MRW Recycling United campaign
What suits locally is going to be the best choice
In the final part of our Recycling United Re-Ignited roundtable discussion, industry experts consider what makes a good MRF and what conclusions can be drawn. Words by Philip Reynolds
Collection points add up to a material gain
In the second part of MRW’s Recycling United Re-Ignited roundtable discussion, industry experts look at how to improve the quality of collected materials. Words by Philip Reynolds
Quality issue that won’t go away
Is the quality debate still polarised under commingled versus source separated? MRW editor Paul Sanderson gathered six experts from both sides of the industry to discuss materials quality and areas of common ground. Words by Philip Reynolds
Saying bye to the recycling box
Tiffany Holland finds out what happened when Cambridge City Council switched its recycling from kerbside sort to commingled
Time to embrace MRFs
It is time for the debate on how we can improve recycling rates and quality from all recycling systems, says Kevin Thomas
Re-igniting the collection debate
The “simple truths and facts” backing commingled collection systems - and refuting findings by WRAP - have been set out in a report published by consultancy WYG. Andrea Height gets an exclusive first look
Two streams good, more streams better
While the Campaign for Real Recycling promotes source segregation, it welcomes a two-stream compromise, writes Andy Moore
Raising the standards
The industry needs to sign up to a sensible plan to tackle the quality issue, argues plastics reprocessor Duncan Oakes
Money spent is money saved
Single-stream collection can produce a quality product, argues Ian Wakelin
Where’s the evidence?
The UK needs better data when making long-term decisions about the secondary materials economy, says Andy Doran
Danger of crushing the UK’s glass recycling success
David Workman sets out the glass sector’s concerns about quality and why it welcomes MRW’s Recycling United campaign
Secrets of success
Staffordshire Moorlands District Council uses a dual-stream collection system for its household recyclables. MRW takes a closer look
View from a paper exporter
ACN Europe, the main supplier of recovered paper to China’s largest containerboard producer Nine Dragons, talks to Tiffany Holland about quality
Carbon not collection
MRW’s campaign should be focusing on carbon and not on quality according to Neil Grundon
Environmental cost of not raising the quality
Raising the standards of waste collecting would be a boost to paper reprocessors, says Simon Weston
Dual stream collections – a real alternative
For a number of years now, consultant Peter Mansfield has been advocating dual-stream collections. In this article to back MRW’s Recycling United campaign, he explains why now would be a good time for local authorities to introduce them
Why we want Recycling United
The commingled versus source separated debate has been going on for a few years and doesn’t seem to have got anywhere. MRW wants to unite the industry with a compromise solution. Paul Sanderson explains why MRW has taken this view
What is Recycling United?
Recycling United is a campaign run by MRW in the autumn of 2009 and early 2010 and now has been re-ignited in 2011 due to the re-opening of the commingled versus source separated debate. The aim of the campaign is to encourage all stakeholders in the recycling and waste management sector to consider what is the optimum way to ensure quality of material.
The campaign called for all local authorities to adopt at least dual-stream collections by 2020 unless single-stream commingled collections are proven of equal quality at a point prior to this date.
The aim of this campaign is to raise the standard of debate in the recycling and waste management sector when it comes to raising the quality of UK material as well as seeking evidence about what systems of collections work best and under which circumstances.
It has been re-ignited in 2011 to try to ensure the recycling and waste management industry has a grown-up debate about quality based on evidence, and seeks to find compromise where possible.
MRW encourages feedback on this issue - we are happy to change our minds given the evidence! If you wish to provide feedback, either comment on this site, or email mrw@emap.com
