This week marks Recycle Week, during which retailers, brands and the public celebrate all things recycling. There’s one common goal: to encourage the nation to recycle more of the right things, more often.
As the UK’s leading manufacturer of environmentally responsible, ethically sound, vegan cleaning products, sustainability is our middle name here at Bio-D. So, as you can imagine, we do all that we can to recycle and reduce the amount of waste produced at our factory.
From creating a laundering system for our 20 litre refill containers, to using bottles made from 100% post-consumer plastic, read on to find out how we make the most of recycling.
Creating our much-loved laundering system
2020 saw us work in collaboration with a selection of our wholesalers to introduce a laundering system for our 20 litre refill containers.
Creating a closed-loop system, our 20 litre containers and intermediate bulk containers – or IBCs – that are used by wholesalers can now be returned, refilled and reused.
For context: reusing just one IBC saves up to 2,000 bottles, and 30 kilos of plastic from being used!
A regular request from customers, the laundering system dramatically reduces the amount of plastic used both within the company and by our customers – who are as passionate about reducing their plastic use as we are.
Giving old electronics a new lease of life
If we ever have an old laptop that has reached the end of its life, we pass them on to our friends over at WeeeCharity. Based in Warrington, WeeeCharity is a not-for-profit organisation that deal in the collection and donations of electrical items, which they then either reuse, recycle or resell back into the community.
Any funds made go back into the local community to help relieve poverty!
Find out more about WeeeCharity here.
Recycling
Of course, we utilise standard recycling – making sure that all of our waste cardboard and plastic is given a second life whilst avoiding landfill. We also recycle the metal and plastic drums that originally contained the naturally derived and plant based ingredients that go into our cleaning products.
Did you know that all of our consumer bottles, and 5L and 20L refills are also 100% recyclable?
Using post-consumer plastic
As well as making sure all our bottled packaging is recyclable, we pride ourselves on creating all of our consumer bottles and 5L refills from 100% post-consumer plastic.
This means that we use plastic that has already been used for another purpose and recycled – from shampoo bottles to food packaging.
Working with children’s charities
In addition to donating used electronics to WeeeCharity, we also send any clean empty bottles to charity – where they are used for children’s crafting projects. It’s a simple solution that creates hours of fun decorating and transforming items, giving them a new lease of life!
Refuse derived fuel
Rather than being sent to landfill, any other waste created that doesn’t fit into any of the above categories is made into refuse derived fuel – otherwise known as RDF.
This fuel is then sent on to an energy recovery facility, before being turned into steam, and sent back to the grid as low carbon green energy.
Interested in finding out how you can recycle more? Read our useful guide to help understand the different recycling symbols on your packaging here.
