Recycling news: 2015

Industry news Every Can Counts finds UK shoppers divided over retail recycling facilities More than half of UK consumers have never used their local shopping centre’s recycling facilities, according to a research report from leading drinks can recycling programme, Every Can Counts. These results, taken from a survey of customers at two shopping centres with a combined footfall of 38 million, also reported that while consumers are in […] Alupro · 6 Mar 2015 Industry news AD operators ‘could aid’ food waste collection costs Anaerobic digestion operators may need to contribute to food waste collection costs to ensure the future supply of ‘quality’ feedstock, a cross-departmental government working group has suggested. The findings are part of the government’s ‘Building a high value bioeconomy: Opportunities from Waste’ report published yesterday (March 5) which presents the basis for the growth of … Read More The p… letsrecycle.com News · 6 Mar 2015 Industry news Crossing the border Letsrecycle.com caught up with Zero Waste Scotland director Iain Gulland at Resource 2015 in East London to talk waste regulations, landfill tax and the election as the Scottish Government races to meet its ambitious targets North of the border, the waste landscape is changing. Scotland’s vision for a ‘zero waste society’ has seen it … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 6 Mar 2015 Industry news LARAC slams changes to HWRC charging law Council recycling officers have condemned the announcement from the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) that it is to press ahead with plans to restrict local authorities from charging for the use of HWRCs. DCLG announced its decision this week following a four week consultation on changes to the Civic Amenities Act 1967 and … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 6 Mar 2015 Industry news Clegg pledges to scrap bag levy exemptions Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has made a manifesto pledge to scrap a proposed exemption for biodegradable bags from the carrier bag charging regime, which comes into force in England in October. The Deputy Prime Minister announced the plans today (March 6) under his party’s Nature Bill, which would be pushed forward if the Liberal … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 6 Mar 2015 Industry news Bywaters benefits after SITA rejects MRF deal London-based recycling firm Bywaters has secured a two-year materials recycling facility (MRF) contract with Tower Hamlets borough council after the work was previously offered to, and turned down by, both SITA UK and Viridor. The east London council originally awarded the contract to SITA UK under a tender process. But, the waste management company blamed … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 6 Mar 2015 Industry news Health impacts from hormone disrupting chemicals cost EU countries billions New research, published today, finds that the costs across the EU of exposure to hormone disrupting chemicals could be over €150 billion annually in health care expenses and lost earning potential. Chemicals with hormone (or endocrine) disrupting properties (EDCs) are present in many everyday products and are frequently used as pesticides, but industry lobbying has delayed […] CHEM Trust · 5 Mar 2015 Industry news Price cut hits market for used newspapers The amount paid for used newspapers and magazines has fallen by £30 a tonne this month and local authorities have again been warned that they are facing a fall in their material income. The reductions come after the closure of the Aylesford Newsprint mill in February and now waste management contractors have moved to reassure … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 5 Mar 2015 Industry news Recycling targets warning after price fall A warning against “blindly chasing recycling” targets in the face of falling values for commodities has been issued by the UK’s largest waste management company Veolia. And, strong concerns have also been raised by another waste company, Viridor, which has advised councils and other customers that contracts and service expectations will have to change. The … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 5 Mar 2015 Industry news Dorset Partnership ‘totally naive’ over waste vehicles Managers at the Dorset Waste Partnership exhibited a ‘total naivety’ in their choice of collection vehicles that led to the public body’s £2.76 million overspend, a damning review by consultants WYG has concluded. And the authority’s governance structure has also been questioned. The WYG study is one of three critical reviews that have been published into … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 5 Mar 2015 Industry news Lack of schedule 2 compensation ‘disgraceful’ It is “utterly disgraceful” that councils have not paid out compensation to institutions such as schools, care home and hospitals that were “illegally charged” for waste disposal before 2008, a waste consultant has suggested to letsrecycle.com. Henry Howe, who first drew attention to the issue in 2007 (see letsrecycle.com story), claims that local government has … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 5 Mar 2015 Industry news Sandys: Conservatives must ‘find voice’ on waste policy Conservative MP Laura Sandys has defended her Party’s commitment to the circular economy, amid criticism that it has joined an ‘anti-competitive march’ within the European Union. Addressing the claims at the London Excel Resource Event 2015 yesterday (March 4), the South Thanet MP said many Conservatives were ‘extremely pro’ the circular economy agenda – but … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 5 Mar 2015 Industry news DCLG swats away opposition to HWRC charge proposals Eric Pickles’ Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has rejected criticism of its plans to prevent councils from charging residents to use household waste recycling centres in a response published today (March 4). A public consultation published in January called for views on how HWRCs at risk of closure can remain open without local … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 4 Mar 2015 Industry news Food for thought Philip Simpson, commercial director at organic waste reprocessing firm ReFood offers his view on the London Assembly Environment Committee’s Bag it or bin it? report, published last month, calling for more separately collected food waste in the capital. It’s hugely welcome to see a dedicated investigation (see letsrecycle.com story) into household food waste recycling and … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 4 Mar 2015 Industry news Collection crews sought for Excellence Awards Businesses, councils and charities are being encouraged to submit entries to the 2015 Awards for Excellence in Recycling and Waste Management run by letsrecycle.com the deadline for submissions fast approaching. Entrants have until midday on Thursday 19th March to submit their 500 word entry for the judges’ consideration. In particular, councils and waste management firms … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 4 Mar 2015 Industry news Fife to trial four-weekly collections Fife council is to undertake a 12-month trial of both three-weekly and four-weekly waste residual waste collections for up to 4,000 households with a view to boosting recycling rates and saving up to £900,000 a year in disposal costs. As of September 2014, all suitable Fife households – around 150,000 – use a service requiring … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 4 Mar 2015 Industry news BIS outlines WEEE target plans for 2015 Compliance schemes have been told how targets for each of the categories of WEEE are likely to be calculated in 2015, days after the government’s announcement that 2014 collection targets have been met. Proposals distributed to schemes yesterday by the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS) show that government officials favour a target based … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 4 Mar 2015 Industry news Lib Dems unveil 70% recycling election pledge The Liberal Democrats would introduce a recycling target of 70% by 2030 for England if elected in the forthcoming May general election. The pledge has been included as part of the Party’s Zero Waste Bill – promising to crack down on operators who fly tip on ‘an industrial scale’ to evade tax. Under the proposals, … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 4 Mar 2015 Industry news Work starts on Allerton Park EfW facility Construction work has this week (March 2) started on North Yorkshire and York councils’ long delayed Allerton Park energy-from-waste (EfW) facility near Knaresborough. The facility will have the capacity to process around 320,000 tonnes of residual household waste per year from the two councils under a 25-year, £1.4 billion PFI contract signed with waste management … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 3 Mar 2015 Industry news Waste firm fined for safety failings in South Wales A Sheffield-based waste firm has been fined £35,000 and ordered to pay £20,000 in costs following a number of health and safety breaches at its recycling site in Carmarthen, South Wales. Mekatek Ltd, which was sentenced at Swansea Crown Court on Friday (February 27), was issued with eight notices to immediately halt a range of … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 3 Mar 2015 Industry news Yorks and Humber ‘saving £18m per year’ in waste efficiencies Local authorities in Yorkshire and Humber are saving over £18 million a year through innovative waste management practices, according to a review of waste management efficiencies in the region. Publishes last week, the ‘Delivering Waste Efficiencies in Yorkshire and the Humber’ report charts the progress made by the region’s councils in maintaining frontline waste services … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 3 Mar 2015 Council news Council Tax Reduction - Cambridge City Council Cambridge Council · 3 Mar 2015 Council news MyServices - Middlesbrough Council Middlesbrough Council · 3 Mar 2015 Industry news Dorset Waste Partnership director suspended Director of the Dorset Waste Partnership (DWP) Steve Burdis has been ‘temporarily suspended’ while the county council investigates the body’s £2.76 million overspend. Mr Burdis, who previously served as head of waste management for Dorset county council, became director of the Partnership when it was established in early 2011. He is also former chair of … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 3 Mar 2015 Industry news Household Waste Prevention Hub: Re-use - Electricals - WRAP - The Waste and Resources Action Programme WRAP · 3 Mar 2015 Industry news The Rise of the Monster! A year after joining Cleansing Service Group’s portfolio of companies, waste lubricating oil collection specialist Oil Monster (OM) has recorded a 100 per cent increase in volumes of oil collected and reprocessed. The Chester-based company, launched in 2012 to help small volume waste oil producers gain value from the valuable by-product, was acquired by CSG […] CSG (Cleansing Service Group) · 3 Mar 2015 Industry news Malone moves up to run DS Smith Recycling Long-serving DS Smith Recycling chief executive, Peter McGuinness, it to move up within the DS Smith Group to become its director of sustainability on March 17. At the same time a number of other management changes will take place within the mill and recycling business including the promotion of Dr Jim Malone who will be … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 2 Mar 2015 Industry news Can-Pack UK joins Alupro The Aluminium Packing Recycling Organisation (Alupro) is pleased to welcome Can-Pack UK Ltd as its newest member. Scunthorpe-based Can-Pack UK Ltd is wholly owned by the Can-Pack Group, which is headquartered in Krakow, Poland and is a leading manufacturer of high quality aluminium beverage cans supplying a variety of both domestic and export clients, including […] Alupro · 2 Mar 2015 Industry news The role of technology in route optimisation Ahead of letsrecycle.com’s upcoming Route Optimisation webinar AMCS Group’s Elaine Treacy looks at how implementation of the latest technology can improve the efficiency of waste and recycling fleets and how the Netherlands’ largest resource and waste management operator, Van Gansewinkel Group, has realised these benefits across both its municipal and commercial fleets. The collection and … Rea… letsrecycle.com News · 2 Mar 2015 Industry news Tyre recycling firm director jailed for waste crimes A former tyre recycling company director has been sentenced to 14 months imprisonment and his company fined a total of £195,000 after illegally depositing and storing around 114,000 tyres at a site in Wishaw, North Lanarkshire. Paul Cook and his Motherwell-based firm Earthmover Tyre Recycling Ltd, which is no longer trading, were sentenced at Hamilton … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 2 Mar 2015 Industry news Green Alliance proposes joint government ‘resource council’ Environmental think tank the Green Alliance has called for the establishment of a National Resources Council, made up of ministers from several government departments, to coordinate government policy on waste. The recommendation comes in a report published by the Alliance today (March 2), titled “UK resource governance for the 21st century”. The report assesses the … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 2 Mar 2015 Industry news GIB to fund Herts gasification plant The government’s Green Investment Bank is to part-finance the construction of a gasification facility in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, which will treat up to 90,000 tonnes of refuse derived fuel per year. GIB and its investment partner Foresight Group are investing a total of £30 million into the facility, which is being developed by AssetGen Partners, for … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 2 Mar 2015 Industry news We write to the EU Health Commissioner regarding our concerns regarding misleading communication of EFSA’s Bisphenol A report On 25th February we sent a letter to the EU’s Health and Food Safety Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis, highlighting our concerns with the European Food Standards Agency (EFSA) conclusions on Bisphenol A (BPA), and also asking what progress has been made in addressing the regulatory gaps in our protection from chemicals in food packaging. On BPA, the letter focusses particularly on […] CHEM Trust · 2 Mar 2015 Industry news Woods looks to spread textile recycling message VIDEO REPORT: The Textiles Recycling Association’s new president, Ian Woods, wants to get the message of textile recycling better heard across the UK. Speaking to letsrecycle.com, Mr Woods who becomes president of the association last month, explained that during his three years in office he had a number of aims. letsrecycle.com video production While accepting … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 2 Mar 2015 Industry news East Cambridgeshire in TEEP assessment An assessment of commingling as a collection system for mixed dry recyclables by East Cambridgeshire district council has confirmed the approach as meeting regulations. But, just days ahead of its closure, Aylesford Newsprint last month expressed renewed concerns about used newspapers from the district, even though it used them to make newsprint. Details have emerged … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 2 Mar 2015 Industry news Restructuring at ECO as Faulkner and Oakes depart The new company formed in the wake of the demise of bottle recycling business ECO Plastics is undergoing restructuring with two senior directors having departed. German investment firm Aurelius bought the assets and business of ECO Plastics, based at the Hemswell industrial estate in Lincolnshire in December, after the firm was placed into pre-pack administration. … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 2 Mar 2015 Industry news Man found at London waste depot killed by ‘crush injuries’ A man who was found dead by workers at a waste transfer station in West London last week has been named by police. The man was formally identified by officers as 47-year-old Marek Cuprys, who was originally from Poland and had no fixed address. Police also confirmed a post-mortem examination carried out at Fulham Mortuary … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 27 Feb 2015 Policy & government Points of Light: February 2015 winners The Points of Light award recognises outstanding individuals - people who are making a change in their community and inspiring others. GOV.UK · 27 Feb 2015 Industry news News in brief With news on; Secretary of State for Environment Elizabeth Truss visits AWM; REACT Energy withdraws biomass application; Viridor wins waste wood contract; Perthshire waste operator gets community order, and; Shanks achieves financial closure Elizabeth Truss visits Yorkshire waste firm Secretary of State for the Environment Elizabeth Truss has taken a tour of Associated … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 27 Feb 2015 Policy & government £15 million funding to reduce CO2 emissions on the roads 15 projects have won a share of funding to develop innovative technologies that will help reduce CO2 emissions in road vehicles. GOV.UK · 27 Feb 2015