We received a call from a Northamptonshire based Garden Centre which was local to our sales office. From the initial contact, a member of the team was able to visit the site the following day which helped create a very quick service. Once onsite it was evident the centre needed help removing their weathered cardboard bales, which had built up over time and become hard to manage. The bales had been stored outside and left open to the elements, resulting in them becoming soaked right through and in risk of breaking open, which meant they had found difficulty in handling the waste.
How We Helped
During our first collection in the winter months, we brought in a standard curtain sider lorry to collect and clear the site of all the damaged cardboard bales. Due to the bales being soaked through, we had to think of the best possible solution to this problem, which resulted in us loading via a grab lift instead of the normal forklift truck. Once the collections were complete, we gave our customers advice on how to manage their waste correctly in the future; directing them to store the cardboard under a roof in dry conditions, so that they are now able to produce dry cardboard bales. We have since provided multiple efficient collections for this customer.
Collection and Recycling
Once these bales were collected, they were tested at the processing factory and a moisture level was recorded due to the weathered condition. The bales were then split open and blended with dry, good quality cardboard that had come in from another customer, as the bales could not be processed in the condition that we received them. Without our services, these damaged cardboard bales may have found their way to landfill, yet with Plastic Expert, the garden centre was able to find new life for these recyclable materials and dispose of their waste in a sustainable way.
First collection
Second collection – Stored in dry conditions:
Recycling Reports and Documentation
A full report of the weathered load collected was given out to the customer, showing the extreme amounts of water found in the cardboard bales. This allowed our customer to understand the improvements that have been made with the help of our services, and exactly how their changes have impacted their waste management. On future collections, a full report, the cardboard weight, and a rebate value for the customer was given out.
Environmental Impact and Cost Savings
By coming to Plastic Expert, this customer avoided charges on the first full load of weathered cardboard that was collected, and was since paid a rebate for their dry material. We were also able to keep costs down to a minimum, and recycle all of the cardboard by blending it with other recyclable good quality materials. This collection and recycling service avoided the cardboard waste being sent to landfill, which would have resulted in wasting energy, and raw materials being used.
