Circular solutions for efficient visitor waste management and recycling services in the tourism sector
The pilot
Visitors generate large volume of mixed packaging waste and don’t place waste in correct bins often to allow recycling. We’ll work with entrepreneurs & visitors to increase circular economy using four processes concurrently for maximum impact:
- Adopt point of sales solutions e.g. compostable packaging & reuse schemes
- Incentivize visitors via gamifying waste disposal e.g. reverse vending & interactive bins
- Optimize street & business waste collection e.g. smart bin & collection technologies, & for business waste services to explore new circular business opportunities
- Local community engagement projects e.g. social enterprise to reduce demand for new plastic products via re-manufacture of post -consumer plastic packaging.
By motivating behaviour change to re-use & recycle plus optimizing waste management, we will increase recycling of SUP, estimating savings on energy recovery and a reduction of waste vehicle journeys. Also the carbon footprint will be reduced by 287 tonnes. The following pilots have been developed to realize these processes.
1. Hemsby Re-usable Cups
The Hemsby Cup is a reusable cup designed to put a stop to single use disposable takeaway cups and get closer to becoming zero waste by adopting a circular deposit return system. The FACET project is funding the purchase of the reusable cups and lids, so the scheme is free for businesses to participate.
Background
Field research has shown that there is an issue of overflowing bins and resulting litter on Beach Road at Great Yarmouth. On street litter bins filling up quickly with bulky takeaway packaging. One of the causes is a current change in consumer behaviour. Since the outbreak of pandemic there is more takeaway packaging. Some facts:
• 7 million single use paper cups used and thrown away every day in UK.
• Less than 1% of cups are successfully recycled.
• 500,000 of these end up as litter which fill up our bins and pollute our rivers and seas. T
he first steps towards sustainability have been taken by companies. Businesses are switching from polystyrene to ‘greener’ paper cups, however, these are often not recyclable due to the wax lining. . This is where the Hemsby Cup comes in - a deposit scheme that costs customers nothing to make positive changes for the environment.
How does it work?
Companies will offer the Hemsby Cup to customers who are ordering takeaways. They will give you a £2 deposit. You should put this £2 aside to create a 'cup float'. When a customer returns a Hemsby Cup, refund them £2 using your ‘cup float’. Thoroughly wash and reuse cups that are returned, ready to be used again.
More information
Do you want to know more about the Hemsby re-usable cup? Click here.
In the news
https://www.greatyarmouthmercury.co.uk/news/business/reusable-cup-hemsby-great-yarmouth-8803686
2. Single use Plastic: Local Plastic Recycling- WasteSmiths
Within this pilot the project partners of FACET engage with businesses to collect post-consumer hard plastic packaging. The aim is to turn this plastic into a new plastic product.
In conjunction with the local college, we will develop products using collected plastic and undertake prototype testing.
3. Organic waste reduction
FACET is expanding the Community Fridge Network in Norfolk. The concept of the commumity fridge network is as following: local food businesses can donate ‘in date’ items for free redistribution to the local community in order to reduce food waste. Some facts:
- The average UK household wastes £730 a year by throwing away food and drink which could have been eaten;
- In addition, £3 billion is wasted by the food sector.
Community fridges provide business and individuals with the opportunity to share food that otherwise would have been wasted. They are public places where surplus food is shared between people in a community. Anybody can access the community fridge, there is no need to register, simply turn up during opening hours and make use of the facility and help good food from going to waste.
With the help of FACET the network is expanding. The opening of a new fridge will be in April, Date TBC.
