A RECYCLING system for the region’s businesses has become a runaway success, with almost 90% of waste being recycled.

Launched at the end of last year the Recycling Bank has proved popular with businesses across the North-East and Yorkshire, making recycling easier and more efficient.

The scheme is currently collecting over 50 tonnes of recyclable material a month, with around 90% being diverted from landfill, as well as leaving most of the businesses with virtually no general waste to dispose of.

The system makes recycling quick and easy for businesses by collecting a range of common business waste in one container – paper, cardboard, plastics, metal cans and plastic film. The company then recovers the recycling at its materials recycling facilities.

Adrian Denton, Premier’s divisional director for collection and sales, said: “Last year the EU introduced legislation which required businesses to reduce waste. We devised the Recycling Bank system to recycle materials that are the most abundant in the commercial waste stream.

“A lot of our customers get deliveries of cans or plastic containers in poly wrapped cardboard trays and we can recycle all of this.

“We are seeing businesses really engaging with the new system, and clearly it is working. We are getting fantastic rates of recycling from the Recycling Banks. It really is a great way for ‘green’ businesses to do their bit for the environment.”

Dacon Fabrications Limited, on the Team Valley Trading Estate, Gateshead, started using the system in October 2008 and Mark Bocking, the firm’s purchasing manager, noticed the benefits almost immediately.

“The Recycling Bank is a decent size for us,” he said.

“We just keep it near the production line so that waste cardboard, bubble wrap and everything else can go straight in. The factory’s certainly much tidier and we are doing a lot more recycling since we started using this system.”