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Key facts about the community waste sector
The community waste sector attracts a wide range of people from a wide range of social backgrounds and provides them with a variety of work experience and skills.
This is reflected in the range of activities undertaken and the materials collected or processed within the sector. These include:
- batteries
- bicycles
- cardboard
- compostables
- construction/demolition waste
- furniture
- glass
- large/small household appliances
- household consumer equipment
- IT and communications equipment
- lighting equipment
- nappies
- metals/alloys
- oils
- paint
- paper
- plastics
- shoes
- spectacles
- textiles
- tools
- vehicles and wood.
The amount of ‘rubbish’ diverted from the waste stream by the community waste sector is considerable but has great potential to grow.
Key facts about the community waste sector (as of 2006) include:
- re-uses 2 million items including 1/4 million electrical items and diverts 85,000 tonnes of waste from landfill
- 2.5 million households in the UK (10% of the population) are served by a community waste sector kerbside scheme
- over 150 community composting projects are active in the UK