Environmental Care - packaging and waste policy
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When Spearmark International supplies you with goods that have packaging around it, we only use
packing materials that can be recycled and we use as little as possible, commensurate with
ensuring your goods arrive in perfect condition.
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For the well being of the environment, you should dispose of this packaging in an appropriate
manner. The UK has a national waste strategy which deals, amongst other things, with packaging.
The main objectives of the strategy are to reduce the amount of packaging and packaging waste,
to reuse packaging where possible and to recover and in particular recycle, increasing amounts of
the packaging waste that flows into the waste stream. These requirements are set out in an EU
Directive.
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You can make a valuable contribution to the UK packaging waste targets by recycling the transit
packaging around the goods we have sent you and not throwing it away. The UK must recycle
increasing amounts of packaging each year to meet the EU Directive targets.
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Recovery of packaging waste includes recycling, composting or burning with energy recovery.
Recycling is a process by which the packaging material is broken down and reformed as raw
material suitable for use again. Paper and cardboard is recycled by breaking the material down into
fibres with water and other chemicals and regenerating into sheets. Glass is broken into small
pieces and added to a glass furnace and melted into new product. Aluminium and steel are
separated and melted into ingots. Plastics are also melted down and extruded into pellets for using
again.
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The most appropriate method of disposal is to recycle this packaging, but one of the major
problems of recycling packaging is that it is mixed, and your waste contractor may require that you
separate the packaging into the different materials before collection. Often a waste contractor will
reduce the amount charged to uplift packaging waste if it is sorted and in some cases may even
make payment.
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If you use the local authority to collect your waste, a recyclables collection may be available please
contact your local authority.
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Packaging may be marked to assist you in recycling, which is particularly helpful for sorting. These
marks are as follows:
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Aluminium
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Steel
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Glass
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Plastics
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