According to BusinessWaste.co.uk, it would only take a relatively small effort and a one-off cash injection to provide the facilities to convert the UK from one of the bottom countries in the European recycling of waste to one of the leaders. 70 million tons of waste going to landfill in just one year could be stopped with new legislation, the waste agency estimates.

Mark Hall, BusinessWaste.co.uk spokesperson, said: “The message from the central government has been one of ‘Why bother?’ They came to office saying they'd be the ‘greenest government ever’ and they've done virtually nothing on that front. We already have the ability to hit more ambitious targets, just not the will.”

BusinessWaste.co.uk says it's time for England to come into line with the rest of the UK and enact strict waste and recycling laws for companies’ organisations and schools. Scotland compels businesses to recycle as much as is practicable, and Wales is to follow up with a similar law. It's only in England, home to 80 percent of the UK's waste output, that nothing is being done.

Mr Hall continued: “It's time to wield a big stick on waste, but also to be as helpful as possible to assist organisations into complying with any new law. The HVACR industry is not exempt from having to increase its recycling. One thing that could be done is to not just to empty your van and dump all the waste into a general waste bin at the end of the week, or another would be to use recovery equipment to extract refrigerant from an appliance and then clean that refrigerant for reuse.”

BusinessWaste.co.uk recommends:

• Big fines for companies that do not recycle waste, up to £100,000 for repeat offenders.
• Tax credits to help companies and organisations offset the purchase price of new bins required to sort the waste at site.
• Local help points to assist companies in formulating an effective waste policy.
• Allowances for smaller companies to run joint recycling schemes with neighbouring businesses.

The benefits for the United Kingdom would be clear almost immediately, says BusinessWaste.co.uk, as a national jump from 45 percent recycling to 70 percent would take around 70 million tons of waste out of landfill every year, taking pressure off our nearly-full landfill sites. This would mean extra business for companies that recycle goods back into raw materials, generating jobs and would also mean lower factory gate prices for many companies, as they are purchasing cheaper recycled raw materials rather than having to buy 'new'.

Mr Hall added: “All we need is the political will for this to happen, but it appears that those in power are scared of the cost of setting the wheels in motion.”