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MEPs vote to increase recycling
20/02/2007 15:58
Businesses will have to ensure they re-use and recycle waste office products wherever possible, after MEPs voted in changes to the EU waste directive.
A waste hierarchy has been established for the first time, with businesses and manufacturers now mandated to re-use, recycle, recover and in a last resort, safely dispose of waste in an environmentally-friendly manner.
Coming at a time when manufacturers and companies face new regulations to ensure all waste electrical goods, such as PCs and other hi-tech office equipment, are safely disposed of, the amendments to the waste directive will add to the growing pressure on companies to adopt green practices.
Waste levels are also to be capped under the changes, with MEPs calling for rubbish output to remain stable between 2008 and 2012 and then decline over the following eight years.
Recycling is also to be given more importance in the EU waste directive, with industrial and municipal levels to increase to 70 and 50 per cent respectively over the 13-year timeframe.
This is set to cover waste office supplies and printer cartridges, with European officials aiming to drastically cut the amount of waste being deposited in landfill sites across the continent.
You can do your bit for the environment by checking out our range of recycled office supplies.
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