ON LOCATION IN LONDON – QUANTUM WASTE
Jo testing Quantum Waste for the first time – success!
If you’re in london, we recommend using Quantum Waste. To our knowledge, they offer the best solution, collecting and processing two streams, both in clear bags: Food Waste and Everything Else. This makes it very simple for everyone on set to separate properly. Full details of their service below – they also charge per bag, giving us an incentive to produce less waste. We visited their depot in Deptford (read more here), and we’ve since posted an update.
HOW TO SAVE MONEY BY REDUCING WASTE:
-> Hire tabletop water coolers and encourage shoot attendees to bring their own bottles to reduce plastic bottle waste
-> Hire jugs and glasses for agency tables to reduce paper cup and bottle waste
-> Print minimal shoot documents and display them on hired noticeboards instead of poly to reduce paper and poly waste
-> Encourage shoot attendees to bring reusable mugs (e.g. a KeepCup, Frank Green cup etc) to reduce paper cup waste
-> Select caterers who use real crockery, glassware and cutlery or encourage your caterer to do so, to reduce waste from disposable items
-> Recycle Nespresso capsules directly, either via Get Set Hire or by sending them back yourself – click here to get more info
-> Return lighting consumables to the lighting company – croc clips can be reused over and over, as can large gel offcuts and sheets of poly (although please try to do without them in the first place!)
-> Keep purchases to a minimum, and look to hire items instead
-> Rehome any leftover edible food, as well as props, sets, costumes etc to reduce your waste – see the Rehome Your Leftovers page for more details of recommended charities and companies
VITAL INFORMATION:
| What to separate: | 1. Food waste 2. Everything Else |
| What happens to the waste: | Everything is taken back to the depot in Deptford and this is what happens next: 1. Food waste is either composted or used for biogas production 2. Everything Else: The different recyclables are separated, baled and sold to be made into new products. Anything that cannot be recovered for resale is incinerated in waste to energy facilities so at least some energy is recovered and reused. There are very few things that cannot be recycled in actuality. |
| Exceptions: | Chewing gum should go into ‘Everything Else’, as should napkins, stirrers, and any compostable disposables (plates, cups etc) – Quantum Waste will hand sort these. |
| Bags to use: | Both waste streams go into clear bags (110 litre size are the norm) – get them from Get Set Hire |
| Signs to use: | Click here to view and print our recommended signage |
| To book: | Login to the online booking app with the production company’s details at least 24 hours before your shoot and move the map to find your location. First time? You’ll need to create a company account to go any further (we recommend using a generic info@or reception@ email as the main contact). To book the collection, guesstimate your number of bags (around 10-15 is normal for a 50 person shoot), and add the shoot date. In the additional info box you should include your details as the booker including your email/phone and the preferred pick up time. You could also include a contact such as a location manager or security guard. Lastly you can enter your job name/number for the invoice.
On receiving the request, Quantum Waste will allocate the collection to a driver who will contact you directly (it will also be copied to the email address on the account) to let you know the collection is booked. You can liaise directly with the driver if you need to change the time, or give additional details to help them find the waste. You’ll also be given their number which you can pass to security. Once the waste has been collected, the account email address will receive confirmation of the amount of bags and final total due. PLEASE NOTE: If you have more than one location (i.e. a Unit Base as well as a location, this will have to be booked in as a separate collection. |
| Pricing: | Costs vary between £15 and £45 per pickup location (can vary depending on how far from the depot you are, on average it’s around £25), plus £1.50 per bag collected. Anything in a black bag will be charged at £2.50 as it is presumed to be contaminated with food waste and therefore takes longer to sort, so make sure you have plenty of clear bags to hand. If you have items that are too big to fit in bags (such as Ram Board floor protection), they can still be collected and Quantum Waste will guesstimate how many bags they will fit into. |
| Payment: | Once your waste has been collected, confirmation will be issued to the account email address along with a link to PayPal. This can be paid with a company card, and a receipt for the wrap will be emailed. NB if you had a location and unit base pickup (or multiple locations) more than one email/payment link will be sent. |
| Operating Hours: | Quantum Waste collect 7 days a week, and almost 24 hours. The last shift finishes at midnight and they start again at 5:30am. They aim to collect within 3 hours of your specified time. |
| Depot & Range: | Based in Deptford, they will collect anywhere within the M25 |
| Waste Transfer Notes: | Issued yearly to the account email address, these need to be kept on file for three years. If for any reason the production company needs the Waste Transfer notes sooner please contact Quantum Waste on info@quantumwaste.com and they will happily oblige. |
Check out these images of the baled recycling from Quantum Waste’s depot down in Deptford:
ON LOCATION ELSEWHERE
A typical non-Quantum Waste two bin set up
If you’re not in London and can’t find a waste company like Quantum Waste, you should aim to at least separate dry mixed recyclables (DMR: paper, cardboard, plastics and glass) from everything else. Being able to send your food waste for composting would be a bonus: ideally you would provide a three bin set up to allow for separating into these three streams.
It’s always worth checking with the waste company you’re planning to use regarding exactly what they consider ‘recyclable’ within a DMR collection though, and for their thoughts on where ‘compostable’ disposable items like plates and cups should go. Some say these can go in the food waste as they compost down, and others would prefer them in the DMR as they’re often largely made from paper pulp. We’ve put together some generic signs you can use here, and compiled some general rules of thumb in our FAQ, so these are worth a read too.
Don’t forget to first reduce waste as much as possible, and always get hold of your Waste Transfer Note to keep on file.