Show and tell
June 29th 2009 It’s not the process of recycling that’s important, says James Clarke, MD of PHS Direct, it’s the engagement. He tells Gerardine Coyne why he believes attitudes are best shifted by communication
According to Clarke, everybody owns up to the guilty statement, “I threw it away.” But, says Clarke, the fact is, there is no ‘away’, everything ends up somewhere.
“Recycling is one way of reducing landfill, but Clarke is adamant that it must be more than just an idealistic solution. “If recycling doesn’t work, it’s a waste of time. It needs participation from all involved,” he argues. “Priorities are different for every company. Most business adhere to the idea of CSR, but still the practicalities may be missing.
“Today when we’re pitching to a client, a question sometimes heard is, ‘What percentage of your business is environmentally friendly?’ When I ask them to define what they mean by ‘environmentally friendly’, replies vary from muddled to silence. People want to take action and make change, but they are not sure how to go about it. “Paper Track, our latest waste disposal service, allows people to engage with recycling and taking a green stance, because the principles are simple and it’s easy to see the results. Office paper is collected, shredded, recycled into toilet paper and delivered back to Paper Track scheme members. The scheme visibly promotes itself with a tangible product, and an understanding of the process also promotes knock-on recycling in a company, as people think more about where ‘waste’ ends up. The important thing is to have credibility. If people don’t believe the way recycling works, they don’t care. Dressed up environmental ideas, ‘greenwash’, turns people off. It’s solid evidence that gets them on side.”
Pulp facts
The Paper Track toilet tissue is made from 100% recycled paper. The fibres are shorter than those of virgin pulp, so production is easier and uses comparatively less energy. It also breaks down more quickly. According to PHS, 80% of base material for roll products in the UK is imported. As the office paper waste from Paper Track collections goes solely by UK roads, there are clear fuel and CO2 savings. The mill used to breakdown the paper (at Disley near Manchester) can also process staples, bindings and plastic covers. With no need for time-consuming segregation, PHS believes people are more likely to use the system. The mill breaks down the paper using water, and then it is refined. The water used in the processes is taken from the mill, filtered and put back into the river where trout is fished. Any waste is taken to a farm in Norfolk and used as fertiliser.
Business to business recycling is in its infancy, but domestic results are positive, says Clarke. 90% of councils offer doorstep recycling, and since 1991 there has been a 300% increase in recycling rates. “If people get the message, they change their behaviour,” argues Clarke. “Paper Track supplies stickers, posters, newsletters and certificates to show savings made. Even a marginal behaviour change that saves 10% per head per annum, at about £15 (based on 150kg/person/annum), for a large organisation of 3,000 people would save £45,000. “
Worth its weight
So is it worth it? Well every tonne of paper recycled saves 17 trees. “At present PHS handles 1500 tonnes/week of confidential paper waste,“ says Anthony Pearlgood, commercial director, PHS Datashred. “In the recession, companies have become more security conscious and are shredding more waste. Apart from saving landfill tax of £40 tonne, bigger companies have also become more competitive about recycling as a marker to show their shareholders.
“Paper has a value once it is processed, in terms of volume and density, so recycling it is better value than landfilling it, as opposed to say, aluminium cans.”
So what about the future, any more green plans? “We are looking to do an initiative along the same lines as Paper Track but with plastics, such as bottles and bags,” says Clarke. “In terms of chemicals, I think legislation is the driver for reduction. A drive to identify ‘green’ chemicals does exist, and we have been speaking to companies about new ranges, but the fledgling costs are huge.
Everybody is waiting for the tipping point. It’s a chicken and egg situation. We need to get a critical mass of customer demand. “Eventually Iwould like to be in a position where we can offer a premium, standard and environmental range for every one of our products. So that if you want it, you can go straight for the green range.”
Why the division? “High profile customers want three ply tissue in their boardroom bathrooms, or luxury hand cleansing products! Recycled tissue (and plastics) by definition are slightly rougher round the edges, purely as there is a mix of product going in. But we believe if it has the correct feel and weight people will go for it.
“A large part of decision makers’ decisions are driven by management. They will do what they think is right in the context of their job. If the ‘green’ issue hasn’t been raised it’s our job to inform them – look it’s cheap, oh and by the way it’s ethical.
“The choice we offer has to be equal to or better than what they’ve got already, but ultimately people need to make the link between their choices and the environmental impact those choices have.
www.phs.co.uk
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