waste hierarchy

Does the waste hierarchy matter?

Whether you are a homeowner or business owner, you may have heard the term ‘waste hierarchy’ before. This concept is based on the idea that the best way to deal with waste is organising our priorities so we produce less in the first instance.

For this blog, Staffordshire Skip Hire will talk you through this in greater detail.

What is the waste hierarchy?

If you have ever thought about hiring a skip before, you may have heard of the waste hierarchy. This idea revolves around the notion of the most efficient use of resources – with its objectives aligning with the current EU Waste Framework Directive and how this affects our own waste legislation and regulations. Here are some of the core ideas –

Prevention and minimisation

This is the highest priority of the waste hierarchy. The simplest way to deal with waste is if there is less of it, using less material is the key to cutting down on waste. Plastic bags are a prime example, with the use of plastic drastically cut down in areas such as supermarkets.

Reusing

Where cutting down on waste is not quite feasible, the next best thing is to reuse materials we already have. One example is reusing a plastic bag instead of purchasing new ones. Other examples include cardboard boxes, milk bottles, plastic water bottles and ink cartridges.

Recycling

Anyone who has worked with Staffordshire Skip Hire before knows we are big fans of recycling. Recycling helps us to deal with existing waste but managing not to produce it in the first place is a preferable option.

Disposal

The final option is to landfill, which is, of course, the least preferable option. Burying our waste is not the best idea and should be avoided at all costs.

Get in touch for more information

Efficiency and environmental friendliness are the main guiding principles of our work here at Staffordshire Skip Hire. We segregate everything we collect in our skips and use anything we can, only disposing of it as the final resort – which keeps in line with the waste hierarchy.

This means when you hire a skip from us, you can rest assured we will deal with your waste responsibly. Contact us now for more information or any questions you’ve got.