Dry Mixed Recycling is one of the four core waste streams alongside Food, Glass, and General Waste. It is viewed as an ‘all-in-one’ solution due to being a ‘mix’ of different recyclable materials, collected as one unit before being sorted and segregated individually and sent to reprocessors.
Dry Mixed Recycling (also commonly known as DMR) is comprised of recyclable materials such as paper, cardboard, metal tins, aluminium cans, and plastics.
The aim with DMR is to fully recycle and repurpose these materials to help reduce the environmental impact of waste production across Kent homes and businesses.
It is important that all materials added to your DMR bin are clean and uncontaminated. Adding unclean, contaminated items in your DMR could have a negative, rather than positive outcome as this often renders the whole collection unrecyclable.
All Dry Mixed Recycling should be kept either loose or ideally in clear bags. Any DMR that is provided in a black bag also cannot be recycled.
There are a number of items that can be added to your DMR bin, these are:
Materials outside of this specification may fall into the General Waste category.
Common items that cannot go into a Dry Mixed Recycling bin are:
Commercial DMR materials are categorised in the same way as residential DMR. The key difference is often volume. Residential DMR is handled by the homeowner whereas Commercial DMR is at the hands of the employee, employer, site manager and a variety of other parties, often making it a more complex operation requiring thoughtful planning and management.
Dry Mixed Recycling can be difficult for many businesses to streamline as it is often a waste stream that many feel is intuitive and that they are already managing correctly.
However, there are many common misconceptions or missed opportunities when it comes to the correct segregation and categorisation of DMR.
For example, a material such as Polystyrene is often mistakenly put into DMR bins where is should in fact reside with your General Waste.
Likewise, we often find used paper towels (a particular issue for schools, colleges, offices etc) within DMR pickups that again, should be in your General Waste bins. These contaminated waste deposits can lead to many recyclable items no longer being fit for repurpose, an issue Midas and other environmentally conscious establishments are keen to eradicate.
As well as mis-managed materials, there can be better planning around correctly labelled bins, frequency of collections, messaging, and internal training.
The effective and proper management of your Dry Mixed Recycling waste can help you hit important environmental KPIs and save your business money by reducing the amount spent on heavy waste types and potentially recuperating funds through environmentally-targeted rebates.
Case Studies
The UK’s leading supplier of balcony components, required a new waste management solution after moving to their new site on the Medway City Estate business park.
Read our case study
Dry Mixed Recycling is typically collected using Wheelie bins, however for larger operations Compactors and Balers can be used.
At Midas Waste we will conduct a full free waste audit to determine the correct receptables for your operation. Not only that, but we will also create the materials and the messaging required to push for correct segregation and disposal of your waste streams, including Dry Mixed Recycling.
We understand the targets you and governing bodies have set around sustainability and will work with you and your wider team to meet those goals.
We have decades of experience in waste management and this spans across a wide range of industries, meaning we know the right approach for your specialist area. We will be a reliable, considerate partner, aware of the necessary red tape and will work with you to ensure these processes run smoothly and efficiently.
At Midas Waste we work based on specifics, not ready-made-templates or assumptions and will always carry out a detailed waste audit to identify exactly what is right for you and your business. We also appreciate that many businesses often find change in process daunting, but here at Midas Waste we take ownership not just of delivering recommendations but of providing full DMR waste management solutions, including implementation, reviews and – of course – reliable collections.
Yes, DMR is a fully recyclable waste stream.
DMR recycling naturally consists of more than one core material. It is made up of a variety of graded paper, cardboard, plastic, tin, and cans and once collected these will need to be separated into their respective categories.
Once separated and sorted into bays, these materials are distributed to the correct reprocessing facilities or in some cases, back to the original manufacturer for reprocessing.
The aim with DMR is for all materials to be reprocessed and recycled.
Commercial Dry Mixed Recycling follows the same recycling process as residential but for larger scale operations you may find better solutions are available when it comes to the collection and processing of your commercial waste and again, here Midas’ experience and connections can help.
Midas Waste are an independent zero to landfill waste management company based in Ashford, Kent. Our years of experience in the industry mean we have built up the connections and the reputation for excellence needed to provide a premier waste management service. However, this does not come at the cost of customer service. At Midas, you will always find someone to help at the end of the line and we pride ourselves on delivering the personal, professional service that you would expect from a locally-run independent business.
If you require help with commercial Dry Mixed Recycling or commercial waste collections and solutions, please get in touch by submitting an enquiry form or by requesting a free waste audit.