The waste in the average dustbin contains enough latent energy to fuel a television… for 7 months! That’s why at One Stop Waste Solutions we strive to, firstly, recycle as much of our clients’ waste as possible and, secondly, ensure that as much of the residual waste as possible goes to Waste to Energy to be converted into electricity instead of just going to landfill.

We have been working hard behind the scenes to keep our technology up to date.

Our new ISYS waste management software went live on 1st April. It will help us streamline our invoicing, waste reporting and customer services, improving the way we communicate with you, and freeing up admin time to let us focus on helping you with your waste.

New legislation requiring operators of materials sorting facilities in Scotland to measure the quality of the recyclable material that they receive and sort has just come into force.

In its guidance, the Scottish Government states: “The “Code of Practice on Sampling and Reporting at Materials Recovery Facilities” requires the operators of material recovery facilities to weigh and sample materials received at the facility and leaving the facility, and identify the composition of the samples with regard to the type of material contained within.

The purpose of the legislation is to introduce clarity and certainty around the quality of recycled materials placed on the market and create the confidence needed to invest in the expansion of Scotland’s reprocessing sector, a sector that will become increasingly important as the drive toward a more efficient use of resources and more sustainable product use and design continues.

One Stop Waste are already meeting these requirements, and everything you can do to ensure that the quality of your recycling remains high will help us in the long-term. Please email us if you would like an up-to-date copy of our free recycling guide.

Just over a year after the introductions of the new Waste (Scotland) Regulations, Zero Waste Scotland is reminding businesses to ensure they are still separating key materials for recycling, i.e. paper, plastic, card, metal and glass

There is now less than a year until the requirement to recycle food waste, which includes any food producing business with more than 5kg of food waste a week and Zero Waste Scotland is urging businesses to be prepared for the next phase of legislation. The 2014 regulations covered food waste for those businesses which produce more than 50kg a week, so smaller producers now need to prepare themselves for the changes ahead.

At One Stop Waste we will work with all our customers to make sure they are 100% compliant by the end of the year.

The story of your black bag – achieving zero waste

Watch our new video to find out what actually happens to the rubbish you throw out in a black bin bag. We go the extra mile to reduce landfill, keep your costs low and provide a competitive service by diverting over 90% of your waste from landfill and converting it to energy instead.

We will be in touch with all our customers soon to arrange your annual customer care review, where we look at your waste and recycling arrangements to check that they are still the most appropriate for your current business needs. We will make sure that you are still 100% compliant with the law and look for opportunities for you to recycle even more of your rubbish. If you have any questions, there will be a chance to ask them during the review, but feel free to get in touch in the meantime if there is anything you need to know.

This year we are helping local charity, Befriend a Child, to collect items to sell in their Holburn Street shop. If anyone in your company has old clothes, accessories, household goods, books, DVDs or unwanted gifts to get rid of, we will collect them and take them to Befriend A Child. Why not put a collection box in the office, or run a competition to see which department can collect the most donations? It’s great for your CSR, and helps vulnerable children in Aberdeen. Just give us a call when you have a couple of bags or boxes filled up.

Please be aware that landfill tax will increase by £2.60 to £82.60 on 1st April this year. It is therefore more important than ever to maximise your recycling to reduce your costs. We are happy to advise on any possible ways of reducing your waste costs.

Congratulations to the AECC for retaining the Gold Award from Green Tourism for running a sustainable business, with a concentrated focus on the environmental impact of its operation. According to Stuart Brain of Green Tourism, “David and the sustainability team, are dedicated to ethical thinking and aim to lead by example which is evidenced by excellent recycling practices over the whole site, promotion of local food and drinks, Healthy Eating Award and supplier screening all backed up by strong management of all things sustainable. Overall a business deserving of continued Gold Award status.”

Congratulations also go to Elan Hair Design for winning the Green Award at the 2014 Northern Star Business Awards, as well as Scotland’s regional Sustainability Award in the British Chambers of Commerce’s Chamber Awards.