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| The first Remade initiative in the UK was set up in 1998 in Scotland and there are now 16 similar organisations operating across the UK. These organisations have established a network for all resource market development programmes, the Remade Network UK, which enables best practice to be shared with members and the wider community. |
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| Meeting Future Challenges |
Remade South East has been helping companies and local authorities by working with them to improve their performance on collection, reprocessing, remanufacture and purchasing. This essential service is needed more than ever in the face of an increasing amount of legislation being introduced in the UK requiring the responsible disposal and recycling of materials such as packaging waste, electrical goods, tyres, hazardous waste, vehicles, agricultural waste and biodegradable waste. New restrictions have been placed on landfill space and are putting pressure on local authorities and waste companies to find alternative methods of disposal. To add to the overall disposal problems already being encountered, the rate that waste is being generated is increasing every year. This is likely to be unsustainable in the long-term. Meeting the challenge to reverse this trend will require a radical approach to conventional waste disposal activities.
To address this significant challenge, Remade will continue to work with its partners to meet recycling targets and to find innovative ways to create new products from waste resources. Remade's aim is to identify the most cost effective and environmentally friendly options through research and development projects. These solutions will demonstrate best practice through the creation of new technologies and new jobs within the sector. The programme also seeks to provide training and awareness-raising opportunities to promote the remanufacture and purchase of recycled products. |
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| Our achievements so far… |
| Since Remade South East was established in 2001, the programme has: |
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Diverted over 105,000 tonnes of waste away from landfill and into new products. |
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Created 12 pilot recycling projects in partnership with businesses and local authorities. |
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Created and maintained the Kent Exchange and Resources Directory in partnership with Kent’s egeneration website. |
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Developed and expanded the Kent Green Buyer’s Club to 70 member businesses and local authorities. |
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Devised and managed 3 major “green” trade fairs in partnership with London Remade and Essex Remade. |
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Established a computer recycling project, UK Recycle IT, in Aylesford Kent. |
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Worked in partnership with DMS Composites and Kingston University to develop a new foamed glass construction product. |
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Applied 14,000 tonnes of municipal organic waste as horticultural mulch as part of a project being operated with the Waste Resources Action Programme (WRAP). |
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Created a closed loop cardboard collection scheme (Medwrap) in the Medway towns. |
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Trained over 100 rural businesses to produce compost through the Mid- Kent Leader + programme. |
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Carried out 24 Business Reviews and enrolled and assisted 30+ small to medium sized businesses in the Waste Sector in Kent, through the European funded Interreg 111a Eco-Enterprise programme. |
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| Future Challenges |
Collection schemes
Remade South East will be working with its local authority partners to improve the supply of recyclable materials to the reprocessing industry, through working closely with Districts to improve collection, increase resident participation and maximise recycling in residential and rural areas.
Reprocessing and manufacture
A new focus will be on encouraging local reprocessing of organic waste into compost and will be seeking to encourage more local reprocessing solutions for waste agricultural plastics, upvc windows and wood. Remade will be seeking to identify new commercial partners to invest in reprocessing in the South east.
Purchasing
The Kent Green Buyers Club will be promoted and expanded to encourage the purchase of recycled products and materials in the public and private sectors by raising awareness of green procurement and greening the supply chain. The creation of additional sector specific resource efficiency clubs is also planned.
Partnership working
The programme’s team acknowledges that partnership working is essential in achieving these major challenges. Stronger relationships with regional partners such as the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) and the Government Office for the South East (GOSE) are being developed along with better links with the Thames Gateway Delivery Boards. National partnerships such as those with the Waste Resources Action Programme (WRAP), Envirowise, Defra and the Dti will also be developed.
To find out more about Remade South East and the programmes mentioned here, please call 01732 876617 or email info@remade-southeast.co.uk
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