Insights

Keep recyclables clean this #DryJanuary

While inflation rises, the housing crisis persists, and floods continue to threaten, it’s also sobering to think about the environment. At Mpact Recycling, we’re driving to help alleviate detrimental environmental factors through our integrated business model. Our business strives to help the planet and its people by continually maximising value and minimising waste. So, how can we maximise this value together?

Consider your recyclables.

Recyclables diverted from landfill are just as important to our environment as they are valuable to you, the recyclable-seller. However, by keeping them clean and dry, you can ensure they will actually be recycled. For instance, if white office paper or cardboard becomes contaminated with rainwater or mud, these items may not be recycled. Likewise, if rocks gather between cardboard or plastics bales, this will cause serious issues to our equipment when baling the recyclables. One rotten bale could spoil the whole recycled load. Contaminated recyclables run the risk of not being recycled, you not earning any money from them, and landfill space carrying the consequences.

Rainwater or mud contaminated white office paper or cardboard  [photo]

Be considerate and keep recyclables dry.

“When a batch of recyclables is contaminated, there’s a good chance it’ll be rejected and end up in the landfill. In other words, because of that one problematic thing you tried to recycle, tons of properly recycled items get landfilled. I think you’ll agree that this is a tragedy, and it runs completely counter to what recycling is all about.” - Recycle Coach, 2019

Store clean recyclables in a bag of their own to help them retain their integrity so that they may be recycled.

Mpact Recycling has 15 operational branches countrywide including across Gauteng, the North-West Province, Western Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal. Our state-of-the-art facilities will gladly take your clean paper, cardboard, plastics, glass and aluminium can recyclables*. Mpact Recycling’s Bridge City branch houses 70,000 m2 worth of recyclables under one roof. That’s roughly the size of 2-and-half rugby fields worth of recyclables!

* recyclables taken vary from branch to branch so just check first with the branch before delivering.

Our state-of-the-art facilities - Mpact Recycling’s Bridge City branch [photo]

We’re making strides to ensure that your recyclables are kept dry so that the best quality cardboard is collected for recycling and, in turn, the highest quality recycled cardboard boxes are put back onto the shelves. Let’s keep recyclables clean to ensure that they’re recycled.

FIVE DON'TS TO KEEP RECYCLABLES CLEAN

  1. Don’t mix white paper and water together.
  2. Don’t soak cardboard in muddy water.
  3. Don’t fill bales of cardboard with heavy objects, like rocks.
  4. Don’t fill PET bottles with liquids i.e., cooldrinks.
  5. Don’t fill recyclable bottles with sand and soil.

What’s happening overseas?

The nature of the recycling sector is that it’s a market where recyclables are bought and sold before they are turned into new and useful products. All recovered paper material is supplied to paper mills including our own Mpact paper mills to be manufactured back into paper - this is then used to manufacture innovative board products, sold to the SA packaging industry. Some markets, like Southeast Asia, are slowing down their demand for cardboard and, as such, has meant that a price drop in the paper around the world. What this means is that only quality and uncontaminated cardboard is being accepted both locally and internationally.

Local is still a favourable choice.

While the quantity of old corrugated cardboard boxes is currently in a downturn demand, you can increase the value of your recycling basket by diversifying what you put inside of it.

Our Mpact Recycling branches will gladly accept the following sorted and clean recyclables:
  • Plastics
  • Glass*
  • Aluminium cans* - e.g., food cans & cool-drink cans
  • E-waste*
  • White, office paper
  • Cardboard

* Not accepted at all branches

Recyclables - Plastics, Glass, Aluminium cans, E-waste, White, office paper, Cardboard [photo]

As a responsible recycling business, we continue to encourage suppliers to keep their cardboard and paper dry, ensure everything that they bring to our branches is on the list of materials accepted, and to let us know if they need more information about what packaging is recyclable and what is not.

Diarise this #DryJanuary in your calendars.

If you need a further nudge that some things just don’t go together, watch our National Recycling Week campaign.

Find a list of our Mpact nationwide branches here.

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