Reduce, Re-use, Recycle

Waste is a big problem in the United Kingdom. Every year, the UK produces about 330 million tonnes of household, office and school waste, and the three R’s – ‘Reduce, Re-use and Recycle’ should be a top priority in helping to stem the increasing tide of waste.

Kerbside recycling and green waste collection schemes only account for a fraction of the overall waste that needs to be treated, with the majority of residual household waste being either incinerated or sent to landfill – neither providing a satisfactory solution in the long term.

As landfill sites become scarce and costs via Landfill Tax are rising, pressure is increasing to reduce our dependency on landfill. At the same time, the health and pollution issues associated with waste incineration are not yet fully understood.

A Resource not a Burden

As the need to reduce carbon emissions becomes more critical, waste needs to be viewed more as a resource than as a burden, and at Graphite Resources waste is viewed as one of the most valuable and exciting resources available.

Graphite Resources, based in Newcastle, is a forward thinking waste treatment provider offering steam autoclaving technology as an effective solution for the safe treatment of waste. Their work on steam autoclaving has enabled them to create an innovative and environmentally-friendly way to deal with the growing waste problem, diverting in excess of 80 per cent of non-hazardous municipal industrial and commercial wastes from landfill.

There are a number of benefits to the steam autoclaving system, including the production of useable renewable energy fuels such as bio-fuels and bio-gas as well as soil manufacture and feedstock for fuel cell production.

How You and your School can Help

With nearly 34,000 schools in the UK, schools have a vital role to play in contributing to the solutions to our national waste problem. Not only do they play an important role in the education of tomorrow’s consumers and decision makers, but schools can also make significant cost savings, turning waste into a resource and taking action to put the three R’s ‘reduce, re-use, recycle’ into practice.

At Graphite Resources’ innovative new waste treatment plant – Derwenthaugh EcoParc south of the River Tyne in Blaydon - school groups are being invited for site visits from January 2010 onwards.

Teachers and pupils will get the chance to learn about the innovative process of steam autoclaving from a specially designed viewing gallery and dedicated classrooms, where pupils can find out about the full waste treatment process Graphite operates.

Making a Difference

Currently most schools spend between £300 and £1,000 on waste disposal each year depending on their size and produce a minimum of one tonne of waste per term. If every school implemented just one measure to reduce waste, it would make a huge difference for the environment and school budgets, especially as the standard rate of landfill tax is rising by £8 per tonne each year.

If you’re interested in a school visit or would like to be involved in managing your waste via steam autoclaving, please contact William Thompson, Director, by phoning 0191 2691900 or emailling w.thompson@graphiteresources.com To find out more about Graphite Resources visit www.graphiteresources.com