Black Friday. Green Monday?

A RECENT YouGov poll for Keep Britain Tidy reveals that as many as 50% of Brits think Black Friday contributes directly to landfill waste.

But what is that stat telling us? Does it mean Black Friday causes an inevitable surge in landfill waste? Or does it speak to a lack of awareness about what and where things can be recycled?

Our customers in Councils across the UK will be deploying our vehicles to manage the likely uptick in waste in the wake of ‘Black Friday’ and ‘Cyber Monday’. This will fall into two predominant kinds: the packaging of newly purchased items – which is often at least partially recyclable – and the disposal of items replaced by these new purchases – which is also often reusable, refurbishable or recyclable.

Know your waste – and where to put it

Crucial to minimising landfill waste is for shoppers to understand the waste they’ve generated and how best to dispose of it. Here’s a few handy tips:

• Since recycling guidelines vary across counties, we suggest checking your local council site for details on what can – and how best to – recycle or dispose of unwanted packaging. Find your council here: https://lnkd.in/gNN6JGn
• For broader recycling needs, including an array of household items, there’s also a comprehensive nationwide directory here: https://lnkd.in/eT34fXQz
• And with many new purchases likely to be tech-related – especially on #CyberMonday – consider local IT refurbishment/recycling services for unwanted items. Some providers even offer free, UK-wide collection, such as: https://torecycle.co.uk

There’s a big difference between unavoidable and unnecessary waste.

Neil Jeremiah, Endurance Managing Director, commented: “Waste is a fact of life, but there’s a big difference between unavoidable and unnecessary waste. We’d simply like to encourage people to seek out the proper routes to minimise what ends up in a hole in the ground and maximise the use value to the circular economy.”

Brits will spend around £3 billion this weekend, underscoring the need for sustainable waste management attitudes as we all work – necessarily – towards the UK’s goal of reusing or recycling 65% of all waste by 2035.

Like to know more about the Circular Economy? We think this article from the Ellen Macarthur Foundation is excellent.