Customers & Services
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Reusables UK Ltd will collect reusable packaging from domestic and commercial customers, collate and clean it, then sell it back to the packaging producer. Bottles, containers or other packaging that can be collected by us will have our logo displayed on it. We will provide customers with heavy duty bags with the same logo displayed on it. For domestic customers the service will be free - the cost of service will be recouped from selling the packaging. Bags will be collected from the same location as your regular refuse collection service.
We intend, by creating the infrastructure to reuse packaging, to encourage the creation of reusable alternatives to many single use plastic items. Food products can be sold in returnable tubs. Reusable envelopes to replace windowed envelopes. Sturdier bottles that can survive being washed can replace single use plastic bottles. Biscuit and sweet tubs can be returned to the manufacturer. And takeaway tubs can finally be reused.
Residential customers shouldn't experience any change in service. The only noticeable change will be the type of trucks collecting the their waste, as the compactors will be removed from service. There shouldn't be any increase in costs - these will be recovered from the sales of reusable packaging to the manufacturers. Indeed, as we will be paying for the collections to be diverted to our sorting centres there is scope for domestic waste collection costs to reduce. These savings may be passed on to council tax payers.
For companies producing or filling packaging, including bottles and containers, the time to move to reusable packaging is now.
Public sentiment is on the side of reducing plastic waste, new legislation is coming in to make plastic packaging more expensive and to make the manufacturer liable for disposal of their product's packaging. Single use plastic will become more expensive to use and socially unacceptable. We are creating the infrastructure to enable packaging producers to create reusable products that we can collect from the public and return to either them or their customers. By returning the products to either the packaging or product manufacturer, we will allow them to resell the same unit multiple times. Put simply, in this scenario for reusable products the cost per unit is derived from the costs of collection, washing and distribution - not the production cost.
When a manufacturer partners with us we'll talk through the packaging you use or produce, such as the material, washing requirements, dimensions, weight etc. We'll negotiate a price per unit you'll pay for each item returned to you, which will depend on weight, shape, dimensions and cleaning requirements - but some example prices are below. If our standard machines can't cope with your requirements we'll arrange for a bespoke machine to be made by our manufacturers. We'll liaise with your procurement team to arrange deliveries that fit into your supply chain requirements.
Example prices for glass bottles:
Bottle capacity Total price per unit
275ml £0.06
330ml £0.08
500ml £0.10
700ml £0.14
1 litre £0.18
If you wish to discuss being a partner please use our contact form and we will be happy to discuss how we can help your business.
For Business Customers ease of use is the primary consideration. So as with domestic customers we will be aiming to have collection time and points the same as your current collections, and the service will not cost anything additional to your current costs.
We will be partnering with commercial waste collection companies to collect our bags from your business. The commercial waste companies will be able to make additional revenue from your waste by selling packaging to us, so we are expecting to be able to provide a small discount on your waste disposal costs. But in return for this discount you would be expected to place the packaging we can collect into our bags with care being taken not to smash glass bottles and containers. We will liaise with you to determine the number of our bags you will need and our business partners will leave behind as many as they take when they collect our bags.
Business customers will be permitted to use your affiliation with us for promotional purposes, to demonstrate your business is actively reducing plastic waste.
A huge market is developing for reusable products. Additionally, the government is introducing a plastic packaging tax in 2022 and a deposit return scheme for bottles in 2023. Further legislation pushing us towards a circular economy can be expected.
We can provide the infrastructure to allow your business to become plastic waste free, arranging for the products you manufacture and/or sell to be packaged in low cost, reusable packaging solutions. We will then collect the packaging after use, clean it and return to the packaging manufacturer for resale to you.
If you wish to reduce your plastic waste, please use our contact form and we will be happy to discuss how we can help your business.
For Local Authorities, moving from recycling to reusables will not only reduce plastic waste, it will reduce the amount of recycling and general waste that each household produces. Reusables UK will be collecting glass as well as plastic packaging for washing and reuse and this will have a large impact on the number of collection services you will have to provide. We expect to be able to move the equivalent of half the recycling over to reusables, reducing the number of total refuse collections councils have to provide by around 1/8th. Moreover, the plastic is the unprofitable part of recycling. Your local authority will still be left with the in demand tin cans.
We want to coordinate with local authorities, making sure our collection times tie in with yours, having collection dates added to the information you provide the public. By partnering with us local authorities can reduce costs, meet recycling/plastic waste reduction targets, and provide jobs.
If your authority wishes to learn more about partnering with us please use our contact form and we will be happy to discuss how we can help you.
We are looking for companies to work with us in providing the collection services. If your company offers waste collection services and you are looking for ways to expand your service then please contact us to discuss becoming a business partner.