At B&M Waste Services, we are continually working to ensure the service we offer is at the cutting edge. We have seen the introduction of our new Refuse Derived Fuel facility, furthering our commitment to zero to landfill by generating energy from waste.
Our ethos is to always ensure that both cost efficiency and the environment – with our recycling-led approach – are at the forefront.
New legislation came into effect on 1st January 2015 whereby all businesses operating in the UK are required to introduce separate collections of recyclables (paper and card, metals, glass and plastic) when ‘technically, environmentally and economically practical’ (TEEP)*
The underlying principle of TEEP is to improve the quality of recyclable materials to continue to develop the resource recovery sector and progress the principles of a circular economy.
B&M already offer separate collections of paper, card, metal, glass, plastics and food in compliance with the Waste Hierarchy.
We have trained our drivers to assess your waste. They are checking for both non-conforming items to help ensure you do not breach your Duty of Care and are also looking for items that may be recoverable. To back this up, we have now employed two Supervisors who routinely go out with the drivers to check how their work is undertaken from a Health & Safety and customer care point of view and also to qualify your compliance with the TEEP regulations.
TEEP applies to all commercial businesses and at B&M, we are here to help you comply with this regulation.
Is it Technically Practicable? For example, you may have limited room for waste and recycling containers, therefore a mixed recycling container (of paper, card and plastic film) may be all that can be accommodated. As a customer of ours, you will have been, and will continue to be, prompted to see if there is morerecycling that can be achieved.
Is it Environmentally Practicable? Is there an added positive environmental benefit? An example: if you have a small amount of plastic bottles that are not separated at the moment but could be in a separate container, this would give a recycling benefit. However, this could be at the expense of virgin materials being used in making more containers and the fuel to undertake the separate collections. Therefore, the benefits need to be weighed up carefully.
Is it Economically Practicable? Would the segregation result in an excessive cost in comparison to a non-separated waste stream? There is normally a benefit in terms of cost per tonne on most recyclables over a general waste stream. However, this should be balanced against the cost of more containers and separate collection costs (i.e. fuel and wages).
Please bear in mind, this is not the kind of recycling you do at home. A lot of customers may have small volumes of canteen waste (e.g. yoghurt pots, empty food tins) but often, these do not make up a substantial enough volume to pass any of the three tests noted above.
This is a general introduction to TEEP. We will be contacting specific industry sectors e.g. hospitality, offices, with further advice and suggestions to match their specific waste and recycling types.
If you feel that your waste streams, or type of waste, may have changed and would like a new assessment, please contact us on 0330 1234 100.