Susan Staff, Commercial Director at Aylesbury Granulator, discusses an often-overlooked opportunity: turning plastic purgings and production waste from a cost burden into a valuable asset.
susan staff
Times continue to become increasingly hard for British manufacturers, but what if someone told you that you could easily convert your current daily cost into revenue? Surely, you would want to know more?
This is the case for many moulding companies across the UK. I hear and see so many incidences of purgings (lump/head waste) being put into general waste. The cost of this can be quite significant, and this is where the vast majority of your scrap weight is going. However, if the purgings are pure polymer, then this is also where the vast majority of your potential revenue is going. These purgings are most likely valuable to those of us in the recycling industry, where we pay you for your waste plastics.
I fully recognise that some businesses have limitations, whether that is space, appetite for change, the ability to segregate, or something else. However, in light of the constant pressure to reduce costs throughout the supply chain and to be as environmentally friendly as possible (in an industry that is irrationally hated by the public and mass media), it makes sense to look more closely at this opportunity. Changes like this are often an easy win, but sometimes take a lot of internal battling. It helps if there is a combination of top-down and bottom-up desire to “do the right thing” and save money in the process. It’s also prudent to reach out to plastic recycling specialists rather than waste management companies.
As you all know, “plastic” is not just “plastic”, and it’s important to get things right for this new part of your supply chain and the recycling infrastructure. You are experts at moulding; businesses like ours are experts at plastic recycling.
There’s yet another way to make the most of your purging waste. Of course, this goes for all production waste and redundant stocks – you could have it toll-granulated for you. This way, you retain ownership of your valuable plastic, but you have a firm toll to shred and granulate it for you to use directly back into your own manufacturing processes. You know exactly what your waste plastic is, meaning you have confidence in the material you are reusing when it returns to you. As an example, Aylesbury Granulation helps a wide range of plastic moulders to recycle their purgings/head waste. However, we don’t just recycle purgings; we are passionate advocates for plastics and recycling and will always try to go the extra mile to help anyone trying to make changes and improvements in this area.
Countrywide, there are recycling companies just waiting to support moulders. Whilst some companies can cover a wide range of material recycling, in order to ensure that your plastic is dealt with correctly, appropriately and retains its quality, using a dedicated recycler will ensure it will return to the plastics manufacturing supply chain. By using a dedicated plastic recycling company, businesses can maximise revenue from rebates, avoid waste disposal charges (including landfill taxes) and ensure compliance with sustainability targets.