The benefits of recycling for the Transport and Storage sector

You’re considered to have a ‘Duty of Care’ to ensure that the waste your business generates is produced, stored, transported and disposed of without harming the environment. This is set out in the Environmental Protection Act 1990, but new legislation takes this a step further by making workplace recycling a legal requirement. 

But there’s more to recycling than complying with legislation! There are lots of other great reasons to recycle, including: 

• Helping to tackle climate change: according to RecycleNow, current UK recycling is estimated to save more than 10-15 million tonnes of CO2 a year – the equivalent of taking 3.5 million cars off the road. 

• Reducing costs for your organisation: recycling is often cheaper than disposal, and larger organisations could save £400-£1,000 a year per employee. Read more at WRAP’s Business Resource Efficiency Guide: Green office guide and use our business waste calculator to find out how much you could save.  

• Helping fulfil your Net Zero commitments: as your organisation, your suppliers or customers commit to net zero emissions, promoting your recycling activities will be increasingly important. For example, the Department for Transport (DfT) and Network Rail have agreed to a ‘zero waste to landfill’ target by 2025, alongside a goal to reuse or recycle everything by 2029. As a result, recycling targets or commitments have been established for individual train operating companies in some instances. 

• Accelerating a circular economy: moving away from a linear ‘take-make-dispose’ culture to a ‘design-make-reuse’ approach will radically reduce waste and carbon emissions from everyday products. The circular economy keeps products and materials in use for longer, supports innovation and increases the amount of material reused or recycled, as well as minimising waste and reducing reliance on virgin materials. 

• Improving process performance: eliminating and reducing waste will improve the performance of your processes by making them more efficient. 

• Attracting, motivating and retaining staff: a successful waste reduction and recycling programme depends on staff involvement and team-working, and people who feel part of an organisation and are asked to be involved with projects are more likely to feel valued by their employer. 

80% of young people (aged 18-22) entering the workforce ranked tackling single-use plastics as important for employers, ahead of reducing electricity and water consumption. 37% said that they would consider a potential employer’s environmental responsibility when looking for a job. Lifting the Lid on Waste, Business in the Community 

It’s also worth acknowledging that employees, passengers, customers and investors increasingly scrutinise how companies operate.  

Setting bold public targets and demonstrating good practice in waste management sends a powerful message. It shows that your business assumes responsibility for the resources it uses and the waste it generates, demonstrates leadership and shows your business to be forward-thinking.