Reuse specialist, Ramco, is urging businesses to consider the sustainable disposal of working items they no longer need following new research revealing nearly half (48%) of the organisations sending items to scrap or landfill do it because it’s a low effort option.
The alarming new research commissioned by Ramco, shows that UK organisations spend twice as long on buying new things as on responsibly dealing with equipment they no longer need.
According to Edie, businesses are responsible for dumping 20% of what ends up in landfill. Conducted by Censuswide, Ramco’s research further reveals nearly a third (31%) of Senior Managers in the UK who send unwanted items to scrap or landfill say that being more sustainable is not a priority for their organisation.
Neil Sanderson, Founder and MD of Ramco says action is needed and businesses must take accountability for extending the life of their unwanted equipment: “If businesses want to be sustainable, this ratio needs to change”, says Neil. “We’re urging businesses to place the same value on the sustainable management of outgoing equipment as on the procurement of new items”.
“We’re in a climate crisis and yet UK business operations are still running in a way that causes so much unnecessary waste. Shiny new kit is exciting, but the outgoing equipment still holds so much value and, with consideration, can go on to realise its full potential with a new owner.
“It’s disheartening to discover 1 in 5 UK businesses still send working equipment to scrap or landfill rather than giving it a second lease of life in a new home. Of course, organisations need to keep their facilities up to date or bring in more efficient technology, but the outgoing equipment still has potential and holds precious value.
“Some 70% of organisations say they have working equipment sitting idle – good stuff they just no longer need. We need to ensure these assets don’t go into scrap or landfill and instead are rehomed and put back into circulation to fulfil their product lifecycle”.
At the beginning of his career, Neil worked in manufacturing for several years and knows exactly what goes into making new equipment: “The raw materials, the energy and labour; all that value is precious, and we believe it should be preserved for as long as possible.”
He continues: “We’ve seen a booming second-hand market in recent years, and it shows no signs of slowing. Our customers are buying everything from vehicles, plant and machinery, to gym equipment and forklifts. With the cost of doing business continuing to rise, now is a great time to sell redundant assets”.