We've seen an increase in the importance of recycling and sustainability in various aspects of our lives, and for good reason! While we may typically think of recycling our plastic, metal and cardboard, there is no limit to the types of waste we can repurpose! Green waste, or garden waste is not to be forgotten about, and is a crucial part of recycling! Our blog is here to help you understand the importance of recycling our garden waste, where it goes during the recycling process, and the kinds of ways we can use it after it's been recycled. To find out more, keep on reading!
What Is Classed As Green Waste?
Green waste, also known as ‘biological waste’ is any type of organic waste that can be potentially composted. It usually consists of garden waste, and other organic materials. This usually includes:
● Grass clippings
● Hedge trimmings
● Branches
● Flowers
● Plants
● Leaves
● Bark
● Weeds (aside from Japanese Knotweed)
Why Is It Important To Recycle Green Waste?
Recycling your green waste is extremely important, for a range of reasons. Sending organic waste to landfill is considered a missed opportunity, as organic waste will take up unnecessary space in landfill sites when it can be recycled and repurposed.
Avoiding landfill sites is a key part of maintaining sustainability goals when it comes to waste. Organic waste left in landfills can contribute to the production and release of methane gas, which can damage our atmosphere.
UK landfill sites are already stretched, which is one of the reasons we have seen such an increase in recycling. By reducing the amount of unnecessary waste that goes into landfill sites by recycling, we can ensure that only necessary waste is going to landfill. With zero-waste schemes and more sustainable goals, we can make sure that recyclable materials and bio-degradable items are disposed of in the best way.
Compost Vs Recycling
The typical ways in which green waste is dealt with is usually by composting it or recycling. Your local council will usually offer a green waste collection service on specific days throughout the UK, so your household and commercial green waste can be collected from your waste bin. If you don’t have a green waste recycling bin, or you are producing a lot of green waste, you may want to consider using a private green waste recycling company to help you. These companies will collect the waste from your site, process it and recycle it!
Composting
If you have excess green waste, many homes and businesses decide to compost their materials. Homeowners and business owners can compost green waste generated on their property, including fruit, vegetables and other forms of green waste. But, you should not just chuck any old food waste into your green recycling bin.
Composting is a very effective way that you can dispose of your green waste that can be used very effectively. If your building has space for a small garden or allotment, you can use the compost that you are generating to grow new produce and plants! Many people do this at home, however if your commercial building has some space for a small garden bed, it’s a worthwhile way to use your compost!
Recycled Green Waste: The Journey
Your recycled green waste can be used in a variety of ways and repurposed for different applications. Read below to learn more about where your garden waste goes after it’s been collected.
Composting Sites
After your green waste has been collected, it is usually headed over to a composting site! At the composting site, your waste will be sorted thoroughly, with any non-biodegradable materials being removed. When all your waste has been properly sorted, so that there are only biodegradable materials left, the waste is shredded and left out in a long pile to decompose. This is usually done in open air.
This process is quite similar to what happens in your compost bin at home, but composting sites will actively manage it to speed up the process. However, due to the amount of waste material being dealt with, the temperature needed is a lot higher than what you might find in a compost bin. Temperatures at the composting sites can reach up to 60 degrees Celsius, allowing the enzymes and bacteria to compost the waste in just a few weeks.
The compost material is turned frequently to keep the waste decomposing, and the high temperatures are handy for killing off any harmful plant diseases.
The final part of the process involves screening the compost, to get rid of any final contaminants. Any waste that hasn't decomposed can then be put back through the process until it is ready to be used. This whole process can take between 8 and 16 weeks.
Topsoils
Green waste is a crucial component when it comes to manufactured topsoil. Topsoils are often used to cover the ground, create new beds, or provide a base for turf laying. In areas where there is no access to organic soil, topsoil can be used to help grow other plants. Using green waste in these manufactured topsoils is great because of all the nutrients that are provided. Sometimes, the green waste is mixed with fly ash or coal dust to create this topsoil. Not only does this repurpose the green waste, it repurposes industrial waste like coal dust, and allows it to be cycled back into the environment in a healthy way.
Using green waste in combination with other industrial waste is good for manufactured topsoils, which are then used to grow other plants, contributing to better soil nutrients for growth.
Combined With Sewage
Green waste compost can also be combined with sewage waste to provide a sustainable and environmentally friendly option for sewage disposal. Garden waste can be mixed with wastewater and other sewage components to reduce the risk of pollutants that could harm the environment. Co-composting these types of waste can eliminate these risks, as well as minimising the amount of sewage that is either incinerated or dumped.
It also promotes the recycling of organic waste back into the environment without the risk of excess pollution. Sewage waste and green waste composts can be safely used in agricultural settings, and allows for a complete cycling of these organic materials.
Renewable Energy
Your green waste doesn't just have to be turned into compost though! It can be used extremely effectively to create a renewable source of energy. Green waste can be turned into biogas, which can be used effectively to produce electricity, heat and even an energy source for cooking. Anaerobic digestion is the sustainable process whereby organic matter, such as food or plant waste, is broken down when there is an absence of oxygen. This created bio gas, which is a combination of methane and carbon dioxide, which we then use as a source of energy.
Bio gas can help us to reduce our reliance on petrol based gases, which release a large amount of carbon dioxide when they are burned. As well as minimising the amount of harmful gases we use, bio gas can help us reduce our reliance on fossil fuels too!
Sustainable Waste Management With Cherry Hill Waste
If you’re looking for professional green waste removal, Cherry Hill Waste is here to help. We operate across Stoke on Trent and Newcastle-under-Lyme, so if you’re looking for environmentally friendly waste disposal in the surrounding areas, we’ve got you covered.
Our green waste collection services are designed to make the process as easy as possible! And, if you’re looking for other recycling services, we can help! From wood and green waste recycling to domestic skip hire, we have a comprehensive range of services to suit a range of businesses.
To find out more about our services, or book your green waste collection, contact our team for any further enquiries.
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