Over 8 million pieces of packaging have been made from the Cambridgeshire recycled material by Charpak Ltd in the first six months.  This is following the launch of the UK’s first Local Circular Economy at the start of 2019.

 

 

• Over 200 refuse trucks of plastic waste has been collected (over 1,500 tonnes) from Cambridgeshire’s households. 199 of which have been recycled and reprocessed in the UK.
• 215 tonnes of this material has been returned to Charpak, where over 8 million pieces of new packaging has been manufactured from the recycled material.
• In total, an impressive 1,000 tonnes of Cambridgeshire’s plastic waste has been recycled and re-used by packaging manufacturers within the UK.

 

 

Led by Charpak, and developed in partnership with the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Waste Partnership (RECAP), the Cambridgeshire-wide initiative takes kerbside collected household plastic waste, which is sorted, recycled, cleaned and re-manufactured into plastic for new products that can be recycled again and again.

 

To find out more watch the Sky News report explaining more.

 

 

 

 

Charpak Managing Director, Paul Smith said

 

“Reusing existing recycled materials, all within the UK, means collectively not only reusing valuable existing material; it reduces the amount of new plastic that needs to be made.”

 

“We’re sharing this update during Recycle Week to show what can be achieved.  Already saving over 200 refuse trucks from landfill and disposal in Cambridgeshire alone, imagine what can be achieved nationwide to reduce plastic waste when more people recycle more and recycle right.”  

 

 

He adds

 

“At Charpak we reuse the recycled and cleaned material many times, over and over again.  It’s important to dispel the myth that all plastic packaging is bad and it ends up as waste.  We have further programmes in development to recover and reuse more materials.  It’s important to demonstrate what can be achieved when consumers, businesses and local authorities work together, and the significant difference it can make.”

 

Chair of the RECAP board and South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Lead Cabinet Member for Environmental Services Councillor Bill Handley said:

 

“Our residents already do a brilliant job at recycling – 55% of waste in Cambridgeshire is recycled but there is always room to improve. Our message during Recycle Week is to help residents understand how we can make sure even more material is reused by putting more of what can be recycled in their recycling bin and keeping things that can’t be recycled out.”

 

 

The Recycling Locator can be used to find out recycle where you live.  Access it here. Charpak is supporting Recycle Now in its 17^th annual Recycle Week (23^rd – 29^th September), By supporting the heightened awareness and energy we are asking Cambridgeshire residents – and people all over the UK – to act and focus on getting recycling right during Recycle Week.

 

 

 

 

For more information on the Cambridgeshire local circular economy and what’s next as part of Charpak’s commitment to design and manufacture even more sustainable packaging for the circular economy, contact a member of the Charpak team.