Yorkshire-based waste management and recycling company MYGroup has supported Southend-on-Sea City Council in demonstrating a proof-of-concept to increase plastic recycling rates among businesses and organisations as part of an EU-sponsored programme, ‘PlastiCity’.
PlastiCity is funded by the EU’s European Regional Development Fund with the aim of developing replicable strategies and solutions for increasing recycling rates in urban areas of four European countries – the UK (Southend-on-Sea), Belgium (Ghent), France (the Douai region) and the Netherlands (The Hague).
The project has a particular focus on increasing recycling rates of ‘lost plastics’ – material eligible for recycling, but not yet collected or processed by mainstream waste management operations and subsequently sent to landfill.
MYGroup has delivered 500 specially designed recycling boxes for the Council to distribute to businesses and organisations across the city region, including schools, charities and libraries, for the collection of the hard-to-recycle plastic waste, such as soft plastic used for wrapping and bags.
The plastic waste is being collected and processed by MYGroup at the company’s state-of-the-art facilities in Hull, East Yorkshire, where it will be recycled, end-to-end, back into supply chains. The 500 boxes provided equate to approximately three tons of plastic waste when full, with 39 collected so far.
The Council in Southend-on-Sea, which was granted city status in March last year, was successful in securing funding for the PlastiCity programme to deliver innovative ways and strategies to dispose of plastic waste via the circular economy. The four cities taking part in the programme are aiming to increase plastic recycling rates in their region from 20% to 50% by 2030.
Local businesses and organisations were identified as a particular focus of the Council’s efforts during an initial mapping and research stage to understand the behaviours and barriers around plastic recycling. Through ongoing engagement with these groups, it became evident that businesses and schools, particularly, were keen to collaborate on environmental projects and make strides towards sustainability.
As a consequence, the Council initiated the ‘PlastiCity Pledge’ – encouraging these organisations to reduce waste and make efforts to improve recycling performance, as well as to measure and report their improvement over a six-month period. The MYGroup recycling boxes, collection and processing services are providing the means to deliver on this pledge.
Geeta Gaundar, PlastiCity Project Manager, Southend-on-Sea City Council, said: ‘MYGroup has been instrumental in helping us demonstrate replicable capabilities for processing hard-to-recycle plastic, as well as to generally promote the benefits of the circular economy – two core pillars of the PlastiCity project.’
Councillor Carole Mulroney, Cabinet Member for Environment, Culture and Tourism, Southend-on-Sea City Council, said: ‘Plastic waste causes severe damage to the environment and wildlife, and it is important we act now to pave the way for future generations. Southend-on-Sea was the only city in the UK to be chosen to take part in the project, meaning we have a huge opportunity and responsibility to set the gold standard for plastic recycling for others to follow.’
Steve Carrie, Director, MYGroup, said: ‘We’re proud to be working hand-in-hand with a local authority to bolster recycling capacity and expertise within an urban municipality – processing and transforming plastic waste that would otherwise end up in landfill or incineration. We hope these efforts will inspire the other European city regions involved in the PlastiCity project and beyond to invest in and grow their waste management capabilities.’
PlastiCity is part of a wider EU inter-region cooperation programme, ‘Interreg 2 Seas’, which finances projects focused on combatting climate change, reducing carbon and promoting sustainability in coastal countries along the southern North Sea and English Channel.
Testimonials from local business and school:
- 3D FilaPrint
‘At 3DFilaPrint Ltd, we believe that sustainability should be a top priority for every company and are grateful to have the Council as a partner that shares our vision. The mixed plastic waste recycling boxes have made it easy for us to implement sustainable practices, and we are confident they will continue to play a significant role in our sustainability efforts.‘We would like to express our appreciation for the innovative solution and dedication to sustainability, and are sure the mixed plastic waste recycling boxes will be a game-changer in the 3D printing industry. We look forward to continuing our partnership to make a positive impact on the environment.’
- Friars Primary School
‘Here at Friars Primary School, we have taken part in the Plasticity pledge and have been using the mixed plastic recycling boxes supplied by MYGroup. Everyone has jumped on board and is recycling every bit of plastic that enters our school! Staff and children alike are intrigued and interested in how much plastic we have collected. Everyone is seeing what a positive impact we are having with this initiative and the ease of collections makes it all the more engaging.‘We recognise our responsibility to protect the environment and include this in our education system. Working with PlastiCity and recycling the plastic in our school environment brings a practical element to learning. We have learned about what can be recycled and the value of everyone working together collectively to achieve greater sustainability, in school and at home.’
Find out more at: https://www.mygroupltd.com.