How can the UK’s high streets recycle most effectively?

If you have read our recent articles you will have noted how we often comment on the amount of space bins can take up. It is often our high streets and busy town centres which suffer the most from space. Rows of shops, restaurants, bars and cafes leave very little room for waste containers. Some even have to leave their bins out in public areas such as the pavement or back alleyways where they are liable to damage, theft, poor public perception or just a health and safety problem.

Thankfully a baler or other type of waste reducing equipment like a glass crusher can solve the space problem. Bins can be removed or the quantity greatly reduced by compacting or crushing waste.

Case study

Problem - We have supplied balers to a chain of Polish delicatessens in London suburbs for the last four years. All of these sites have one thing in common – very little space for cardboard bins because they are based along busy high streets. Their old bins would not only take up loads of space but they would overflow, cost a lot to have emptied and just be a general nuisance.

Solution – QCR 350 balers are now in place at all stores that previously had bin issues. Bin quantities have been heavily reduced, space has returned and costs have been lowered. The stores are ensuring all cardboard is fully recycled with regular collections from a local recycler – this has increased the company’s green credentials.

This company are doing recycling the right way. They have no cause for worry with price increases as they are in a fixed price contract. If, four years ago they had decided to continue using bins, the price increase would now be huge. Landfill tax increases combined with inflation and waste management labour costs mean bin prices are rising every year.

They also don’t have regular visits from heavy C02 polluting bin lorries, which are always a nuisance to London traffic.

Public perception will have also improved. Stores where bins were on public view will now look much more inviting and with carbon footprint and waste such a hot topic right now, the public are far more aware of the problems with messy, overflowing waste.

The cardboard balers create neat, dense bales which can easily be stacked. With our recycling contacts we help all customers to have collections at their convenience.

Unfortunately bins are still a most common site across every UK town and city high street. We are not saying that every high street store will suit a baler or other piece of equipment - that would be unrealistic. However, it is certainly worth considering. That is why QCR offer free site surveys. Even if it something you are not sure will suit, we will still come and have a look for you. We will always be honest if we think a piece of recycling or waste reducing equipment will suit or not.

Many people are still not fully aware of what balers are or what they do. That is why we recently produced this news piece on the very basics of cardboard balers – please have a read if you want to find out more.

You can then book yourself a free site survey here.