Why Waste – changing the shape of business waste in Yorkshire and Humberside.

 WhyWaste has launched its brand new, free online waste exchange enabling companies currently spending thousands of pounds on landfill waste disposal costs to find partners willing and able to take the waste off their hands and either reuse or recycle it.

 To celebrate the launch, events are being held at the end of March in Bradford, York, Sheffield and Hull to enable businesses and community organisations to meet each other and the WhyWaste team and start Yorkshire and the Humber’s waste revolution. For individual event details please visit: www.whywaste.org.uk/news.asp

 Government statistics* indicate that companies spend up to 4% of their annual turnover on waste disposal costs and WhyWaste has been launched to help businesses avoid some of those huge bills and to divert waste from needlessly going to landfill.

 The implications of uninterrupted landfilling are dangerously raising Co2 and Methane (a 21 times more potent greenhouse gas than Co2) emissions, which affect all of us in the form of climate change.

 The website also acts as a matchmaking service between businesses and community groups enabling those in need to receive all sorts of unwanted business items such as furniture and old computer equipment which can be refurbished and put to good use.

 Emma Hill, Sustainable Waste Manager at WhyWaste, says that:

 “There has never been a greater need for initiatives such as WhyWaste and we are proud to be instrumental in positively changing the region’s waste disposal habits. If there is one fact that will weigh heavy on every business owner’s mind, it is that waste disposal costs are set to rocket over the next few years with ever tightening government legislation. Now is the time to act, both for the environment and your balance sheet. And it’s easy, just log onto www.whywaste.org.uk!”

 The project is being run by Bradford Environmental Action Trust in conjunction with Eastex Materials Exchange who have provided the infrastructure for the waste exchange and are funded by the East of England Development Agency.

 WhyWaste’s is funded by Yorkshire Forward, DEFRA, the EU and Neighbourhood Renewal and is particularly focussing on Small to Medium Enterprises in the Retail, Manufacturing and Leisure industries.

 The service is easy to use and WhyWaste staff are available to assist with any queries users may have via the website www.whywaste.org.uk.

 For further information regarding WhyWaste and for interview and photo opportunities please contact WhyWaste’s communication coordinator, Dan McTiernan at dan@beat.org.uk or tel: 01274 718420 mob: 07894 03674

 *source: www.envirowise.org.uk

 Dan McTiernan

Communication coordinator