WRAP to boost recycling for SMEs

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have often faced obstacles in setting up effective recycling programmes as economies of scale can make collection inefficient.


But the Waste and Recycling Action Programme (WRAP) is hoping to help them make significant steps forward by launching a feasibility study into their increase.

In the first step, WRAP is calling for Expressions of Interest from suitably qualified candidates to carry out the study, which will deliver a series of trials to collect materials for recycling from SMEs that presently receive no recycling service.

The trials will evaluate a range of factors involved in SME recycling collections, including geographical location, collection and communication techniques and financial models. Several business sectors will be targeted including offices, retail and wholesale, hotels, pubs, restaurants and glaziers.

A range of materials are planned for collection during the trial including paper, cardboard, glass and catering food waste.

Historically, SMEs have often found themselves with limited recycling services due to the lack of cost effectiveness of small scale collections, lack of incentive within existing financial and logistical arrangements for waste disposal and a lack of internal resources and capacity to implement and manage schemes.

The overall aim of this study is to overcome these barriers and help SMEs improve their capacity to recycle more waste, thus improving their business resource efficiency.

The funding for the study comes from Defra’s Business Resource and Efficiency (BREW) programme as well as the devolved administrations in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Liz Morrish, project manager for SME recycling at WRAP, said:

“Many people running small businesses want to recycle at work as well as at home, but often the service has not been available.

“By testing the potential to provide recycling services to more small businesses and providing the promotional and collection support, we hope that this feasibility study and operational trial will make the case for more small business recycling, boosting their resource efficiency and helping more SMEs make a valuable environmental contribution.”

The closing date for submissions is Monday 10th October 2005 at 12.30pm and Expressions of Interest Documents can be obtained from the tender page or by written request.

For more information contact Liz Morrish by email at liz.morrish@wrap.org.uk

By Sam Bond

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