Phil Pickin looks at an unexpected way to help CRT save money while also helping the environment.
(Body copy)
ANYONE connected with the waterways will be aware of the financial woes that CRT is having to endure. As a result, the organisation is looking at every aspect of its operation in an effort to save money that includes the bins! The situation hasn’t quite got to the stage of rummaging through the bins to find something of value; it is more the value of the processing of the waste itself that can help the charity save significant amounts of money over the coming years.
From March 31, new legislation came into effect that means most businesses will have to arrange separate collections for different types of waste. The biggest change is that connected with food waste. This will now need to be separated from general waste and other recyclables. As a result of these changes, all of CRT’s customer service points with waste facilities will have to provide separate bins for dry recyclables (things like paper, card, metal and plastics), glass bottle jars, etc, food waste and general waste. To help with this, CRT has placed large stickers on the bins to help users know what sort of waste should go in each one. The plan is to have all these collection facilities at collection points by this summer.
To facilitate this, CRT is embarking on an improvement programme to upgrade a number of its sites to enable them to comply with the new legislation, so it is expected that boaters will be able to see some of these improvements over the coming weeks. Part of these improvements is the installation of as many as 500 new bins, but with businesses of all types having to comply with these new rules, there is a delay in the delivery of the new bins.
The new Simpler Recycling legislation will, it is hoped, help the country as a whole meet its commitments to reduce the amount of waste going into landfill. Businesses that fail to meet their obligations to the new legislation can face financial penalties, and this is where the boating community comes in to help CRT save money. If boat users can make sure that they follow the rules when it comes to the disposal of waste (and not dispose of rubbish in the wrong bin), CRT can avoid paying the penalties when the waste is collected by the nominated contractor. If a visual inspection by a contractor shows that the waste is ‘contaminated’ with the incorrect waste, CRT can be charged more to deal with the waste, something the charity is keen to avoid.
With the peak of the 2025 season still to come, it remains to be seen if all the bins will arrive and, when they do, if people will use them correctly. Let us hope that these new facilities are used as intended and that penalty charges are kept to a minimum.
For more information on the implication of Simpler Recycling visit CRT’s website: www.canalrivertrust.org.uk
