The number of butcher shops on the high street has fallen, but there are still more than 5,000 butchers in the UK. Yorkshire has a proud history of butchers with close ties to the county’s farming heritage. Each one produces a wide range of waste – beyond just meat waste – every day they’re open.

Effectively managing and reducing this is vital to operate sustainably and save on costs. The environmental impact of meat production and consumption is well-known, so it’s especially important for butchers to focus on sustainability. This requires taking steps to minimise waste production from meat, packaging, and other areas.

Discover how to manage and reduce your butcher’s waste to protect the environment and save your business money with these tips and advice.

Supplying staff with the sharpest knives should help trim back on meat waste. Using sharp butcher knives ensures clean cuts of meat, fewer mistakes, and less fat sliced off for efficient results. Blunt knives and those of the incorrect sizes may lead to uneven cuts and additional meat waste.

It can be worth investing more on high quality knives that last longer, retain their sharpness, and deliver a cleaner cut. Regularly checking, sharpening, and cleaning your knives should be common practice. If it’s not, put in place a routine to avoid any use of damaged knives or those that aren’t sharp enough.

Not everything flies off the shelves. There may be some cuts of meat or other items that aren’t as popular as others. As most meat has a relatively short shelf life it’s vital to take action, so it doesn’t just get thrown out at the end of the day and become meat waste.

Discounting slow selling items is a great way to encourage consumers to pick up some less popular products. Determine the best times to reduce prices based on footfall, the amount of each product, and your remaining opening hours. Selling things for cheap is still better financially than throwing it away.

If you find certain cuts of meat or other products are consistently slow sellers then it may be worth reducing how much you sell or stop stocking them.

Spoiled meat can cause waste that was otherwise avoidable for butchers. A common reason for this is due to it being kept in poor conditions. Check that all meat is stored at the optimum temperature to keep it fresh for longer and reduce the risk of spoilage and waste.

Investing in good quality chillers and storage equipment with enough capacity is vital to prevent meat products being stored incorrectly. Clear labelling of items including dates should also help with inventory and reduce the risk of them going off.

Stay on top of your waste management with butchers waste collection across Yorkshire with Divert. Select from daily, weekly, and fortnightly collections to suit your needs. Our licensed waste carriers will remove any type and amount of waste from your butcher’s shop and divert it away from landfill.

We provide free bins with zero delivery or rental costs – you only pay for collection This includes for wheelie bins to store the likes of food waste, glass recycling, and packaging waste. Separating waste streams is easy to help your butcher shop run sustainably.

Recycling is something businesses and households across Yorkshire and the rest of the country should be doing regularly. However, simply throwing away waste you believe to be recyclable into a dry mixed recycling bin and assuming that’s the end of its journey isn’t always the case.

Putting inappropriate items in any recycling bin is a form of wishcycling. According to research from WRAP, around 84% of households in the UK are wishcycling. It’s often accidental and done with the best intentions but the practice can contaminate recycling bins at home and in the workplace.

Learn all about wishcycling and how to avoid it at home and in your business.

Examples of wishcycling by businesses and households involve incorrect waste items being put in the wrong recycling bin. Often this is throwing away materials with dry mixed recycling that’s not accepted. A prime example is glass, which should be recycled in a separate glass recycling bin by businesses.

For households, examples of wishcycling can vary as what’s accepted in domestic recycling bins differs depending on local authorities (some accept glass, for example).
These are five of the most commonly wishcycled items:

• Drinking glasses – should be recycled separately with other glass waste
• Foil pouches – can contain other materials such as plastic that’s hard to separate
• Toothpaste tubes – contamination from remaining toothpaste
• Plastic film lids – often too thin to recycle with other plastics so should be separated
• Tissues and paper towels – usually too thin and contaminated for recycling so should be disposed of with general waste

Every business in the UK must legally use licensed waste carriers to remove and dispose of any commercial waste they produce. Some organisations may have a team of drivers who are licensed waste carriers, but most don’t. Instead, using a third-party waste management company is the best option for most UK businesses.

There are lots of waste collection companies in Yorkshire and even more across the wider country. Deciding which is right for your needs is tricky, as at their root they should all provide the same service. However, there are some things to consider to make the right choice.

Find the best option whether you run a start-up and need a waste management partner as you launch, or your existing organisation wants to switch to a more reliable and affordable waste collection company. Consider all the following factors to help determine the best waste collection partner for your business.

What happens to the waste once it’s removed from your business? You want to partner with a waste management company that has good environmental credentials and a strong green reputation. This means one that does as much as possible to divert waste away from landfill by recycling and recovering it instead.

For the likes of cardboard, glass, and plastic this means taking it all to recycling facilities so it can be reused. With food waste and garden waste, it could be transported to a composting site or anaerobic digestion plant to generate energy from waste. This helps align with your own green policies.

It’s better for the environment and far more sustainable, which can enhance your own environmental reputation. Plus, recycling and recovering waste should mean you pay less landfill tax as part of your waste management costs. Seek waste management companies that don’t just send all rubbish to landfill.

You want to work with a trustworthy waste management partner that will deliver on everything they promise. A good way to gain such reassurance is by asking for recommendations from other friends and businesses or speaking to existing customers. Search online for any information about the company for some insight into its reputation.

Reading online reviews can provide peace of mind that their customers are satisfied or warn you away from those that have problems. Check their website for any case studies but also look at third-party sites such as Trustpilot and Google Reviews for honest and independent reviews. This gives an idea of their reliability from real customers’ testaments.

If you’ve got a specific need then check the reviews for customers’ thoughts on that – whether it’s price, speed, customer service, or anything else. Reviews also give a true insight into how good the customer service is, which is a key consideration for most businesses.

Should you struggle to differentiate and decide between two or more potential waste management companies, see if any of them offer any perks. This could be something as simple as providing free bins rather than charging a fee for rental, delivery, or having to purchase your own bins. The savings soon add up.

Other possible USPs can include the contract length and its terms and conditions, providing a free month if you sign up for a year, or offering a referral fee for recommendations. Some waste management firms may be open for negotiations on various aspects, so it could be worth asking.

New simpler recycling regulations are reforms being introduced by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) across the UK. Their purpose is to simplify and standardise household bin collections and commercial waste management, so every local council and authority follows the same processes.

There are differences in how bin collections work across England. For example, most households in York have three recycling boxes with lids, homes in Leeds have one green bin for recycling, while Bradford households have a grey bin for domestic recycling. The types of recyclable rubbish you can put in each one vary too.

The UK government recently announced a policy update for the simpler recycling regulations that come into force from the start of April 2025. Discover how Defra’s simpler recycling scheme will affect businesses and households and how you should prepare.

Defra’s simpler recycling plans also apply to businesses in England. This includes all ‘non-household municipal premises in England’ such as schools, churches, and hospitals. Businesses will have to use different containers and organise separate waste collections for:

• General waste
• Food waste (mixed with garden waste if appropriate)
• Paper and cardboard (can be together)
• Other dry recyclables (glass, plastic, and metal – can be together)

This means businesses won’t be able to throw all their rubbish in one general waste bin, which should help improve recycling rates. It’s a similar model adopted by Wales. Companies can use dry mixed recycling bins to combine plastic and metal packaging but will require separate bins for paper and cardboard.

Rather than relying on local councils and authorities, businesses will need to work with their current or new licensed waste management collectors to comply with the new rules. It’s vital you have the right types, sizes, and number of bins in place before the simpler recycling rules are in place to avoid any potential fines or penalties.

If you run a business, then now is the time to ensure you’re ready to meet the new simpler recycling regulations. At Divert we’re here to help whether you’re an existing customer or just looking for some expert advice. Our friendly team can listen to your needs and advise on how to get your company ready for simpler recycling.

We can provide free bins to separate waste types and comply with the new simpler recycling regulations. There are no bin hire or delivery fees, you only pay for collection. Choose from a wide range of bin types and sizes to manage general waste, food waste, paper and cardboard, dry mixed recycling, and garden waste efficiently.

Arrange regular and reliable collections before the deadline at the end of March 2025. We’ll ensure everything is in place, so your company complies with the new simpler recycling regulations an avoids any potential fines and penalties. Get a free quote and find out more today – contact us online or call 0333 444 0117.

Renovating a house is a big job that requires plenty of research and planning. It’s worth it in the end though to achieve the home of your dreams and add value to a property. The costs, timeline, and scale of work for UK home renovations vary but good preparation is vital.

You might be thinking about renovating your entire house or just focusing on doing up one room like the bathroom or kitchen. Whatever the size of your ambitions there are many considerations and steps to consider before putting plans in place. Clearing space is one of them where our man and van services can help.

To ensure everything runs smoothly when renovating a room or your entire home we’ve compiled the key things in this house renovation checklist and answered some common questions. Discover how to plan a house renovation with these steps to reduce the risk of delays and issues when creating your dream home.

How much house renovation costs depends on the specific nature of the job. Factors that affect the price of home renovations include the work being carried out, the builders used, if planning permission is needed, how long the renovations take, whether you use an architect, and any unforeseen circumstances.

Remodelling just one room could cost a few thousand pounds and should be cheaper than a full home refurbishment. Loft conversions and extensions are generally more expensive than renovations too. Factors such as your location, size and age of the property, and scale of the work affect house renovation costs. Request a few quotes from builders for an accurate price.

Effective planning should help your home renovation run smoothly, whether you’re remodelling the entire property or just one room. Follow these steps to renovate a house so you’re properly prepared before the building work begins.

Before planning any home renovations you must work out what you can realistically afford. Otherwise, you may have to pause work partway through if you run out of funds. Once you’ve got an accurate idea of what you can spend on home improvements you can assess the scale of the project.

You might find it would be a stretch to do everything you want at once, so have to change your plans to just focus on one or two rooms. Ensure you leave aside an emergency fund in case any unforeseen circumstances crop up. You’ll also need to inform your home insurance company about the work to check the renovations are covered.

When you know what home renovations you plan to make, it’s time to enlist some professional help. You may want the advice and services of designers and architects if you’ve got big plans. For smaller renovations, you might just want to work with builders, plumbers, and electricians to sort out the refurbishments.

Ask friends, family, and neighbours for any recommendations first, especially if they’ve had the same kind of home renovations done. It’s likely you’ll also look online to find the help you need. Always read the reviews and try to see if there are any case studies including photos and videos of similar jobs.

It’s a good idea to contact a few builders to get an idea of what each one offers. You can also then compare quotes and seek any expert advice you require before making a decision. Take your time as agreeing to such work is a big and expensive job, so you want to get it right.

Working with your chosen builders you can then create a clear schedule of works. This outlines every job they’ll carry out in order for your home renovation project. It provides peace of mind that nothing is missed and forms some proof of agreement for the work to keep it on track and within budget.

Confirm the timeline with your builder. They can advise on any possible delays or price changes for materials, scheduling issues due to other work, or supplier problems. The schedule of works should make it clear who is responsible for ordering materials so there are no delays or crossed wires.

Think about how the renovations will impact your daily life. Even if it’s just a bathroom renovation, you won’t have access to these facilities during refurbishment work. Ask if you can use a neighbour’s house or consider moving out while the work is underway. For extensive home renovations, this might be necessary.

The builders should explain the timeline and advise on how long you could be without electricity, gas, and water in certain rooms. Plan around this to minimise the impact. For example, empty the fridge and freezer if you’re having a kitchen renovation and there’ll be no power in the room for a few days.

Every year we create 430 million tonnes of plastic waste across the world. It’s one of the most used materials for packaging as well as for creating furniture, casings for electronic devices, vehicle parts, and even clothing. Look around and it won’t take you long to spot something containing plastic.

There are many benefits of plastic. It’s cheap to produce, lightweight, can be moulded into many shapes, and doesn’t corrode or conduct heat or electricity. However, there are problems when any plastic product reaches the end of its life. Some plastics are recyclable, but many types aren’t and seriously damage the environment.

Understanding the importance of recycling plastic from your business or household and the reasons for cutting down on its use is essential. Here we explain why plastic is bad, which types you can and can’t recycle, and how to dispose of it responsibly to help inform your future plastic choices.

Not all plastic is recyclable. The Resin Identification Code (RIC) is the number in a triangle on any plastic product that identifies its type. Generally, the lower the number the higher the chance it is recyclable. For example, RIC 1 is for polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which covers many plastic drinks bottles and cups that are commonly recycled.

RIC 6 is for polystyrene (PS), which isn’t recycled as often or easily. Some plastics aren’t recycled as it’s currently too expensive or ineffective to do so. Thin plastic film, wrapping, and some bags can cause plastic recycling machinery to jam as they can clog the equipment.

The process of recycling certain plastics is also not economically viable for recycling plants and the recycled materials may be too weak to be of any use. However, improvements are being made to try and recycle thin plastic bags and wrappers separately, away from solid plastics like those for drinks bottles.

The way plastics are made affects whether they’re recyclable or not. Thermoset plastics contain polymers that form irreversible chemical bonds, which means they can’t be recycled. Normally plastics with a higher RIC are less likely to be recyclable than the likes of PET and HDPE plastics.

Technically, most plastics are recyclable but in reality, there are various types that aren’t recycled. This is due to a lack of infrastructure or economic viability to recycle certain kinds. Domestic plastic recycling also varies across the UK. If you want to recycle plastic at home then check with your local council or authority what types they accept.

Generally, these are some common types of plastic that cannot be recycled yet:

• Black plastic
• Plastic-coated wrapping paper
• Blended foil and plastic wrappers (like crisp packets)
• Cling film and thin plastic film
• Plastic blister packages
• Composite plastics

Most plastics are recyclable, but you should check with your local council or waste collection company first. It’s important that the plastics are clean and dry before being placed in a recycling bin. This removes any contaminants to improve the chance of the materials being recycled.

These are common plastic types you can and should recycle at home or work:

• Plastic drinks bottles (often PET)
• Plastic milk, shampoo, and cleaning product bottles (often HDPE)
• Margarine tubs, yoghurt pots, and plastic food trays (often PP)
• Some plastic bags (often LDPE)
• Bubble wrap, polystyrene, bread bags (miscellaneous plastics)

The summer months are meant to be enjoyed outside. It’s prime time for BBQs, sunbathing in the garden, and getting plenty of vitamin D before another dreary autumn arrives. However, more sunshine and warmer weather aren’t ideal for those plastic wheelie bins full of rubbish outside your home or business.

Higher humidity encourages bacterial growth that attracts pests, creates a nasty smell, and the sun can damage the actual bin. This ruins any BBQ, garden party, or chance to relax outside. Looking after your bins with a few simple actions helps you make the most out of the summer season.

Use these tips to stop your bin from smelling, prevent attracting pests, and protect your bins at home or work in the summer.

Warm bins are a hotbed of horrid smells in summer. Organic waste like food scraps decompose faster when it’s hot, which releases nasty odours. Even if your bins are stored away from your garden or any outside seating at your workplace, the stench can spread, especially if it’s windy.

Follow these simple steps for ideas of how to stop your bin smelling in summer:

• Clean your bins – after your bins are emptied wash the inside out with water and some anti-bacterial solution and then rinse. This should get rid of bacteria and stop it from growing while also removing any foul smells.
• Wash out recycling – used food and drink packaging like yoghurt pots, crisp packets, and margarine tubs can contain remnants of food that rot quickly in warm weather. Carefully clean out all recycling before putting it in your bin to remove contaminants and the chance of a bad smell developing fast.
• Double bag any food waste – ideally you would compost any food waste where possible rather than throwing it out with general waste to avoid it going to landfill. Not everyone has a garden or compost bin though. When getting rid of food scraps in summer it’s best to double bag it to avoid decomposing food to fall out of split bags and release a foul odour.

All businesses in the UK must pay licensed waste carriers to remove rubbish from their site and dispose of it at an appropriate facility. The costs involved vary depending on the types and amount of waste, your location, how often waste is collected, and the waste collector you use.

Every good business plan includes a strategy for waste management that should budget for the costs of storage, collection, and disposal. If you’re just starting out or are reviewing your budget and operations then you might wonder if you’re paying too much for waste management. Prices increase like anything else but there are ways to lower your spending.

Cost-effective waste management is possible for any kind and size of business and at Divert we can help. Understand why your commercial waste collection costs could be higher than expected and explore some easy actions for more affordable waste management.

All sorts of factors can affect your waste management costs, some of which you can control. External things like rising wages and fuel prices can’t be helped but you can review your current waste management processes to find ways to save money. Using the best bins, waste collection company, and practices can ensure cost-effective commercial waste management.

Consider these actions to try and reduce your waste management costs:

• Reduce your waste – the easiest way to cut back on your waste collection costs is to reduce the amount you create. Review the current waste types and volumes you produce and determine ways to reuse materials and minimise how much you generate. This could involve adapting processes, changing orders, and implementing policies.
• Recycle more – arranging collection of waste for recycling from your business costs less than sending it to landfill or for incineration. Assess your waste production and determine where you can recycle more materials rather than throwing them all in one general waste bin. Glass, cardboard, paper, metal, and some plastics should all be recycled. Having more recycling bins can be more cost-effective than using one big general waste container.
• Reduce collection frequencies – some things such as food waste should be removed regularly to keep your premises hygienic and prevent a foul odour from developing. However, for dry waste and recycling you could save money by storing it onsite for longer before booking collections. Switching to fortnightly rather than weekly collections helps ensure bins are full and reduces your waste collection costs.
• Use bigger bins – for dry waste it’s more cost-effective to use fewer big bins rather than lots of small ones. These save space and you can combine using bigger containers with less frequent collections for a cost-effective solution.
• Check weight and fill limits – avoid any overweight or excess waste charges by ensuring your rubbish is within any weight limits or max fill lines on the bins. If you’re often above or close to the limit then add an extra bin to your service or switch to larger containers, as it should be cheaper than regularly paying overweight charges.

Walk down any city street and sadly it won’t be long before you spot a crisp packet blowing in the wind, a plastic bag stuck in a tree, or a crushed can on the pavement. The UK is literally littered with rubbish that’s unsightly. It also has a serious environmental and financial impact.

Local authorities in the UK spend around £700 million to clear up litter in public places every year. Most people use bins to get rid of their rubbish to keep it secure and ensure responsible disposal. Carelessness, laziness, and ignorance can all cause littering and lead to waste entering and harming the environment in many ways.

Litter adds to the waste in our waterways, contributes to pollution, and can harm wildlife and human health. Don’t be a litterbug – discover how litter affects the environment and what we can all do to prevent it and look after our planet properly.

Litter is small bits of rubbish dropped on the ground in public places. This includes waste left lying on the street, footpaths, in parks, and on beaches. Littering is the action of leaving little bits of rubbish in public. Most kinds of litter are associated with smoking, eating, and drinking – anything larger could be considered fly-tipping.

Some of the most common types of litter are:

• Plastic drink bottles
• Metal drink cans
• Cigarette butts
• Crisp packets
• Takeaway and fast food boxes
• Plastic bags

Leaving litter lying around damages the local environment in many ways. These small bits of rubbish soon add up and have a significant impact on the wider world. The weather means litter can blow or wash away into other places and affect our water, ground, air, and wildlife in negative ways.

Littering is bad for the environment as it can cause:

• Pollution – litter released into the environment will start to degrade where it lands. This can release hazardous, toxic, and chemical elements as well as microplastics into the environment as it breaks down, depending on the material. It can pollute nearby water, ground, and air as the litter’s disposal isn’t properly managed and controlled.
• Groundwater contamination – bits of litter can end up in rivers, streams, canals, and oceans that affect wildlife and drinking water sources. As litter decomposes any toxic and hazardous elements may leach into the groundwater and affect the drinking sources of humans and animals.
• Greenhouse gas emissions – organic waste such as food scraps decompose and release methane into the atmosphere (rather than being recycled, composted, or recovered where the emissions are controlled and used to create energy). This pollutes the air and contributes to global warming and climate change.
• Health hazards – rubbish in public places can attract pests that spread disease, such as rodents and insects. There’s also the risk of injury from people tripping over litter or cutting themselves on broken glass or metal tins and drink cans.

Businesses are responsible for waste management on their premises, which includes ensuring all rubbish is stored, removed, and disposed of properly. Littering can be an issue for companies if customers or staff drop rubbish and the wind carries it into public spaces and nearby waterways. For events and businesses with outdoor or exposed areas, it’s more of a risk.

To prevent littering within your business you must have the right types, sizes, and number of bins in place for employees and customers to use. Put up clear signs directing people towards the bins and explaining what materials can go in each one. This should reduce the risk of littering and increase recycling.

A waste management plan and policy are vital to ensure smooth storage, collection, and disposal of your commercial waste. Conduct a waste audit to assess what sizes and number of bins you’ll need and how often they should be collected to avoid overflowing bins. Train staff in the importance of waste management and litter prevention – including the financial and environmental impact.

Recycling in Leeds helps keep the largest city in Yorkshire as green as Roundhay Park, Woodhouse Moor, and Temple Newsham. However, in recent years household recycling rates in Leeds have fallen to around 35%. This is despite there being many options to recycle in Leeds for homes and businesses, which this guide covers.

The good news is the city now sends less than 3% of household waste to landfill – mainly thanks to the innovative recycling and energy recovery facility (RERF) that opened in late 2016. And sustainable initiatives are popping up all over, such as the Climate Innovation District and a range of zero-waste shops and cafes.

Discover everything you need to know about recycling in Leeds from your home or business with information about what, where, and how to avoid your domestic or commercial waste going to landfill. Recycle in Leeds the right way.

Leeds City Council oversees household waste recycling across the city. This includes providing homes with a green recycling bin, and regularly collecting and recycling waste put in them. Leeds Council also operates eight household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) across the city and wider LS region (including in Otley and Wetherby).

Homes in certain areas of Leeds receive a brown bin for garden waste too, depending on your postcode. The council offers an unwanted household item collection service for bulky and other items not accepted in your green recycling bin. The service is currently free, but it is limited and due to high demand collections may not be available when you want.

There are more than 700 glass bottle banks across Leeds. Clean and dry any used glass bottles and jars from your home and then drop them off at your local bottle bank. Many of these are in car parks of supermarkets, pubs, sports clubs, leisure centres, and other council-run car parks.

Recycling glass in Leeds is important as it’s infinitely recyclable and you cannot put it in your household green recycling bin. Any colour of glass bottle or jar is accepted at the bottle banks. You can also recycle glass waste at any HWRC in Leeds. Use this bottle bank map of Leeds to find your nearest one.

Glass waste from businesses in Leeds is a type of commercial waste, so must be removed by licensed waste carriers. Businesses can arrange glass waste collection in Leeds with Divert. We provide free glass bins with no delivery or rental fees – you just pay for collection – and all glass is recycled.

There are bring sites all over Leeds where you can recycle other materials from your home alongside glass. These include recycling banks for old clothing, paper (including newspapers and magazines), and small electrical items (such as old phones, laptops, tablets, toasters, kettles, and other small appliances and devices).

Bring sites are small recycling sites with one or more banks to recycle such domestic waste. They’re often located in pub, supermarket, and council car parks. They’re ideal for people who can’t drive to a HWRC and an easy way to recycle household waste that you can’t put in your green bin in Leeds.

Find your local bring site in Leeds