A Guide to Dry Mixed Recycling
Combining used packaging, wrappers, and other materials with dry mixed recycling (DMR) is a convenient choice for many businesses. It makes storing small volumes of cardboard, paper, plastic, and metal together more cost-effective and easier to manage than using individual bins. Plus, it may help your company comply with new Simpler Recycling rules.
At Business Waste we can provide commercial dry mixed recycling services for organisations anywhere in the UK. We can advise on the best options based on your business. Understand what is meant by DMR, its benefits for your business, and how to use such bins with this expert guide to dry mixed recycling.
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Contents
What does DMR stand for in recycling?
DMR stands for dry mixed recycling. The general meaning of DMR is many types of uncontaminated recyclable products and materials that you can group together. This includes types of cardboard, paper, plastic, and metal waste. It covers various waste types you don’t need to separate before sending for recycling.
DMR is ideal for businesses that don’t generate a large amount of one specific waste type. For example, if you produce a lot of cardboard waste, it may make sense to have a separate cardboard bin. But if you only generate a small amount alongside waste recyclable plastics and metals, DMR disposal might make more sense.
How to dispose of dry
mixed recycling waste
Place clearly labelled dry mixed recycling bins around your business, so your employees, customers, and clients can recycle DMR waste with ease. It’s quick and convenient with no need to separate the likes of cardboard, paper, metals, and plastics – as long as it’s clean and dry.
Stick to the weight limits of each dry mixed recycling bin and arrange collection by licensed waste carriers on a frequency that suits your needs. Once collected, your dry mixed recycling is taken to a specialist facility where it’s separated using advanced waste management technology.
The different materials are sorted, separated, and recycled in their individual streams. For example, bits of cardboard in your DMR waste might be turned into new cardboard packaging – or repurposed into something completely different. It depends on the type of materials included in your DMR waste.
Why should businesses
use dry mixed recycling?
Introducing DMR waste disposal to the workplace is time efficient, as you don’t need to sort through and separate waste types. It’s also cost-efficient, as recycling is far cheaper for your business than sending waste to landfill. Plus, we each need to play our part to better protect the planet – so the advantages of recycling dry mixed waste far outweigh any negatives.
There are endless benefits to recycling dry mixed waste. Firstly, it’s what we all need to do to help the future of the planet. Although plenty of us regularly recycle, there’s still work to be done. Recycling has an extremely positive impact on the environment by reducing carbon emissions and limiting the need for raw materials.
With landfill facilities becoming increasingly few and far between, recycling is more necessary than it was in the past. Alongside all the environmental benefits, it’s also cost-effective for businesses to regularly recycle DMR waste by reducing any landfill taxes, while also helping you uphold your corporate responsibilities and stay legally compliant.
What are some facts about
dry mixed recycling?
Every year around five million tonnes of plastic are used in the UK, half of which is for packaging. Almost 14 billion cans made from steel and aluminium are also used, which are completely recyclable. However, government figures from 2020 show that while recycling has increased for aluminium cans it was 82%.
Around 63% of packaging waste in the UK was recycled in 2021. However, some dry mixed recycling types for packaging are more commonly recycled than others, so there’s still a lot of work to do. According to the UK government figures, packaging recycling rates for 2021 that cover DMR were:
- Metal – 76.0%
- Paper and cardboard – 70.6%
- Plastic – 44.2%
Do recyclables need to be dry before placing them
in a mixed recycling bin?
For dry mixed recycling to work effectively, any products inside the bin must be clean and dry. This minimises the chance of cross-contamination, which can affect the ability to recycle them. You don’t have to clean each product vigorously but try to ensure they’re free from any food or liquid waste and have been thoroughly dried.
Can you put bubble wrap
in mixed recycling?
You cannot include bubble wrap in dry mixed recycling. Bubble wrap is often made from a type of plastic (polythene), and although plastic is widely recyclable, bubble wrap is much more difficult to recycle. Although bubble wrap cannot currently be included in DMR waste, you can take bubble wrap to specific collection points for proper disposal and recycling.
What is the dry mixed recycling EWC code?
The dry mixed recycling EWC code is 20 03 01. This covers the disposal of mixed municipal waste, which includes organic waste and mixed packaging. You need to supply the correct dry mixed recycling EWC code before sending your waste to recycling so those handling your DMR waste deal with it properly.
Do you offer single stream recycling?
Yes, at Business Waste we offer single stream recycling for any waste type. Single stream waste collections are available for all types of waste. Learn more about commercial recycling for individual waste streams such as:
Get a fast and free quote
Get a fast FREE quote for dry mixed recycling collection
- Free quote within 1 hr
- Any type of DMR
- FREE bins and delivery
- We cover all of the UK
Published 6th February 2025 by Graham Matthews.