Reuse and Recycling
Reuse
The Carbon Trust estimates that for every kilo of natural resources consumed by reuse, 7 kilos of original materials are conserved.
At Clearance Solutions, we ensure that our house clearance and office clearance services are at the forefront of the efforts to get unwanted furniture and goods reused. We sell and donate as much as possible of everything we clear. This requires better planning, more dedication, labour and effort, but we think it’s worth it, and so do many of our clients.
Did you know that it takes 1000 times more carbon dioxide to produce a new piece of furniture than to deliver and install a used one?
Each household in the UK has on average 750kg of furniture (three quarters of a ton). Think of the huge reduction in carbon dioxide that could be achieved if even 10% of this furniture was reused!
Recycling
When we carry out our house clearance and office clearance work, items that simply cannot be reused (perhaps broken / damaged / faulty) are recycled. The waste is sorted into separate recycling streams (paper, metal, glass) at Waste Transfer Stations (tips). This enables up to 75% of these materials to be recycled. Whilst recycling is less efficient in terms of CO2 than reuse, it preserves virgin resources. So there is a far smaller environmental footprint when recycled materials are used in the manufacturing process.
The way that we do it
All Licensed Waste Carriers transport waste to Waste Transfer Stations (WTS), who then recycle some and landfill the rest. However, if the waste is not pre sorted by the carrier into different waste streams, the WTS will send much more of that waste to landfill. The reason is simple. Responsible WTS have separate areas to deposit recyclables such paper, metal, plastic, and biomass. Waste that contains mixtures of these materials has to be deposited in a general waste area. Only 40% of this general waste gets recycled compared to 85% in the specific materials areas. We presort the waste to achieve a far higher recycling rate than would otherwise be the case.
We are proud of our commitment to the environment, and are always delighted to discuss ways of improving our process. If you would like any information, or have any suggestions please call 020 7706 7554.
