In the bottled water industry, chemicals are used for cleaning and disinfection purposes. These chemicals are water-based and used at a high dilution. Most frequently encountered sizes of containers are 1000L, 200L and 25L. The chemical manufacturer will often arrange return of the empty 1000L and 200L containers, free of charge, for re-use. However, not many will pick up the 25L containers. As a result, these will often end up in land fill.
Recently, recycling companies have appeared on the scene who will collect empty 25L containers for re-use or plastic recycling. This has not been so common in the past because companies would not collect small numbers of containers. A company in Manchester, PRDS Ltd, will collect empty 25L containers, provided they have no toxic or flammable residues. This is therefore ideal for chemical containers used in the beverage industry.
Collection of 1 pallet of 48 containers will cost £50.00, collected from anywhere on the UK mainland, although this cost is waived if the bottler is able to deliver to the company in Manchester with their own transport. Note that it is still necessary to rinse-out the containers before despatch. This is a very positive step towards responsible handling of plastic waste in the beverage industry.
