Biocompatibles International PLC
Developer and manufacturer of medical products

Hot Topic

The company was faced with spiralling waste management costs and wanted to increase their commitment to the environment and the local community. After answering a SCC questionnaire on waste management practices, Barbara Frost, the Facilities Officer committed to leading the changes and identifying recycling options to reduce the company’s reliance on landfill.

Working Out

After some research, Barbara identified the problems facing their organisation and provided solutions.

Paper and cardboard were identified as the two main steams accounting for around 50% of the total waste produced. She also found out that the company were landfilling large amounts of other recyclable material including plastic cups and bottles, aluminium drink cans, glass, wooden pallets, IT equipment, batteries and fluorescent tubes.

Solutions came in the form of a double chamber baler, which was installed to deal with the cardboard and produces 60kg bales which can be stored far more efficiently than loose cardboard.

Secondly, a social enterprise waste company was approached. They were able to collect the baled cardboard, paying up to £10.00 a tonne together with the office paper. Shredded confidential paper, plastic bottles, aluminium cans were collected free of charge. The company is able to collect redundant IT equipment toner cartridges, mobile telephones, batteries, fluorescent tubes, glass and pallets for a small cost as and when needed.

Going further

Other initiatives followed swiftly on including a monthly collection of used plastic cups through the Save-a-cup scheme. Soon the whole company was keen to be involved. To encourage staff to recycle, all general waste bins were taken away and replaced with recycling bin banks conveniently situated next to the vending machines, to take cans and plastic bottles and with a second area for paper and confidential waste next to the photocopying machine.

An army of volunteer environmental champions from the company keep a keen eye on recycling practice and are now beginning to address other environmental impacts from the use of energy and water. A full time environmental manager is now employed to develop initiatives further as the cost savings from this type of activity is recognized for producing cost savings

Biocompatibles are continuously improving their waste minimisation programme, everything that can be reused is reused. Local community groups have benefited from materials still in good use, such as reception furniture, desks, computers and even carpet tiles. Barbara Frost is committed to keeping everything out of landfill for as long as possible.

Feeling the benefits

• By installing a baler and reducing the amount of residual waste so only one bin was required, waste costs have been saved by 50%
• Local groups have benefited from furniture that had been replaced in a refit of the company

"With landfill costs rising and a real drive within the company to do th right thing, recycling has become very important. There are many things that need to be considered when setting up a recycling system. It takes a long time to implement but with a little effort we have managed to cut our waste bill by half."

Barbara Frost
BioCompatibles PLC