Consumerism produces a lot of waste. Throwaway products are made out of plastic and are designed to be replaced. They are not made to last and they use synthetic and unsustainable materials. This post consumer waste needs a solution.
The UK recycles only 45% of waste. And we get through billions of bottles, cans and coffee cups a year (The National Lottery Fund). Reusing just some of this waste material reduces demand for virgin materials and our impact on the environment.
What is post consumer waste?
Post consumer waste is essentially recycled waste (Mass.gov). It is waste diverted from landfill that has been discarded by a consumer after use. Pre-consumer waste is waste that has never been sold to a consumer, e.g. offcuts of raw materials or rejects that were not sent out for sale. Either way, these items or materials are saved from landfill.
Delphis Eco for example, uses recycled plastic milk bottles to package their cleaning products. This 100% post consumer waste prevented 1.5 million plastic containers from going to landfill in 2022 and meant they didn’t have to use virgin plastic for this purpose. This had an impact on their carbon footprint too, reducing it by 61%.
Bantam Materials runs a project called Prevented Ocean Plastics. They buy plastic waste collected by low income families from beaches across the globe. The waste is then cleaned and recycled into plastic flakes or pellets. This post consumer waste can then be used by supermarkets, manufacturers and businesses as recycled plastic. Bantam Materials ensures it is fully traceable back to the source of collection and that it meets regulatory health and safety standards. More importantly, they stopped 10 billion bottles ending up in the ocean or the environment.
At a grassroots level, Sunny Jar Ecohub works with the local community in Poplar, London to teach sustainable living practices. The Plastic Free Poplar project shows consumers how to reuse, repurpose and recycle post consumer waste. Examples include buying second hand clothing or furniture.
The Rediscovery Centre in Ireland is leading a circular economy model. They provide training workshops for primary and secondary education and local community groups. The centre is a hub for the recycling of bicycles, furniture, paint and clothing which are sold through their Ecostore.
Spark & Bell recycles plastic into components for their lighting range. The marbled plastics are produced in-house from plastic waste sourced from their suppliers or local businesses. This is just one of many circular design choices that Spark & Bell make to ensure that their products are sustainable and reusable, and at the last recyclable. They also make jewel recycled plastic lights out of chipped CD cases.
Eco-Craft uses 100% post-consumer paper waste in their recycled paper products. Their Eco-Natural and Hairy Manilla products are made of low grade post consumer waste, making it one of their ‘greenest’ products. The paper is not dyed or bleached using chlorine to whiten it. Chlorine is toxic and can impact water quality and aquatic life.
Uses for post-consumer waste
The examples show how innovative businesses can use post-consumer waste and turn it into beautiful and useful products. This reduces the amount of virgin material that needs to be produced. It can also reduce the businesses carbon footprint.
Our sustainable business directory includes many businesses that are working on improving their business model to reduce their impact on the environment. Do you run a business that is sustainable? We’d like to talk to you.
