Recycling news: 2014

Industry news More than £8 million owed by two Yorkshire waste firms Two companies set up in the wake of the demise of autoclave operator Sterecycle Ltd have fallen into administration with combined debts of more than £8 million, resulting in more than 100 redundancies. Howard Smith and Jonny Marston of KPMG were appointed joint administrators of Leeds Recycling Limited and Waste Recycling and Diversion (WRD) Limited … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 5 Dec 2014 Industry news Councils offered £700,000 for WEEE collection projects Local authorities are being offered £700,000 in funding for projects to increase the collection of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) under the latest phase of the Distributor Takeback Scheme (DTS). The Scheme, which was set up under the WEEE regulations in 2007, enables electronics retailers to meet their requirement to fund the collection of … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 5 Dec 2014 Industry news Environment Agency considers new rules on bioaerosols Organics waste operators may face fees of up to £6,000 to monitor bioaerosols in and around their sites, an Environment Agency research scientist advised yesterday (December 4). Dr Kerry Walsh, who outlined a proposed protocol update for sampling and monitoring of the potentially hazardous particles, was speaking at the 2014 Bioaerosols Conference in Solihull. Delegates … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 5 Dec 2014 Industry news Going plastic free – 4 zero waste shampoo ideas Welcome to the fourth part of my ‘zero waste shopping list’ series. You’ve sniffed my pits and agreed plastic-free deodorants can work. We’ve taken a look at plastic free toothpaste and discovered 4 plastic free toothbrushes that you should consider. Today we’re going to enjoy healthy, shiny barnets WITHOUT creating any landfill – woohoo! Most… Zero Waste Week · 5 Dec 2014 Industry news Vella ‘supports’ circular economy EXCLUSIVE: Europe’s recently appointed Commissioner for the Environment, the Maltese politician Karmenu Vella, does not favour scrapping the Commission’s circular economy package letsrecycle.com has learned. The policy package was put together under the stewardship of the former Environment Commissioner Janez Potocnik and includes plans to increase targets for the recycling of municipal and pac… letsrecycle.com News · 4 Dec 2014 Industry news Q3 batteries data highlights lead acid disparity The latest waste battery recycling data shows that the proportion of lead acid batteries being used to meet EU targets is declining, but still makes up the majority of the tonnages collected by compliance schemes. The third quarter Portable Battery collection figures, published this week, show that the UK is on track to meet its … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 4 Dec 2014 Industry news Tight control of cash helps DS Smith Paper recycling and mill giant DS Smith today reported revenues down 5% in the six months to 31 October 2014 but with an adjusted operating profit of plus 10%. At the same time, the company confirmed that cash flow control was one factor helping its performance. Group finance director, Adrian Marsh, said: “We have stepped … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 4 Dec 2014 Industry news Waste industry welcomes landfill tax ruling Waste industry members have welcomed the government’s latest stance on landfill tax, announced in the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement yesterday (December 3). Under new proposals, a 12-month ‘grace period’ raising the loss on ignition threshold from 10% to 15% has been confirmed by the Treasury – which will give operators more time to comply when the … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 4 Dec 2014 Industry news Improvements in-store for Wrexham Co-operative following £340k investment - Co-operative Group Co-op media newsroom · 4 Dec 2014 Industry news Treasury confirms ‘grace period’ on landfill tax threshold A 12-month ‘grace period’ which offers waste operators 5% leeway on meeting a lower rate of landfill tax was confirmed by the Treasury in its Autumn Statement today (December 3). The amendment means that for one year from April 2015, trommel fines will only have to produce a loss on ignition (LOI) of 15% in … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 3 Dec 2014 Industry news Hormone disrupting chemicals: New FAQ & a chance to tell the EU to act! (updated) Today we are launching a new list of frequently asked questions (FAQ) about hormone disrupting chemicals (or endocrine disrupting chemicals – EDCs – to use the more technical term). The full list of questions & answers is here, examples include What are EDCs?, Is Hormone Disruption a new issue?, What sort of chemicals are Hormone Disrupters, what are they used for? […] CHEM Trust · 3 Dec 2014 Industry news WEEE schemes confident UK will meet 2014 target WEEE compliance schemes are confident that the sector will meet its target to collect 490,000 tonnes of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) throughout 2014. Data outlining the collection rates for the third quarter of the year (January to September) was published by the Environment Agency yesterday (December 2) and shows that a total of … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 3 Dec 2014 Industry news FCC favoured for Midlothian and Edinburgh waste deal FCC has been named as preferred bidder for a multi-million pound contract to treat residual household waste on behalf of City of Edinburgh and Midlothian councils, it was announced today (December 3). The waste management firm will handle up to 135,000 tonnes of waste per annum, as part of a 25-year contract that the joint … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 3 Dec 2014 Industry news TRA adds Quality Protocol Option to PAS 107 – new standard will help sustainable tyre recycling TRA adds Quality Protocol Option to PAS 107 – new standard will help sustainable tyre recyclingThe UK’s Tyre Recovery Association (TRA) is pleased to announce a new Quality Protocol option (QP) to accompany the existing Publically Available Specification (PAS) 107:12 covering the Manufacture and Storage of Size-Reduced Tyre-Derived Materials. The updating of the PAS has… Tyre Recovery Association · 3 Dec 2014 Industry news News in brief With news on; Ealing Christmas tree returns; FCC launches charity reuse shop; Viridor donates to Sue Ryder; Niramax reaches SRF export milestone, and; MetalMatters unveils campaign for Welsh boroughs ‘Plastic bottle’ Christmas tree returns to Ealing A Christmas tree made entirely of recyclable plastic bottles has returned to Southall Square in the London borough … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 3 Dec 2014 Industry news Viridor Enviroscot fined after worker blinded in one eye Viridor Enviroscot Ltd has been fined £165,000 for safety failings after an employee was blinded in one eye at its materials recycling facility (MRF) in Glasgow. The company, which pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act, was sentenced at Airdrie Sheriff Court yesterday (December 2) following the incident at Bargeddie MRF … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 3 Dec 2014 Industry news Defra to introduce RDF treatment standard Defra has said it will develop a refuse derived fuel (RDF) definition and introduce standards for its treatment, but that precise specifications for composition of the material will still be left up to the end-users or incineration facilities to define. Publishing its response to the recent call for evidence on the RDF export market in … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 2 Dec 2014 Industry news SITA UK handed control of Suffolk EfW An energy-from-waste plant with the capacity to treat 269,000 tonnes of refuse from Suffolk and the surrounding area has begun operations today (December 2). The SITA UK facility, located at Great Blakenham near Ipswich, has been receiving residual waste from Suffolk county council since commissioning began at the plant in June 2014. Testing at the … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 2 Dec 2014 Industry news Packaging prowess As Defra prepares to announce new members for its Advisory Committee on Packaging, outgoing chair Bob Lisney outlines his achievements and what challenges the new chair will face. It is five years since Bob Lisney OBE took the helm of the government’s Advisory Committee on Packaging, during which time the Committee has addressed a number … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 2 Dec 2014 Industry news Waste sector asks Treasury for council funding boost Waste sector organisations have appealed to the Chancellor George Osborne for additional support for councils in meeting recycling targets, ahead of the government’s Autumn Statement tomorrow (December 3). Outlining the priorities that would need to be addressed in the Treasury’s annual spending forecast, industry members also cited the need for increased infrastructure investment from the … Re… letsrecycle.com News · 2 Dec 2014 Industry news WRAP outlines hospitality sector food waste progress The hospitality sector has made ‘significant progress’ in reducing food waste, the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has claimed, but work still needs to be done to increase the amount of the material that is recycled. Published today (December 2), the interim first year results of the Hospitality and Food Service Agreement (HaFSA) show … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 2 Dec 2014 Industry news Councils hit out at plans to water down waste fines Council officers have called for ‘significant changes’ to draft laws which would reduce the amount that local authorities can charge in penalties for enforcement of waste collection arrangements. The Deregulation Bill, which is currently on its way through Parliament, proposes that the maximum amount councils should be allowed to charge residents in fixed penalties should … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 2 Dec 2014 Industry news LARAC responds to alleged weekly bin ‘betrayal’ Recycling officers have hit back at a Daily Mail article lamenting the ‘great betrayal’ of weekly collections today (December 1), arguing that many councils do in fact still offer alternate weekly collections despite “severe” budget cuts. It follows a front page Daily Mail article published this morning amid the ongoing political wrangling over weekly bin … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 1 Dec 2014 Industry news Recycling Scheme Helps African Children Have a Better Life Cadishead company CSG Lanstar has pledged to donate £1,500 each year over a five year period to fund the secondary school education of 10 children living and working at the notorious Dandora municipal waste dump on the outskirts of the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. The dump has been dubbed the ‘Mountain of Death’ after a United […] CSG (Cleansing Service Group) · 1 Dec 2014 Industry news Waste Managers Win Company of the Year Award Fareham-based waste managers Cleansing Service Group (CSG), who are celebrating their 80th anniversary this year, have beaten off strong competition to win the Hampshire Company of the Year Award for all-round business excellence. CSG, which is one of Hampshire’s oldest established companies, impressed the judges with an outstanding financial record, strong sales growth, increased profitability… CSG (Cleansing Service Group) · 1 Dec 2014 Industry news CSG Launch Dedicated Website For Septic Tank Owners Waste management specialists Cleansing Service Group (CSG) have launched a dedicated sewage clearance booking website which enables customers to get an instant online quote and book a tanker to empty their septic tank, cesspit or sewage treatment plant. The new website – www.septictanksandcesspits.com – is specifically designed to provide an easy and convenient way for […] CSG (Cleansing Service Group) · 1 Dec 2014 Industry news Norfolk EfW consortium ‘still out of pocket’ The consortium behind Norfolk’s abandoned energy-from-waste project said today it remains “millions of pounds out of pocket” despite agreeing to a £33.7 million compensation package. Willows Power and Recycling Ltd – a consortium between Cory and Wheelabrator – had agreed a £600m contract with Norfolk county council in 2012 to build and operate an EfW … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 1 Dec 2014 Industry news RDF exports exceed 2013 tonnage Almost 1.8 million tonnes of waste derived fuels were exported from England and Wales to incineration facilities in mainland Europe during the first nine months of 2014 – a figure which already exceeds the volume of exports throughout 2013. Environment Agency data showed that 1.5 million tonnes of refuse derived fuel (RDF) and solid recovered … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 1 Dec 2014 Industry news Pennon results highlight Viridor energy growth Waste management firm Viridor has reached a turning point in its transition to an ‘energy, recycling and resource’ business, its parent company Pennon Group has claimed, upon announcement of the firm’s half year 2014/15 financial results today (November 28). This comes alongside the announcement that the company has been granted approval to build a £177 … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 28 Nov 2014 Industry news Video highlights recycling contamination ‘challenge’ The Resource Association has produced a video to demonstrate to local authorities the effects of contamination on the quality and value of recyclable materials. The video, titled ‘Contamination – The Enemy of Recycling’, was launched yesterday (November 27) and is available to view via the video hosting website YouTube. The reprocessing sector trade body hopes … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 28 Nov 2014 Industry news Cable praises ‘renewable’ EfW at opening of Lincolnshire plant Officially opening Lincolnshire county council’s new energy from waste plant yesterday (November 27), Business Secretary, Vince Cable, praised the facility as an example of a reliable renewable energy process. The plant at North Hykeham, just north of the city, is operated by FCC Environment under a 25 year residual waste contract for the authority. Dr … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 28 Nov 2014 Industry news Eunomia revises EfW surplus prediction Waste consultancy Eunomia has brought forward its estimate as to when the UK will have too much available energy-from-waste treatment capacity, stating that the country is on course for a surplus by 2017/18. And, the consultancy claims that if development of EfW facilities continues at its current rate, a proposed 70% by 2030 EU recycling … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 27 Nov 2014 Industry news Social enterprise insights for SOAS Community Wood Recycling’s Richard Mehmed and Penelope Glover went to SOAS to talk to graduate students about the challenges and rewards of running an environmental social enterprise in Britain. Community Wood Recycling · 27 Nov 2014 Industry news Businesses lobby for rethink of EU waste proposals A trade body representing Europe’s businesses has called for proposals put forward by the European Commission aimed at improving resource efficiency to be redrafted. BUSINESSEUROPE, which represents 39 business organisations from across the continent including the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), published its view on the circular economy proposals package that was adopted by the … Read… letsrecycle.com News · 27 Nov 2014 Industry news Veolia Pollington biomass plant ‘still on hold’ Plans to develop a £120 million waste wood biomass power facility in Yorkshire are “still on hold” according to waste and energy firm Veolia. Then-energy minister Charles Hendry first granted consent for the plant, to be located on a site of the former RAF airfield at Pollington near Leeds, in December 2011 (see letsrecycle.com story), … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 27 Nov 2014 Industry news Waste sector concern over higher compliance charges The Environment Agency’s proposals to increase compliance charges for poor-performing waste sites have been branded ‘draconian’ by the United Resources Operators Consortium (UROC). And the Environmental Services Association (ESA) advised against raising charges for businesses that were not ‘engaging in lax practices’ but were ‘trying to do the right thing’. The two were responding to … Read Mor… letsrecycle.com News · 27 Nov 2014 Industry news Recyclers in commodities price warning The Recycling Association has today (November 26) urged businesses not to be complacent over the state of the global economy and has issued a warning over the falling value of recyclable materials. The Association, which largely represents paper and plastic recycling merchants and exporters of recyclable material has claimed that commodity prices are falling while … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 26 Nov 2014 Industry news SITA UK to consult on Aberdeen waste facilities SITA UK is to consult residents in Aberdeen over plans to develop two facilities that will process all of the city’s residual waste and recyclables by 2016. The waste contractor has submitted a proposal of application notice to the council which outlines its plans to consult the public over a materials recycling facility (MRF) and … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 26 Nov 2014 Industry news TEG Group to explore sale of operating division Beleaguered organics firm TEG Group has announced it is exploring the sale of its operating division, after admitting it is ‘unlikely’ to secure equity in the future. In a financial statement released by TEG yesterday (November 25), the company claimed that ongoing costs associated with the conclusion of its Greater Manchester waste contract meant that … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 26 Nov 2014 Industry news Appointments round-up With news on: community liaison officer for Shanks in South Yorkshire; appointments at trommel supplier CGCS (Midlands); and, team shake up for hazardous waste specialist Enviroco Shanks appoints BDR community officer Shanks has appointed Abi Cox as its new community education liaison officer for the Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham waste facility, due to open in … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 26 Nov 2014