From 1st April 2011 landfill tax increased by £8 per tonne which is encouraging soaring numbers of commercial organisations to reduce the amount of waste they send to landfill by introducing new recycling procedures according to workplace equipment provider Slingsby.
This latest landfill tax hike means businesses will pay £56 for each tonne of waste they send to landfill and the tax is set to continue increasing by £8 per year until April 2014.
Lee Wright, marketing director of Slingsby, explains: "Although most organisations have become more environmentally responsible over the last few years, April's landfill tax increase means there's more potential than ever to make major cost savings simply by recycling. In addition new recycling schemes that are introduced will now pay for themselves quicker than ever before.
"One of the easiest ways to avoid being financially penalised by the Government is to introduce' at source recycling' programmes where all waste is sorted before it leaves the premises. In recent years we've seen a huge increase in the number of organisations across all industries using such schemes because they are straightforward to set-up and require minimal investment."
Finally Lee adds: "An 'at source recycling' programme is also a great way for commercial organisations to abide by the Landfill Directive (England and Wales) Regulations 2002 which state all non-hazardous waste should be treated before being sent to landfill. The other main requirement of these regulations is that a 'Waste Transfer Note' is filed for two years detailing where the waste came from and what it is. This shows landfill operators what they are dealing with and also provides a clear audit trail from when the waste is produced until it is disposed of."