are favoured for their higher strength and stronger taste, but there are problems when it comes to disposal.

Take the German port city of Hamburg, where the problem with coffee pods became so great that they have put a ban in place specifically targeting coffee capsules and pods.  A report from the department of Environment & Energy determined that the pods can cause “unnecessary resource consumption and waste generation”.

Why are coffee pods such a nuisance?
The problem lies in the complexity of their packaging. Coffee pods tend to be made up of a combination of various different materials, mainly plastics and aluminium, which can take between 150-500 years to naturally degrade in the environment and are hard to process at a recycling plant.

If they are so difficult to recycle why are they used?
The reason for the use of these materials rather than something which is more biodegradable is that coffee pods need to be able to withstand immense pressure and heat when brewing.  Coffee pods hold a large amount of coffee in a small amount of packaging which allows for a powerful and consistent brew for consumers.

Is there a solution out there?
Some leading coffee pod producers like Nespresso have begun to take responsibility for recycling their own capsules, placing collection points in convenient areas such as supermarkets, while other companies like Phillips have begun producing machines which use recyclable coffee bags rather than pods.

What should I do with my coffee pods?
In general, most recycling companies advise that you avoid using coffee pods all together and instead choose another method of brewing your coffee. However, if you do decide to use them then you are unable to place them in your recycling collections at home.

Here at LSPS we take recycling very seriously. To find out how about we can help with your waste disposal needs please contact us on 0800 083 7807, or visit our website for further information.

Does your business correctly dispose of confidential waste?

Running your own business can be difficult enough at times without being hit with a fine for breaching the Data Protection Act.

In the UK businesses are liable for fines of up to £500,000 for failing to effectively dispose of confidential information, but many business owners and employees are unaware of exactly what their obligations are and exactly how devastating a breach can be.

Every day businesses take down sensitive information from customers, clients and other providers which need to be handled with care. This could range from simple addresses and phone numbers to bank details, passwords or other private and personal information. While businesses tend to spend lots of money on physical security such as gates, fences and CCTV cameras, in many cases they fail to give the same adequate protection to confidential data.

However, the risk of failing to protect confidential data is extremely significant. The government estimates that the cost of identity fraud on businesses in the UK to be at least £2billion – not a small amount of money by anyone’s standards and the damage comes in many guises.

First of all there is the risk of fraud or blackmail by whoever manages to obtain the data which could lead to financial losses for your business or your customers. Next, there is the risk of information being stolen by competitors who could hijack projects, copy ideas and steal business leads. There is the risk of massive fines as demonstrated in the Sony customer data leak in which they were fined £250,000 after customer credit card details were leaked. And finally there is the damage to your business’s reputation to consider, something which shouldn’t be taken lightly. Would your business be able to survive such an ordeal?

What can be done?
Securing physical documents in your property by limiting access to the key people that need to access them is one thing, but you also need to process them in a timely manner and only hold them on site for as long as is absolutely necessary. Once information is processed it should be shredded. However, shredding your materials on site and leaving them by your bins is far from foolproof and there have been many instances of documents being pieced back together and stolen by criminals, journalists or a business competitor – which is why it is important to use a secure and trusted service to carry out your shredding for you.

Here at LSPS we offer a complete waste disposal management package to business and offices in Leicester and Leicestershire to help them comply with the latest recycling legislation.

We offer a no obligation meeting at your business or office premises in Leicester and Leicestershire to discuss the most cost effective and practical recycling & waste disposal options available to you.

To find out more please call us on our free phone number: 0800 083 7807 or alternatively click here to contact us via email or to request a call back. 

Calls for greater collaboration to boost recycling consistency

Specialist recycling charity WRAP has called for greater collaboration efforts between UK councils, packagers and retailers in order to effectively create consistent recycling standards.

Speaking at the Collections Conference in London, WRAP special advisor Chris Mills claimed that councils in the UK currently have too many variations in the ways that they collect their recycling which make it difficult for householders to understand and put into practice.

As we discussed in our recent blog ‘Is the UK confused by recycling rules’ as much as 338,00 tonnes of household waste is rejected from recycling facilities annually across the UK. WRAP claims that this stems from householders being unsure as to what can go into their recycling bins and how best to prepare those items for recycling.

WRAP aims to bring together representatives from councils, waste management companies, packaging companies and retailers to advise on a more consistent approach to recycling rules. WRAP has estimated that the benefits of an aligned approach could lead to around £33m in savings as well as significant reductions in energy wastage and C02 emissions. 

Here at LSPS recycling is of great importance to us and we help businesses and individuals all across Leicestershire to reduce the amount of their waste that ends up at landfill sites. Our Waste Transfer Station is open to traders and has an extensive range of state of the art equipment.

To find out how about we can help with your waste disposal needs please contact us on 0800 083 7807, or visit our website for further information.

Is artificial intelligence the future of waste disposal?

A pioneering programme in the United States is showing that AI and robotics could play an important role in the future of waste disposal and recycling.

Alpine Waste & Recycling, a facility in Denver, USA has pioneered a project in which a robotic device has been proven to work more efficiently than its human colleagues. The project, which partnered with AMP robotics and the Carton Council of North America, has announced that their robotic machine was able to pick cartons at a rate of 60 per minute - 20 more than human workers found possible.

The robot, named Clarke, after sci-fi author Sir Arthur Charles Clarke, is equipped with spider-like arms and custom grippers which allows it to separate cartons fast and effectively. Designed by AMP robotics founder Matanya Horowitz the robot is able to quickly identify and pick contaminated objects out of the assembly line that are classed as unsuitable and could contaminate a batch of recycling.

This latest robotic trial follows on from Apple’s success with recycling robot ‘Liam’ who currently dissembles 1.2 million phones every year for the tech giant. Apple’s pioneering robotic worker helps to disassemble a variety of apple products extracting valuable aluminium, copper, platinum, silver, tin and gold reducing the need for mining of precious materials.

Where traditional types of sorting technology would rely on coding for it to differentiate between contaminated and uncontaminated materials, robotic systems are able to learn from example and can begin to understand what to look out for by learning from sample materials.

While in theory robotics could be an enormous help in the UK too, where recycling rates have been getting worse, critics are quick to insist that robotic aids remain expensive and cannot yet handle the complexities of waste management.

Here at LSPS recycling is of great importance to us and we help businesses and individuals all across Leicestershire to reduce the amount of their waste that ends up at landfill sites. Our Waste Transfer Station is open to traders and has an extensive range of state of the art equipment.

To find out how about we can help with your waste disposal needs please contact us on 0800 083 7807, or visit our website for further information.

How to profit from your spring cleaning efforts

Spring cleaning is often traced back to the Iranian Norouz, which is the Persian New Year. On this day Iranians would take part in ‘khooneh tekouni’ which roughly translated means “shaking the house”. Today, spring cleaning is a proud tradition in the UK too and a fantastic way to make your home more peaceful and calm. However, the benefits don’t end at making space. With the rise of online selling sites, more and more people are earning cold, hard cash from the clutter found around their homes.

Cashing in on spring cleaning
In the past car boot sales and garage sales were one of the only ways to get rid of your unwanted belongings locally. While both methods of selling your junk still remain popular, nothing has quite caught on so much in the past few years as the idea of online selling.

Online classifieds
There are numerous websites online where you can sell items from your home. Websites like Gumtree.com allow you to post classified ads with photographs and detailed descriptions to entice buyers. Once you’ve sold an item it is then up to you to arrange a pick up or post your item to the person who has purchased it. Alternatives to Gumtree include PreLoved and Craigslist which are both popular and largely free to use.

Online auction sites
An alternative model to classified ad websites is to use an auction website like eBay known as the ‘World’s Online Marketplace’. Founded in 1995 by French-born Iranian-American computer programmer Pierre Omidyar, eBay today has 167 million users and over 1 billion live listings at any one time. It’s an easy to use website, with minimal fees and an easy to understand model and you may be surprised at what you can actually sell on there.

Specialist sites
Whether its artwork and paintings, gym equipment or musical instruments there is a whole network of websites online where you can sell to specific audiences. If you have an item which you’ve been struggling to sell on a site like eBay which has a massive audience, you may find that you can gather more interest from hunting down a forum or specialist seller website which caters for your specific niche. An example of this is the website Etsy which deals specifically with handmade items. 

Social media
A newcomer to the world of second hand sales is Facebook. Facebook recently launched Facebook Marketplace as an attempt to take on popular companies like eBay & Gumtree. Facebook users have been creating local ‘groups’ and selling items to people nearby for a long time now but their new mobile App makes the process even easier. It allows users to easily buy, sell, trade and barter for items with fellow users.

What to do with everything else?
While it would be nice to think that there is a buyer out there for every piece of junk you find in your home the sad truth is that it can often be harder than you might think. In particular items which are easily available, low cost or broken are not always a straight forward sale and rather than cluttering up your home, or ending up in landfill, should be disposed of in a skip and sorted by a qualified waste management service.

Here at LSPS we have a range of different sized skips to help you with your spring cleaning. Click here to book a skip online or call us on freephone 0800 083 7807 to find out more.

New app helps food suppliers to make use of their food waste

In a week that 40 environmental organisations called for food waste across Europe to be halved within the next 15 years, it seems some progress is already being made.

Supermarket giant ASDA, has launched a new mobile app which provides a platform for suppliers to market their food waste to other people who may find a use for it. The app, which works as an online marketplace, allows for suppliers such as restaurants to pass on leftover ingredients, uneaten waste or vegetable trimmings to others who will be able to find a use for it, rather than it ending up in landfill.

The app, which was launched yesterday at ASDA’s yearly Sustain and Save Exchange conference, aims to battle food wastage in the UK and highlighted the supply chain as one of the biggest offenders, with as much as 45% of food waste coming from it. ASDA hopes that the app will encourage industry leaders to find new uses for their surplus waste by providing a central platform for them to share and trade their waste.

We take recycling seriously at LSPS. For more information or to find out how we can help with your waste disposal efforts, please visit our website or call us on freephone 0800 083 7807.

UK economy could gain billions from resource efficiency

New research has suggested that the UK economy could add as much as £76.9billion in value by 2030 if it chose to be more efficient with its resources.

A report by the Aldersgate Group titled ‘Amplifying action on resource efficiency’ has suggested that if the UK was to become more efficient with its materials then it could reduce its carbon and environmental impact while simultaneously boosting productivity and competitiveness.

Drawing its findings from 26 pilot projects in the UK and the Netherlands, the report claims that these projects were able to deliver close to £5m in financial savings through reduced materials consumption and also able to significantly cut their greenhouse gas emissions.

Resource efficiency involves the sustainable management and usage of raw materials and resources throughout their entire life cycle and adopting production and consuming habits that are in line with the physical limits of the planet. Studying these findings, the Aldersgate Group, which includes companies like Sky, Marks & Spencer’s and IKEA, has suggested that adopting resource efficiency models could boost the GVA of the UK by £76.9 billion.

Do you think these new findings will encourage businesses in the UK to adopt a less wasteful approach to their use of materials and resources? Tweet us at @LSPSltd to let us know your thoughts.