The lockdown period of 2020 led to a huge increase in people reorganising and sorting through their personal belongings, and with a (brief) return to work and adherence to the new social distancing guidelines, many also needed to create more space in their offices. As a result, we have seen heightened demand for our tape and film recycling service on both a personal and business level.
As a company that offers recycling services, obviously we are going to say that recycling your old tape and film is essential. However, in this instance, it is actually crucial. Not many people know that the film in old video cassettes is coated in hazardous chemicals, such as iron oxide and other metals. If sent to landfill, this film will slowly degrade over time, the metals will leach into the ground and the #5 plastic(polypropylene) used to encase the film will take centuries to degrade. If improperly destroyed or burnt through an unregulated company, harmful chemicals such as dioxins will be released into the air.
At TipTop Media, we send our tapes and films to be incinerated with a multitude of different materials, which ensures that regulations concerning harmful emissions are strictly adhered to. In addition, the energy generated from the process of incineration goes towards powering the plant itself and any excess energy is provided to the grid to power parts of London.
So now that you have been persuaded (we hope) of the need to recycle your old tape and film properly, how do you go about doing it? Finding and choosing a reputable company will help ensure that your old media is properly recycled and any material on it safely disposed of. If you hand data to a company, they have a legal duty to protect the information on it, so check how their disposal process works.
At TipTop Media, we offer to provide our clients with secure, onsite bins to place their old media into, ensuring that your information is protected from the moment the tapes enter the bin. Alternatively, we offer a bulk collection service (contact us for details) when we arrive at your office, securely package your items and take them off to be recycled.
We are now also offering our tape and film recycling services to individuals so If you you would like to recycle, whether business or personal, get in touch to see how we can help on 020 3234 0090 or email bookings@tiptopmedia.co.uk.
Here are some other related posts you may be interested in reading:
Recycling: the services we offer
Recycling media tapes
Media Storage
TipTop Media’s Top 5 Films from the BFI London Film Festival
