ENVIROWISE FREE WEBINARS TO HELP YOUR BUSINESS REDUCE COSTS 9TH FEBRUARY (12/01/2010)
On 9th February 2010 Envirowise is hosting the last in a series of free interactive webinars. It will focus on topics your that will help your business become more resource efficient and save money.
Split into three separate interactive webinars, you can choose whether to find out more about Water, Sustainable Procurement or Environmental Management Systems (EMS) by attending one, two or all three webinars taking place throughout the course of the day.
These live online seminars will give you the latest practical advice and top tips to help you implement resource efficiency practices in your business. This will help you to reduce waste, secure quick wins and ensure long term profitability.
In addition to hearing from top Envirowise experts, you will have the opportunity to participate in a live voting poll and question and answer session.
Envirowise has already saved companies over £1 billion through resource efficiency practices. This is your chance to understand how your business can become more resource efficient and reduce its business costs
- all from the comfort of your own desk.
For further information see
http://www.envirowise.gov.uk/media/marketing/email/Q4webinar/Q4webinar.html
WHY WASTE ROADSHOW HITS THE HUMBER (11/01/2010)
Do you have a problem with your waste streams?
Feel as though there must be some value in your waste?
Want to divert material from landfill but don’t know where to turn?
Help is at hand and is coming to a town near you!
The Humber Environment Network (HEN) HEN is providing local support to the WhyWaste scheme in the Humber sub-region. In January a HEN representative will be available to visit your site, explain how the system works and where possible register your materials on the exchange. All this will take no more than 45 minutes and then, for each of the following three months you will receive an update on options for the material and hopefully facilitate a successful exchange, all at no cost to yourselves.
There will be seven timeslots on the hour on each of the days, and these will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
Bridlington Monday 11th January
Beverley Tuesday 12th. January
Hull Wednesday 13th. January
Grimsby Thursday 14th. January
Scunthorpe Friday 15th. January
So to register for this, you simply need to send your contact details to hen@hull.ac.uk, stating your preferred time.
CO2SENSE YORKSHIRE ANNOUNCES £800,000 OF RESOURCE EFFICIENCY FUNDING (16/12/2009)
CO2Sense Yorkshire has announced it is offering two packages of funding to SMEs in Yorkshire and Humber that are working to cut greenhouse gas emissions through resource efficiency.
CO2Sense Yorkshire is a not-for-profit company funded by Yorkshire Forward and the European Regional Development Fund. The company’s Greenhouse Gas Savings Capital Investment Fund and Innovative Resource Efficiency Projects Fund, will help SMEs in the Yorkshire and Humber region to build businesses that can compete in a low carbon economy.
Companies will be able to bid for funds to deliver waste reduction, reuse, and recycling services, as well as energy and water savings, from the Greenhouse Gas Savings fund. This fund is designed to increase the capacity of the resource efficiency sector in Yorkshire and Humber. Funded projects are expected to hit targets for CO2 emissions reductions, tonnage of waste diverted from landfill, and business growth.
The Innovative Resource Efficiency Projects Fund is designed to support projects that break new ground in resource efficiency. Funds are available for projects which increase the uptake of environmental advice, offer support to businesses to reduce their resource consumption, and offer innovative solutions for priority materials and sectors.
Commenting on the funding announcement, Andy Hartley, operations director of CO2Sense Yorkshire said: “Our key aim is to increase the competitiveness, capacity, quality and scale of companies in the resource efficiency sector in Yorkshire and Humber. These funding packages will help businesses to grow and prosper, increasing regional competitiveness, and generating the expertise to transform Yorkshire and Humber into a low carbon economy.”
Tom Riordan, chief executive at Yorkshire Forward, said: “Cutting the region’s CO2 emssions is one of Yorkshire Forward’s priorities. With the Copenhagen Climate Change summit taking place in December, now is an ideal time for businesses to look at what they can do to play their part in reducing the region’s carbon footprint.”
Businesses and projects that were successful in the last round of funding received between £5,000 and £75,000 of support. Funding bids can be submitted by individual SMEs or from groups or consortiums, if a project is large or regionally significant. CO2Sense Yorkshire will also help businesses access additional funding from other sources such as national partners or research and development grants for larger bids.
For further information about the Greenhouse Gas Savings Capital Investment Fund or the Innovative Resource Efficiency Projects Fund, including submission deadlines, visit the latest news section of the www.CO2Sense.org.uk homepage.
Full application packs are available along with case studies of projects funded in previous rounds.
UK - research shows reclamation of building materials has fallen due to lack of government support (27/11/2009)
Sustainable construction experts have published new research showing that the amount of building material being reclaimed has declined and that reclamation is in fact becoming more difficult in the UK. Government actions are shown to be hindering reclamation, contradicting the government's own policy which gives reclamation a high priority in waste management. The authors recommend that a government reuse champion be appointed to scale up reclamation and its benefits, which range from reduced carbon emissions to more green jobs.
"Pushing reuse" was compiled by environment charity BioRegional and reclaimed building materials experts, Salvo. The organisations undertook the research project to uncover the reasons behind the recent decline in reclamation and they compare this to recycling within the sector which, with major government support, has grown massively despite being less beneficial environmentally.
Jonathan Essex, Reclaimed Materials Manager at BioRegional said: "Pushing reuse clearly shows the benefits that reuse brings over recycling. For example, if we reclaimed 50% of reusable iron and steel the carbon savings would be equivalent to taking 29,000 cars off the road - and that's for just two materials. Yes, reclamation is currently more labour intensive than recycling which makes it more expensive, but it creates green jobs and products that often have a higher value than recycled - for instance reclaimed bricks are worth much more than bricks recycled into aggregate".
The report makes 5 main recommendations to policy makers:
Create a reuse champion To direct investment in new capacity and R&D to make material reclamation quicker, safer and cheaper; provide easy-to-understand publicly available data on the embodied carbon consequences of materials choices; and work across government to promote the following policy recommendations:
Invest in kick-starting reuse capacity One of the main barriers to the reclamation of construction products in the UK is the lack of storage and reprocessing capacity. The government should match its capital investment in recycling with a commitment to provide the land and broker the partnerships to establish facilities that can store and reprocess reclaimed materials.
Direct local government and planning to reuse - Local government planning guidance should support reuse through relevant Planning Policy Statements. - A new National Indicator as part of Local Area Agreements should be created; requiring that local government monitors, reports and sets targets for reusing business and particularly construction waste in its local areas. - Local authorities should require or provide temporary holding facilities for reclaimed products, pending their subsequent use.
Put materials in the EU Emissions trading scheme The Government should explore the possibility of making construction materials tradable, so that the reclamation and reuse industries could be incentivised. For example, the UK reclaimed brick sector should be recompensed at the rate of £10/tCO2 saved[5] which would have allowed around £15m to have been reinvested in the sector between 1998 and 2007.
Direct landfill revenues to reuse before recycling The UK government pays WRAP for each tonne of waste diverted from landfill. For example, had it recompensed the UK reclaimed brick sector in this way the sector would have received government support, which could have been invested in new technologies to increase reclamation.
Reuse is the new recycling. The government can and should create a new reuse agenda.
Download the report Pushing reuse - towards a low-carbon construction industry (0.7 MB) from:
http://www.bioregional.com/files/publications/PushingReuse.pdf
or we can email you a copy.
Looking to the Future in Manufacturing - The 2009 MAS Yorkshire & Humber Manufacturing Convention (12/10/2009)
Not to be missed, this year’s convention will focus on helping your business prepare itself for the future dynamics of the manufacturing industry.
Your time is precious, which is why the MAS Convention is totally focused on making sure you take away valuable advice and tips for the future growth of your business.
Join MAS for an invaluable day of learning, where you can:
- Pick up practical tips and advice from local companies and respected business leaders
- Network with over 200 members of the local manufacturing community
- Take away ideas about how to capitalise on potential opportunities for your business
- Find out about the grant subsidised support available from MAS to help your company achieve its goals.
BOOK NOW! for further details visit http://www.mas-yh.co.uk/events/manufacturing-convention-2009
Looking to the Future in Manufacturing The 2009 MAS Yorkshire & Humber Manufacturing Convention - 12th Nov 2009 (12/10/2009)
Not to be missed, this year’s convention will focus on helping your business prepare itself for the future dynamics of the manufacturing industry.
Your time is precious, which is why the MAS Convention is totally focused on making sure you take away valuable advice and tips for the future growth of your business.
Join MAS for an invaluable day of learning, where you can:
- Pick up practical tips and advice from local companies and respected business leaders
- Network with over 200 members of the local manufacturing community
- Take away ideas about how to capitalise on potential opportunities for your business
- Find out about the grant subsidised support available from MAS to help your company achieve its goals.
For more info and to book visit:
http://www.mas-yh.co.uk/events/manufacturing-convention-2009
Benn to target business waste (12/10/2009)
The Secretary of State for the Environment, Hilary Benn, is to launch the government's long-awaited strategy for commercial and industrial (C&I) waste this week, and is also set to provide an update on the 'zero waste places' initiative.
Mr Benn will unveil the strategy, which is expected to outline the government's objectives for the waste stream, and just how it hopes to achieve them, at a meeting with stakeholders from local authorities, the waste sector, WRAP and business and industry.
At the 'World Without Waste' event being held in central London, Mr Benn will also outline just how successful the first six 'zero waste places', announced in October 2008 (see letsrecycle.com story) have been in showcasing best practice in waste management, and provide an update on the second round of applications, which closed on October 1 (see letsrecycle.com story).C&I
Defra has been in discussions with the small business sector and "a range of other interested parties" about the issue of C&I waste.
Next week's expected announcement on C&I waste follows acknowledgement in the past from Defra that there is scope for improvement in how it deals with C&I waste (see letsrecycle.com story), and the department has faced accusations that the Waste Strategy 2007 largely focused on municipal waste.
On July 2, waste and recycling minister Dan Norris revealed in a parliamentary question that Defra aimed to publish a policy statement on C&I waste by the end of July, but no statement was published before parliament went on its summer recess, which ends on Monday (October 12).
In particular, Defra has noted the need to gather up-to-date data on the waste stream, with the last national survey on it having taken place back in 2002 (see letsrecycle.com story).
The department has already said it will undertake a new national survey to gain a better understanding of the C&I waste stream and to support and influence policy decisions, with the results expected to be published in autumn 2010.
YORKSHIRE HOSPITALITY SECTOR FAILS TO CHECK-IN (22/09/2009)
Hotels and restaurants in Yorkshire could be missing the opportunity to improve their environmental performance because they wrongly assume it is a costly process.
Research by the Institute of Hospitality and sustainability experts Envirowise found that more than half of managers surveyed in the hospitality sector felt ‘going green’ would increase their costs.[1] And around 40% also said that the current economic climate was an added barrier to change.
However, Envirowise experience has shown hotels and restaurants could save around £250 per employee per year by taking action to reduce waste – not to mention improving their green credentials for eco-conscious tourists.
Envirowise Regional Manager for Yorkshire, Elin Crebbin, says: “An estimated four out of five British tourists stayed in the UK on August Bank Holiday weekend, despite the changeable weather.[2] It’s crucial to ensure this hard-earned revenue is not going down the drain through unnecessary waste.
“The average UK restaurant disposes of more than 100 tonnes of waste each year, including paper, cardboard, plastic and food waste,” continues Elin. “Yet simple steps could help the hospitality sector reduce waste and save money.”
Institute of Hospitality Chief Executive, Philippe Rossiter, adds: “While some managers do regard the introduction of more sustainable operating methods as adding costs to their business, there are also encouraging signs from the survey that the industry does increasingly recognise the importance of reducing its environmental impact.
“Of particular note are the welcome steps towards higher levels of recycling now seen throughout the sector. Nevertheless, there is no room for complacency, and much more can be done by the hospitality sector to reduce waste in all areas"
A series of practical factsheets are available from Envirowise covering a range of business areas including Food Preparation, Drinks Service, Guest Room Facilities and Grounds Maintenance. They offer advice on everything from energy use to water efficiency, including the benefits of using flow restrictors on taps or water displacement devices in toilet cisterns. For premises using cooking or refrigeration equipment, careful monitoring of heating and cooling processes is also essential to ensure energy – and money – is not being lost unnecessarily.
For more information visit www.envirowise.gov.uk/hcfactsheets or call the Envirowise Advice Line on 0800 585 794.
ENDS
For more information, please contact:
Davinia Livock or Eleanor Collins at Trimedia on 0117 929 2311 or email davinia.livock@trimediauk.com or eleanor.collins@trimediauk.com
Notes to Editors
The survey was conducted by the Institute of Hospitality in partnership with Envirowise. More than 450 responses were received from IOH members working in the hospitality industries across the UK
About Envirowise
Envirowise is a Government-funded programme dedicated to putting the sustainable use of resources at the heart of UK business practice.
Since 1994 Envirowise has helped UK businesses save over £1bn by enabling them to significantly reduce their environmental footprints.
Envirowise offers businesses of all sizes and sectors a wide range of free, independent and practical advice designed to genuinely improve their processes, profitability and competitiveness. Services include:
· The Envirowise Advice Line on 0800 585794
· An encyclopaedic website (www.envirowise.gov.uk) of valuable and relevant information
· Over 200 events each year, from Product Design Workshops to major exhibitions
Consumers not put off by greenish glass (10/09/2009)
Jars and bottles made with mixed-colour recycled glass does not appear to put off consumers, according to trials on supermarket shelves.
Retailers have expressed concern that consumers might find glass with a slight coloured tint off-putting but this research carried out by WRAP suggests otherwise.
The waste-reduction organisation is hoping it will break down one of the barriers currently affecting the amount of glass being recycled back into useful products.
WRAP believes the study will also benefit the recycling industry in the UK by providing confidence in the demand for more mixed colour recycled glass.
Conducted in partnership with Sainsbury's, the study looked at consumer attitudes to food and drink products in glass packaging with a slightly green hue - the colour produced when it contains a high percentage of mixed-colour recycled glass.
By comparing participants' perceptions of a range of common products - from mayonnaise and preserves to wines and spirits - packaged in both recycled and clear glass containers, the study found that the colour change did not tend to have a detrimental effect.
Mayonnaise was the only product that consumers preferred in a clear glass container, otherwise, product approval ratings were similar regardless of container colour.
Marcus Gover, director of market development at WRAP, said: "WRAP's study suggests that, in the majority of cases, consumers are just as likely to buy food and drink products in containers with over 90% mixed-colour recycled glass content as they are to purchase products in clear glass packaging.
"This study should give retailers the confidence to use more recycled glass in their products - in the knowledge that it will not adversely affect sales.
"This is good news for the recycling industry as it could help to stimulate a high value market for mixed-colour recycled glass in the UK. This in turn may provide the impetus to divert more of this glass away from landfill and secondary markets and into closed loop recycling."
Online game to promote Yorkshire Dales and tackle climate change (08/09/2009)
An online game promoting the Yorkshire Dales National Park and raising awareness of the effects of climate change has been launched.
The game, created by Sense Internet, supports schools teaching key stage two and three, but is also fun for other users.
The game which can be found here works on a snakes and ladders style with environmental questions to test players.
Sense Internet's managing director, Aidan Cook, said: "We saw an interactive game as the most cost efficient way to engage web users of all ages and help them think about the effects of climate change.
"The outcome of the game depends partly on a throw of the online dice, echoing the real-world situation of the risky economic and environmental climate we're living in at the moment.
"The game also addresses related issues such as litter and recycling, all of which, alongside predicted higher temperatures, can impact on the dales."
Pilot scheme to reward recyclers goes live (07/09/2009)
A scheme that sees residents rewarded with money-off vouchers for recycling came into effect in Berkshire this week.
Residents in parts of the borough of Windsor and Maidenhead will receive more vouchers if they recycle more waste.
The administrators of the scheme expect the average household to earn £130 worth of vouchers each year.
The RecycleBank will cover 3,750 households in the borough, with the vouchers redeemable at Marks & Spencer, local shops and restaurants or donated to charities.
Cllr Liam Maxwell, the borough's Cabinet Member for Sustainability, said:
"We are making recycling much easier and rewarding our residents to maximise participation and reduce landfill.
"The appetite to recycle more is clearly there and using the carrot, not the stick, is our way of energising the community and bringing meaningful benefits to households and local businesses.
"The RecycleBank scheme is a pioneering step forward. We are proud to be the first in the UK and hope that other local authorities will follow our approach across the country."
RecycleBank already runs many similar schemes in the US and earlier in the year, when this pilot was announced, edie caught up with the company president Matthew Tucker to discuss uptake there.
Old blankets to be recycled for dog charities (19/08/2009)
A council campaign aimed at getting students to reuse or recycle unwanted household bedding has been an overwhelming success.
Manchester City Council collected six van loads of blankets and old duvets left by students who left at the end of last term.
The vans collected the old bedding from homes and halls of residence across the south of the city.
The City Council also arranged a pilot scheme, organising extra collections and sending information packs to student homes throughout May and June, resulting in 10tonnes of paper, card and glass being sent for recycling and 50 bags of textiles being given to charities.
Students also donated boxes of cutlery, crockery and kitchen utensils to the university, and these have now been given to charities such as Oxfam, the Mustard Tree and the Wesley Community Furniture.
Lisa Graham from Manchester Dogs' Home said: "The duvets have been put to excellent use by our elderly and injured dogs that require a thicker, softer bed to support their injuries and joints.
"A big thank you from the dogs and staff at Manchester dogs home to all who donated their duvets."
Nigel Murphy, the council's assistant executive member for the environment, said: "This shows students are keen to contribute to the city's recycling drive."
Nappy waste to make roofing tiles (05/08/2009)
Roof tiles will soon be made from recycled nappies when the Birmingham Knowaste plant opens
Knowaste, the recycling specialist, will open the plant next year and the roofing products will be made by Mailbox Mouldings and distributed by Knowaste's spin-off company Small Planet Building Products. Until the plant is up and running, the tiles will use recycled plastic from a variety of sources. The roof tiles will be available in black, green, grey, red and brown.
The recycling process turns the waste into plastic and cellulose organic residue for green energy. The plastic will also be used for decking and cladding.
Roy Brown, president and chief executive of Knowaste, said: "More than 750,000 tonnes of nappy waste is disposed of in the UK each year - a figure that highlights the importance of developing alternative uses for post-consumer nappies.
"There is an obvious potential for synergy between the material waste produced by industry and householders and the raw materials required to produce construction products."
No health implications' for fortnightly waste collection (04/08/2009)
Switching from weekly to fortnightly waste collections would not pose any increased risk to health nor cause a greater nuisance to householders, according to a report commissioned by an industry body and Government advisers.
The idea of alternate weekly waste collections, with recyclables being picked up one week and residual waste the next, has obvious appeal in that it tends to make the job easier while boosting recycling rates.
In many areas residents have balked at the idea, however, claiming that storing rotting waste for two weeks would provide a breeding ground for rats and disease.
The government-funded Waste & Resources Action Plan (WRAP) teamed up with industry body the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) to commission research into the health risks associated with waste collection, focusing on changes in collection frequency.
Reviewing over 150 existing papers, the study found "no evidence of actual harm to householders and waste collectors or of any increased health risks or nuisance for householders that could not be dealt with by existing good practice advice for councils."
Phillip Ward, director of local government services at WRAP, said it is important for local authorities to ensure the public is kept informed on how to store waste between collections.
"Whatever the collection system, it needs to be well designed and appropriate for the local area," he said.
"Particularly in the warmer summer months, it is important that councils remind householders how to keep waste collections safe. This advice could include not keeping food waste in the house for long periods and wrapping it before putting it in the bin."
The full report can be found at www.wrap.org.uk/healtheffectsstudy.
Minister promotes low carbon business in Yorkshire (29/07/2009)
Minister for Yorkshire and the Humber Rosie Winterton has outlined how Government hopes to support the region's business community in the transition to a low carbon economy.
Speaking at a regional low carbon summit, Ms Winterton told business leaders that the government believes there are four key areas where change needs to take place to put industry on a more sustainable track.
She said the first step must be energy efficiency which would bring environmental benefits as well as saving businesses and consumers money.
A new generation of energy infrastructure favouring renewables, nuclear, carbon capture and storage for coal plants and a more efficient smart grid are also needed, she argued.
The UK must also move towards becoming a world leader in the development and production of low carbon vehicles such as electric cars and policies on training, R&D and procurement must make the UK the best place to locate low carbon business, she said.
"The move to a low carbon economy is not an option - it is inevitable," said Ms Winterton.
"I want to see businesses in the Yorkshire and Humber region benefiting from the opportunities this change offers.
"The UK has set world-leading targets for CO2 reduction by 2050, we must build the skills, knowledge and business environment that will keep Britain at the forefront of low carbon business and investment.
"For Yorkshire and the Humber there are particular opportunities in areas which already provide employment and revenue and offer opportunities for growth, such as renewable energy, construction and alternative fuels for vehicles.
"The Government recently launched a package of measures for ultra-low carbon vehicles in the UK and I hope to see this region benefiting from the expertise we have, making Yorkshire a great place to do low carbon business."
Come clean on supermarket packaging waste totals (29/07/2009)
The Local Government Association is demanding supermarkets come clean about the packaging they produce.
British supermarkets are still making multi-million pound profits despite other companies feeling the pinch of the recession.
Information on packaging is logged on behalf of supermarkets and the Government by its waste watch dog WRAP, but this is not publicly available.
The LGA, which speaks for more than 350 councils in England, believes consumers are therefore unable to make fair and informed decisions on which supermarkets are truly green.
In a letter to Hilary Benn, the environment secretary, the LGA calls for the information to be published so that shoppers can 'see hard evidence to back up supermarkets' claims they are taking the problem of packaging seriously.
Of the eight supermarkets the LGA contacted, only M&S, Waitrose and Morrisons revealed details about how much packaging they produce.
Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's and Co-op all referred councils to WRAP, which responded but did not disclose how much packaging each supermarket produces while Lidl did not reply at all, according to the LGA
Council leaders say that while people are recycling more rubbish, their efforts are being undermined by supermarkets using excessive packaging, which adds to the estimated £1.8bn local authorities will spend on landfill tax between 2008 and 2011.
In her letter to Hilary Benn, Margaret Eaton, chairman of the LGA, said: "Supermarkets must be open with people about how much packaging they are producing. It is vital that consumers can make informed choices about where they shop and which products they buy.
"The public needs to see hard evidence to back up the claims of supermarkets that they are taking the problem of packaging seriously, that their claims to be cutting packaging are real and that targets are effective.
"Until it is clear each supermarket is playing its part, how can we assess whether the targets are tough enough?
WRAP said it published details of the industry as a whole not for indivdual supermarkets.
A summary of findings of the last LGA study of food packaging available on its website.
Businesses advised to 'reuse' tyres (29/07/2009)
A new campaign is being launched to promote the use of reconditioned tyres as an environmentally-friendly alternative to new tyres.
The Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) is urging business and fleet managers to use retreads- worn tyres which have had the tread rubber replaced to extend their life.
The campaign is focusing on promoting the use of the tyres, which can be 10% cheaper than new budget tyres, for Light commercial Vehicles.
Retread tyres are manufacturer from similar compounds to new tyres and are required by law to be manufactured to the same performance criteria and safety standards.
Jacks Guinness, marketing project manager at WRAP, said: "The use of retread tyres on Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) is already well established in the UK, but WRAP has identified a significant opportunity for encouraging their increased specification by those with responsibility for fleets of LCVs.
"By highlighting benefits of retreads and tackling misconceptions attached to their use, we can bring the opinions of key decision-makers up to date and persuade them to look at retreads in a new way."
David Wilson, director of the Retread Manufacturer's Association, which is supporting the campaign, added: "Retreads are a safe, reliable and green solution, as well as being good value for money.
"I'm sure they will be seen as an excellent option for decision-makers once they become aware of their performance and benefits."
Argos and Tesco are among the well-known companies that have already switched to using retreads.
WRAP will be contacting fleet and CSR managers to offer advice on using retreads.
Further information is also available on the WRAP website at www.wrap.org.uk/tyres or by calling 0808 100 2040.
The UK's largest anaerobic digestion plant given green light (29/07/2009)
The UK's largest anaerobic digestion plant capable of treating 165,000 tonnes of food waste a year and powering 10,800 homes has been given planning permission.
The building, which will generate enough power to run the town of Selby where it's being built, will have a state of the art pre treatment hall to treat all packaged food waste.
The £20m project will also create 120 new jobs for the town 40 directly and an additional 80 jobs indirectly.
Construction is due to get underway in September and, as long as there are no delays, the plant, built by the Selby Renewable Energy Park, will become operational in 2010.
The plant will be built on eight acres of the former Tate & Lyle Citric Acid Plant in the south of Selby
Business Development Manager for the Selby Renewable Energy Park, Shaun Flynn, said: "Anaerobic Digestion is widely recognised by the government, DEFRA and Friends of the Earth as one of the best solutions for disposing of food waste.
"Everyone wins as the waste is treated in a sealed process reducing the generation of greenhouse gases and carbon emissions; a clean, renewable fuel is produced which can be used to create electricity and heat; and we are returning a green, sustainable fertiliser to the land which will in turn grow our crops for food.
"This project will provide a significant boost to the local economy by creating jobs and will also make available a cheap non fossil fuel heat source that will attract businesses to the area."
Manchester City Council pledges to halve its construction waste (17/04/2009)
Manchester City Council has become the first local authority to sign up to a voluntary agreement to slash the waste from its own construction projects.
The council has joined leading companies such as Balfour Beatty, Laing O'Rourke, Asda and Marks & Spencer in joining a voluntary scheme set up by the government-funded Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP).
Organisations that sign up to the scheme are set and pursue a target for reduction in construction waste to landfill and set corresponding standards for their contractors.
They are also expected measure their progress and report results annually to WRAP.
John Frubin, programme design and sustainability manager for Manchester City Council said: "We are absolutely delighted to be the first English council to sign up to WRAP's voluntary agreement.
"We are keen to make the council as green and sustainable as possible in all aspects of our work and signing up to WRAP's Construction Commitment: Halving Waste to Landfill is a demonstration of our drive to achieving the target of halving the amount of waste we send to landfill by 2012."
The commitment refers to the council's own building waste and that of its contractors, not that of households and companies within the city's boundaries.
The council was invited to discuss the extent of the in-house construction projects that will be covered by the agreement but had not responded to edie's questions at the time of publication.
BBEF The Green Business Club for West Yorkshire Relaunch 30th April 09 (15/04/2009)
BBEF Relaunch Event Announced! Green Business is Good Business - 30th April, Bradford, from 5pm. Speakers include Morrisons, The Old Bear Brewery, GDF Suez and Resource Efficiency Yorkshire. Click here for more information.
Every business has a responsibility to do their bit and reduce their impact on the environment. The good news is that by addressing this area pro-actively you, like many others, can achieve:
- increased profits;
- greater efficiency;
- new business opportunities;
- compliance with legislation; and
- a distinct competitive advantage.
The environment is now a business issue and the Better Business Environment Forum (BBEF) can help identify the benefits and opportunities available to your business. The BBEF offers:
Waste companies get free business advice (25/03/2009)
A government programme set up to stimulate recycling is offering free support to SMEs working in this field.
The Waste Resources & Action Programme (WRAP) has expanded its business development service to that recycling and reprocessing businesses can call upon advice from regionally-based experts.
The organisation says that it is especially important for these companies to develop robust business plans in these challenging economic times to ensure their sustainability.
WRAP's business development service offers wide-ranging support from raising finance, market information, access to funding for equipment, opportunities for staff training through to marketing, business planning and much more.
Marcus Gover, director of market development at WRAP said: "Equipping the UK's recycling businesses with the skills they need to become sustainable businesses is critical to developing our excellent domestic recycling industry, in the face of many global challenges.
"WRAP's business development service provides access to skills, knowledge and resources for SME recycling businesses - all available from a team of local business advisors."
Businesses interested in help, support, advice or just a conversation about how their operations might benefit from WRAP's business development service can call 0808 1002040 or visit: www.wrap.org.uk/recyclingbusiness.
WHY WASTE USER SELBY-BASED ECOPLAS HELPS FABRICATORS TO COMMIT TO RECYCLING (25/03/2009)
Avoiding the landfill trip for those post-consumer windows and doors
To do business in the commercial, social housing or refurbishment sectors, contractors manufacturers and installers must be able to demonstrate a commitment to energy, waste reduction, sustainable manufacture and responsible disposal of waste materials.
Ecoplas is at the fore front of both collection and recycling of redundant
PVC-U materials which includes end-of-life windows and doors. Preventing post-consumer windows and doors going to landfill is both environmentally beneficial and cost-effective. Current costs to landfill can be up to £100 per ton.
Ecoplas has the capability to process old window frames and convert them to reusable material which can be used as a raw material in the manufacture of new building products.
The process involves breaking up the frames before passing through a hammer mill which reduces the pieces into fragments. The down-sized material has the metal components removed and is then passed through separation and cleaning processes to remove all none PVC-U materials. The clean PVC-U can then be converted into granules, powder or pellets and reintroduced into the extrusion process, thus completing the closed loop from original manufacture to recycling and finally reuse.
Ecoplas use their fleet of vehicles to collect post-consumer waste which includes 50cu yd roll-on roll-off skips. They have arrangements with waste transfer stations and waste management companies, who collect post-consumer waste in their locality, then separate the PVC-U windows and doors and send bulk loads to Ecoplas.
Ecoplas can also assist fabricators who have a commitment to recycling and have placed skips on-site at a number of companies who bring back the old frames and doors they have replaced and load them into Ecoplas skips which are then collected.
Two fabricators who have embraced this concept are Alternative Windows in Leeds and Nationwide Windows in Rugby. Both companies are showing a real commitment to deal with their post-consumer waste responsibly which obviously sets them apart when negotiating for new contracts with the public or private sectors where environmental considerations are key.
Ecoplas is keen to expand its operations in this area. If you would like to take advantage of the service they offer and boost your recycling capacity as well as eliminate landfill charges, contact the service team on 01757 282828
University of Bradford and Crank It Up join forces (18/03/2009)
9:20am Sunday 15th March 2009
A cycling group which collects old and unwanted bikes for re-use is to open a shop at the University of Bradford.
‘Cycle re Cycle’, a project of Bradford-based Crank It Up Cycling For All, will be selling recycled bikes from the police and members of the public at the shop which opens on Wednesday.
The group hopes the shop will bring in a valuable income to allow it carry on voluntary work while playing a part in seeing more environment-friendly forms of transport increase.
The group uses the bicycles, recycled by a team of volunteers, to teach young people how to cycle. They are also given to under-privileged people to enjoy the benefits of cycling, sold to bring in income or used in the organised-cycling session of Crank It Up.
Crank It Up chairman Chris Evans said: “The bicycles have been donated by the police and members of the public who want to see their old bicycle have a new lease of life.
“Not all the bicycles we are given can be recycled but they can be broken down for parts which in turn are recycled on other bicycles.”
Mr Evans said damaged frames and buckled wheels can be sold to a scrapyard to bring in income while still being recycled.
He said: “Cycling is a fun way to enjoy yourself while taking valuable exercise and it’s kind to the environment.
“It is also recognised as one of the best ways to combat obesity. We will be selling adult bicycles including folding bicycles, recycled bicycles and some nearly-new bicycles.”
Accessories such as inner tubes and cables, belts made from tyres, clocks made from disc brakes and key rings of bicycle chain will be available.
The shop will be in the Communal Building in the university campus. It will be open each Wednesday from 12.30pm to 2.30pm and on Fridays from 5.30pm to 6.30pm. Chris Wilson, volunteer centre manager at the university, said the university ran a similar scheme to Crank It Up, so it made sense for them to use the space.
“At the same time we will be able to do not-for-profit servicing and repairs,” he said. “We are looking at putting a whole ‘start-to-finish’ product together.”
Visit cycle-re-cycle.org.uk or e-mail cycle-re-cycle@hot mail.co.uk for details.
Concerns over construction waste code (27/01/2009)
Since the introduction of the Waste Code of Practice for the
development industry in September, not one single company has made a
declaration to the Environment Agency.
The voluntary code, which applies in England and Wales, was developed
to provide guidance on sustainable reuse of excavated soils on
construction sites without getting tangled up in waste legislation.
The code requires the company involved in the development of the
site to send a declaration to the Environment Agency before excavation
works begin to confirm that they have followed a series of steps to
assess the material that will be reused on the same site, or
transferred to a hub site that is part of a cluster.
However, although it is believed that companies are using the code
for guidance, none of them have completed this part of the process to
date.
Speaking at a London conference, Peter Witherington of the RSK
Group said: "There must be many hundreds of sites which are removing
soils out there which should technically fall under the scope of the
Code of Practice, but are not submitting declarations."
He said that he believed firms were using the code to some extent,
but found that it limited their options for reuse because it did not
cover the reuse of soils on other sites, unless they are part of a
cluster arrangement.
"My suspicion is that many companies will say 'we will follow all
the requirements of the Code of Practice but we will not submit a
declaration to the Environment Agency and say we are not following all
of your advice'," he said.
"Because [the Code of Practice] omits a fairly major area of where
people are reusing soil, people will not submit their declarations."
Jonathan Atkinson, from the Environment Agency's Groundwater and
Contaminated Land team, said: "We are looking now to do site audits on
construction sites and if they are not following the Code of Practice
and do not have Site Waste Management Plans, they could be in trouble."
CL: AIRE is helping construction firms to form cluster
arrangements, allowing them to transfer soils to other sites within the
cluster for reuse while still complying with the code. It is expected
to publish guidance on clusters in the coming months.
Campaign to stop food waste is working (27/01/2009)
Householders are eating up a campaign designed to cut the quantity
of food going straight in the bin, according to its organisers.
The Love Food, Hate Waste campaign aims to provide tips and encouragement to those wanting to cut down on food waste, and therefore their shopping bills.
Run by Government-funded Waste & Resources Action Programme
(WRAP), the campaign was launched in 2007 and claims to have helped
close on two million households reduce their food waste, amounting to
savings of almost £300 million and stopping 137,000 tonnes of waste
going in the bin.
While the statistics are impressive, they are a mere drop in the ocean against the true scale of the problem.
WRAP suggests that 6.7 million tonnes of food is thrown away from
UK homes each year - a third of the food we buy - and this costs us £10
billion annually.
Liz Goodwin, chief executive of WRAP, said she was encouraged by
the impact the Love Food Hate Waste campaign has been making: "At a
time when every penny counts, saving nearly £300 million is a great
achievement for hard pressed consumers.
"Food which ends up in landfill produces damaging greenhouse gases
and is a terrible waste of resources. We're delighted that the Love
Food Hate Waste campaign is helping individual households enjoy more of
their food, help the environment and save money."
She continued: "We recognise that although the results of the first
year are encouraging, there is much more to do, and we're confident we
can continue to support the growing number of households cutting back
this waste."
The campaign has been promoting practical advice and tips to help
people make the most of the food they are buying, and waste less of it.
Many of these can be found on its website.
Environment Agency issues new gypsum waste guidance (19/01/2009)
New science confirms there is no acceptable limit for gypsum to be deposited with biodegradable waste.
Firms dealing with gypsum waste, such as plasterboard and plaster, are being encouraged to recycle and reuse more as new guidance on gypsum going to landfill has been announced by the Environment Agency.
The landfilling of gypsum and other wastes with a high sulphate content together with biodegradable waste has been banned in England and Wales since July 2005.
This is to prevent the build up of hydrogen sulphide gas which is both toxic and odorous. However, where construction waste contains up to 10 per cent gypsum, separate disposal has to date not been required.
From 1 April 2009 the ten per cent guideline will be scrapped and gypsum waste that cannot be recycled and is sent to landfill must be deposited in a separate cell with non-biodegradable waste.
Liz Parkes, the Environment Agency's Head of Waste, said: "In response to calls from industry we have up to now been taking a pragmatic view that separate disposal was not necessary for construction waste containing low levels of gypsum.
"However, our position is changing because new science confirms that the relationship between the amount of sulphate in waste and the production of hydrogen sulphide gas is complex.
"We cannot therefore set an acceptable limit within which gypsum can be deposited with biodegradable waste without creating this gas.
"We are also aware that some were relying on the disposal guideline at the expense of segregating and recycling their construction waste. But the guideline was never intended to be a limit to allow producers to add gypsum up to ten per cent.
"In line with the Landfill Directive, which is about minimising the impact of landfilling on the environment, we want to encourage the reuse and recycling of more gypsum and other high sulphate-bearing waste while reducing the potential production of hydrogen sulphide gas at landfill."
The new guidance, Landfilling of gypsum waste including plasterboard, which can be found at www.environment-agency.gov.uk, means that from 1 April 2009, producers of construction and demolition waste must:
Meanwhile, landfill operators must:
As well as revising its position on gypsum, the Environment Agency is working with industry to develop guidance on the management of other wastes with high sulphate content which it hopes to make available in spring 2009.
Industry views are also currently being sought on the draft Quality Protocol for gypsum from waste plasterboard. Unveiled last month by the Waste Protocols Project - a joint Environment Agency and WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) initiative - the Protocol would see gypsum lose its waste tag once it has been recycled to an agreed standard.
This would help boost the market for gypsum recycling.
City waste chiefs want to turn rubbish into resources (23/12/2008)
London must start looking at its waste as a resource rather than
rubbish to be disposed of, the London Waste and Recycling Board has
agreed.
At its second meeting, the board agreed to focus its efforts in three
main areas to reduce the capital's waste problem - increasing recycling
of priority materials such as plastic, extracting energy from the
capital's food waste, and generating energy from waste wood.
The capital currently spends about £12bn on energy, including
heating, but sends 500,000 tonnes of wood and one million tonnes of
food waste to landfill.
At its next meeting in February, the board will discuss proposals for investment to target these priority areas.
Peter Calliafas, chairman of the board's policy sub-committee,
said: "In the current economic climate, we believe that people will be
receptive to a reuse agenda."
He also recommended partnerships with private businesses and waste
firms to ensure there was a "common purpose" to create better waste
facilities.
Chairman of the board Boris Johnson said: "There's a very important
economic case to be made for what we want to do. There's an enormous
economic advantage.
"I think we have got to make the pitch to the public, and the boroughs most of all, about the way we want to take that forward."
But some members of the board raised concerns about the pace of work to draw up a comprehensive action plan.
Councillor Daniel Moylan, chairman of the London Councils transport
and environment committee, called for GLA officers to ensure a priority
plan was drawn up quickly despite the upcoming holidays.
"They should be put on a strict deadline to have a draft ready a
fortnight before we are due to meet," he said, joking that Christmas
should be "cancelled" for the officers working on the plan.
The board agreed to begin talks with the recycling industry ahead of agreeing its plans in February.
Could You Profit From Reducing Waste - Free Envirowise Workshops (11/12/2008)
Envirowise, Business Link Yorkshire and Groundwork are offering businesses a unique opportunity to find out how reducing your waste can help you achieve cost savings and improve your competeticve advantage.
Many businesses spend around 4% of their turnover generating waste. The cost of waste is not cost of disposal but also includes wasted energy, water, raw materials, consumables and labour. In this challenging climate the business case to seek cost advantages through resource efficiency is now stronger than ever.
Who Should attend?
These seminars have been designed to benefit businesses who are ready, thinking about or taking the first steps to becoming resource efficient in order to reduce waste and save money. The events are non-technical and perfect for managers, directors, environmental representatives and operational staff alike. The sessions are suitable for any sector although the majority of the case studies used will be from the manufacturing sector.
Why attend?
To get practical advice on how your business can move forward and start seeing the benefits of resource efficiency.
Gather practical hints and tips on how to identify opportunities and plan improvements effectively.
Find out how to achieve business benefits through better environmental management.
Visit a 'drop in environmental clinic' to speak to environmental proffessionals about questions specific to your business.
Sessions will run 9.30 - 16.00 on the following dates:
Thursday 22nd January 2009 - Doncaster
Wednesday 18th Feruary 2009 - Huddesfield
Thursday 5th March 2009 - Skipton
Wednesday 18th March 2009 - Willerby
Call Business Link Yorkshire 0845 604 8048 for further details.
Ainsworth: Going green is essential for competitive economy (10/12/2008)
The UK must go green to rebuild the ailing economy and ensure its
future global competitiveness - and the environmental industries will
play a key role in building a low carbon economy.
That was the message from Shadow Environment Secretary Peter Ainsworth
as he addressed the Environmental Industries Commission (EIC) in
London.
He announced that in the New Year the Conservative Party is set to
publish a paper setting out how the Tories will create a low carbon
economy in the UK.
He said: "It will outline clearly the market signals and regulatory
changes that are needed to increase energy efficiency in homes,
businesses and in farms.
"It will show how new networks can be created for decentralised energy and the mass use of sustainable transport.
"It will address the barriers to reducing emissions and it will map the pathway to our ambition for a zero-waste Britain."
Mr Ainsworth told delegates that the UK had lots of ambition and
innovation but was so far failing to deliver low carbon technologies,
particularly in comparison to countries such as Germany.
"The future of our economic competitiveness is inseparable from our environmental competitiveness," he added.
"If we want more jobs in this country today, and economic advantage
in the world tomorrow, we must develop our environmental industries.
"We need new industries rooted in new green, British workers with British know-how and scientific excellence behind them."
New Business Secretary Peter Mandelson, who was also scheduled to
appear at the conference, was unable to attend after being called into
a meeting with the Prime Minister.
He was replaced by Hugh McNeal, director of Low Carbon Solutions at
the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, who
urged EIC members to take part in the development of Government's Low Carbon Industrial Strategy.
"My challenge to you is get involved," he said. "Come to
consultation events if you can, let us know what opportunities exist
for you and how we can help you to take advantage of them. Let us know
the barriers you face and how we can help you get over them."
Lord Smith: UK must stay green through recession (10/12/2008)
The UK must hold its nerve during the financial crisis and stick to
its environmental goals, the chairman of the Environment Agency has
said.
Speaking at the Environmental Industries Commission's annual
conference, Lord Chris Smith said one of the major reasons for
continuing the green agenda is that it holds some of the answers to the
financial crisis.
"We need to hold our nerve on the climate change agenda because it
is so fundamentally important and because buried within it are also
some of the answers to the global financial and economic crises," he
said.
The world is facing three major global crises - financial, energy
and climate - he said, and although they did not have the same causes,
they had a lot of other factors in common.
He added: "In each, there has tended to be a collective denial of
the problem amongst decision makers over a long period of time despite
growing concern and evidence from scientists and experts."
But he warned that in some areas, the green agenda was already at risk of being neglected because of economic troubles.
"What we are now seeing is, because of the economic downturn,
there's a fall in demand for recyclable material that can be made into
other products, particularly around the rest of the world.
"As a result, the chain is backing up and there are some local
authorities saying 'We can't carry on collecting recyclable material,
we are going to have to dump it all in landfill instead'."
Hear his full speech to the EIC's annual conference below.
IT industry urged to rethink concept of 'green' (19/11/2008)
Making IT and technology more green is about more than just
switching your monitor off at night - it is also about all the
environmental, social and ethical issues surrounding production of the
equipment.
That was the message from Miriam Kennet, director of the Green
Economics Institute, as she addressed the Green IT Expo, in London, on
Wednesday.
"Being 'green' is about providing social and environmental justice
at the same time" she said. "It is up to the user and the buyer to make
sure that what they are doing is not causing harm."
Mobile phones are one example of a widely-used piece of technology
which is linked to the exploitation and suffering of people in
developing countries, she told delegates.
Mobiles use coltan, an ore produced from the mineral tantalum, which is mainly found in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
According to the United Nations, smuggling and exportation of
coltan has helped fuel the war in the Congo, a crisis that has resulted
in millions of deaths since 1998.
The mineral is often mined by prisoners in exchange for early release or by child labour, Ms Kennet said.
"We are all complicit in this - everyone who has a mobile phone,"
she said. "If we want to live in this high-tech world we have to think
about these supply chains.
"It's up to us in the high-tech world to see if we can engineer our supply chains to make them more green."
But this does not mean that companies and individuals should ignore
the more obvious ways to help the environment, by reducing their energy
use and CO2 emissions, Ms Kennet added.
"It's going to be one of the big stories, I think, as IT develops," she said.
A report produced last year by UK charity Global Action Plan
revealed that the ICT sector has a carbon footprint similar to that of
the aviation industry
Waste materials used in mainstream washing machines (19/11/2008)
A leading manufacturer of household appliances has taken the first steps towards making its machinery out of recycled materials.
Indesit, perhaps better known in the UK for its Hotpoint product line, has been working with the government-funded Waste & Recycling Action Plan (WRAP) and Axion Recycling to find ways that waste material can be recycled and used in a large scale in its products.
The company is now sourcing plastics from waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) produced in the UK and using it for the front plates in two of its top end Hotpoint washing machines - the Aquarius and Ultima.
The material has been produced using shredded plastic waste recovered from domestic fridges, and made into a high grade polymer that has a similar weight to the virgin plastic it is replacing.
As a result, the CO2 emissions, cumulative cost and raw material savings from this activity are significant.
The company is hoping the greener washing machines will be a hit with customers and WRAP has recently released research saying many consumers claim they would favour an electrical product which used recycled materials, providing its performance and price were not adversely affected.
Peter Maddox, head of manufacturing at WRAP said: "This groundbreaking project has demonstrated that closed-loop recycling in electrical equipment from UK WEEE is commercially viable on a large scale for the first time, with no negative effect on performance.
"We encourage other manufacturers to follow this example.
"Our recent research has also demonstrated that some consumers are willing to buy products that contain some recycled content over those that do not - further strengthening the business argument for this approach."
Mike Birch, environment manager at Indesit, added: "Having successfully completed the trial, we now plan to roll out the innovation to a range of our washing machines and washer dryers that are produced each year. The cumulative cost and raw material savings will be significant.
"For us the improved price was an enabler to help deliver a project with environmental benefits - we felt it was the right thing to do.
"We are now considering how further environmental improvements and savings can be made by using recycled content within other components and parts, throughout our manufacturing operation."
England is already beating its 2010 target to reduce the amount of biodegradable household waste heading to landfill. (19/11/2008)
An Environment Agency report released to mark the third anniversary of
the beginning of the Landfill Allowances and Trading Scheme (LATS)
showed local authorities are surpassing the target of a 25% reduction
from 1995 levels.
In 2007-08, local authorities were required to landfill no more
than 13.6m tonnes of biodegradable municipal waste, but only sent 10.6m
tonnes to landfill.
No authority was liable for a penalty for exceeding its landfill allowance.
Dr Paul Leinster, chief executive at the Environment Agency, said:
"We recognise that exceptional market conditions could make it more
challenging for local authorities to meet recycling targets.
"However, the LATS scheme is unique in Europe in giving local
authorities flexibility in how they meet their landfill diversion
targets by buying, borrowing and selling allowances as market demand
fluctuates.
"England has tough but important targets to reduce the amount of
household waste rotting in our landfills, which contributes to climate
change by releasing methane gas into the atmosphere."
Environment Minister Jane Kennedy said: "Local authorities are to
be congratulated on the way they are tackling the diversion of waste
from landfill."
She added: "The Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme gives them the right flexibility to meet their allowances year on year.
"This flexibility is enabling local authorities to achieve the major goal of reducing the waste ending up in landfill."
The report shows that the London Borough of Tower Hamlets
landfilled 26.2% more than its allowances, but bought allowances to
avoid fines, while Hampshire County Council had the most surplus and
sold 22.8% of its allowances to other authorities.
Twelve authorities landfilled more than their allocations in 2007-08.
Londoners urged to 'dig for the environment' (05/11/2008)
L-R Chef Oliver Rowe, who specialises in locally-sourced food, joins Rosie Boycott and Boris Johnson to launch the scheme In a scheme reminiscent of the wartime Dig for Victory campaign, residents in the capital are being encouraged to get the gardening bug and grow their own food.
Mayor Boris Johnson and Rosie Boycott, chair of London Food, launched the Capital Growth scheme, on Tuesday, which aims to turn 2,012 pieces of land into allotments by 2012.
The initiative will identify suitable patches of land around London and offer financial support to groups of gardeners or organisations who want to use it to grow food.
Mr Johnson said the scheme would not only benefit the environment, but could improve health, increase flood protection and put a few pounds back in Londoners' pockets.
Boris Johnson said: "It will help to make London a greener, more pleasant place to live whilst providing healthy and affordable food.
"This will aid people to reconnect with where their fruit and veg comes from and cut the congestion and carbon emissions associated with the transportation of food from miles away."
Ms Boycott added: "London has a good deal of green spaces - some derelict or underused - but not being used as well as they could be."
It is hoped that local authorities, schools, hospitals and housing estates will be among the organisations that will open up land for Capital Growth.
Several organisations have already pledged land to scheme, including Blenheim Gardens housing estate in Brixton, and Latchmere House resettlement prison in Richmond.
Bonnie Hewson, a housing estate resident from Blenheim Gardens, said: "Residents on my estate are very excited about Capital Growth. Everyone from children to older people will be growing more of their own fresh food."
The scheme will be run by London Food Link, part of the charity Sustain, and the pilot stage of the scheme, which will run until March 2009 is being funded by the London Development Agency at a cost of £87,000.
Beyond this date, Sustain will be looking for more funding to continue the scheme.
Show workers the bottom line, Envirowise says (05/11/2008)
Seeing the bills could stop employees leaving their green habits at the office door, Envirowise said Bosses should tell their employees how much they are shelling out for gas, electricity, water and recycling to encourage them to reduce the impact of their business.
Sustainable business experts Envirowise are calling on employers to be more transparent about the impact that their workers are having so that they adopt the same approach to cost cutting at work as they do at home.
According to Envirowise research, people who are committed to cutting waste at home are lapsing into bad habits as soon as they get to work.
A survey of more than 1,800 UK office workers found that a third took no action to reduce the amount of resources they use during the working day.
"This research sends out a clear signal to UK businesses that good domestic environmental practices do not necessarily translate to the workplace," said Mary Leonard, Envirowise's marketing director.
"By ensuring gas, electricity, water and recycling bills are not cloaked in mystery, staff will have a greater understanding of how their actions can help reduce costs."
She added that the current financial climate should provide businesses with another incentive to cut their bills.
"With the credit crunch continuing to bite, cutting costs through better resource efficiency and minimising waste have never been more important," Ms Leonard said.
"Those businesses that make positive changes to reduce their environmental impact and reduce costs now will be better equipped to survive and thrive during the current downturn."
Envirowise recommended businesses should appoint "champions" to lead environmental incentives, urge employees to switch off lights and computers at the end of the day, and install water saving devices in toilets and kitchens.
It has also recently produced a guide to help businesses decide whether rainwater harvesting would be a suitable way to save resources in their workplace
Grants on offer to recycle construction waste (29/10/2008)
A funding programme has been launched to encourage waste managers to recycle more construction and demolition waste.
WRAP (the Waste & Resources Action Programme) has launched the Construction and Demolition Capital Grant Programme, backed by the Scottish Government, following complaints from construction contractors that there is not enough capacity to recycle their waste.
It means that waste firms will be able to apply for funding for up to 30% of the total costs of building new plants, equipment and infrastructure.
But applicants will have to prove their projects will provide additional capacity to recycle waste such as off-cuts, timber, plastics, packaging and soils from construction and demolition that would otherwise have ended up in landfill.
Iain Gulland, WRAP's director for Scotland, said: "This Capital Grant Programme provides grants to help companies develop the capacity that Scotland needs to recycle more of its construction and demolition waste.
"We are specifically interested in proposals that will significantly increase the quantity and quality of non-inert fractions of construction and demolition waste materials recovered, separated and recycled from construction sites."
A similar programme is already running in England and one has been proposed for Wales.
Earlier this month, WRAP also launched an agreement with the construction industry committing signatories to reduce the amount of waste they send to landfill.
Applicants for the Scottish programme must be based in Scotland and must be dependent on WRAP support to go ahead.
Waste firms only have until December 18 to apply for the grants, and if successful, they will have to make sure their projects are fully operational by the end of 2010.
More information on the grants and eligibility criteria can be found here.
GREEN-TECH WINS TOP GREEN AWARD (21/10/2008)
Yorkshire company, Green-Tech Ltd are one of the major prize-winners in the International Green Apple Awards 2008 for the Built Environment and Architectural Heritage.
They have been awarded the National Gold Award for their project at a former colliery in South Yorkshire.
The trophy was presented by top botanist and TV personality Professor David Bellamy, OBE at The Tower of London.
The trophies are awarded annually in recognition of building projects that enhance the built environment and/or protect our architectural heritage.
The judges commented: “This heavily contaminated and neglected former colliery was transformed by the application of thirty thousand tonnes of recycled manufactured topsoil. This product, made from green water waste, has given the area a new lease of life and is now a pleasant course and habitat.”
The award-winning project will be featured in the next National Treasures guide and they will also be presented with a prestigious Green Plaque later in the year, during a special prizegiving ceremony at the House of Commons.
The Green Apple Awards campaign is run by The Green Organisation, an independent, non-political, non-profit organisation that recognises rewards and promotes environmental best practice around the world.
Their supporters include the Environment Agency, the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management, the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health and various other professional bodies.
National Organiser Roger Wolens commented: “We had hundreds nominations this year, so they did particularly well to triumph against some very strong competition.”
Speaking on behalf of Green-tech , Sales and Marketing Director Mark Whiting said
“We are delighted to have won another prestigious National Award for our Greentree soils. It makes all the effort and hard work the whole company has put in during the last few years to promote and develop this product all worthwhile and to have received recognition from The Green Organisation is especially pleasing”.
Note to editors – for further information please contact Katy Hamblin on 01423 332100 / email – katyh@Green-tech.co.uk.
Could landfills resurrect Britain's mining industry? (20/10/2008)
Imagine an air-tight dome with teams of robots working alongside
people in space suits as they sift through the corrosive waste of past
generations, looking for scraps of plastic and nuggets of precious
metals.
This isn't the opening scene of the latest Sci-Fi movie to hit our
screens, but the vision of one of the leading thinkers of the British
waste industry, describing how landfill mining might look a few decades
down the line.
Freelance waste consultant Peter Jones, until recently a director
at waste giant Biffa, was among the speakers at a London conference
looking at likelihood of our old rubbish dumps becoming the mines of
the future.
With raw materials becoming increasingly scarce and the price of
oil rising it isn't stretching credibility too far to assume that what
we threw away in times of plenty might be seen as a valuable resource
in the not-too-distant future.
But is digging up this booty technically and economically feasible,
and what will be left after years of decomposition in a hole in the
ground?
Mr Jones warned that it might be a while before its safe to unearth
these tarnished treasures, describing the grim reality of the rotting
mess that remains underground for years after a landfill is capped and
the fields above landscaped.
"This is not a friendly or benign environment - it's an extremely corrosive atmosphere," he said.
"[When you open these things up] you will certainly discover that it's pretty awful in terms of decomposition.
"We won't be able to go into any landfill that's closing today for about 30 years."
He said the waste would need to be sorted in air-tight domes and
those inside would need to wear hazmat suits, or leave the work to
machines.
And when it comes to recovering materials, there will be a fairly short list of useful resources left, he said.
Organics will have decomposed - and hopefully the subsequent
methane burnt off as fuel - and all but the most inert of metals will
be eaten away in the corrosive soup.
But one waste stream of today could still be a major resource tomorrow.
"When you dig up landfills the only recoverable tonnage material is going to be plastics," said Mr Jones.
And these, he added, would not be found in large sheets but rather
shreds of different polymers here and there, making sorting for
recycling an almost impossible task.
This still leaves the option of using the oil-based plastics as
fuel however, most likely using relatively clean technologies such as
gasification rather than simple energy-from-waste incinerators.
In today's market, the cost of excavating a landfill and
re-processing the waste in the hopes of extracting plastics for fuel
does not quite stand up - those who try it are likely to break even at
best - but existing drivers are already making the prospect more and
more attractive as time passes.
Rising landfill gate fees, growing incentives to find low-carbon
fuel and pressures on existing resources are all tipping the scales
towards landfill mining.
While the process has potential benefits for the environment, not
everyone is going to be happy with the develop - including those living
near former landfills who thought they'd seen the back of large-scale
waste management on their doorstep.
"They're used to looking out on a grassy knoll that looks a bit like the South Downs," said Mr Jones.
"And suddenly they find out they're in for another ten years of hell and anguish."
Trials suggest AWC boosts food waste collection performance (20/10/2008)
Switching to controversial alternate weekly collections could boost participation in separate food waste collections.
Food waste collection trials carried out by WRAP (the Waste &
Resources Action Partnership) found that local authorities using AWC
recorded higher participation rates than those picking up
non-recyclable rubbish every week.
One council, the London Borough of Bromley, switched to AWC during
the trial and found participation rates shot up from just over half to
more than three quarters.
Speaking at an MRW conference in London on Thursday, Chris Mills,
from WRAP's Recycling and Organics Technical Advisory Team, said:
"Statistically, with a background of alternate weekly collection, we
are finding a much higher rate of food waste collection."
John Woodruff, head of waste services for Bromley, said the use of
separate weekly food waste collections had helped to reduce public
opposition to AWC.
"If your food waste is going weekly in a separate bin, there is not
so much of a problem with the other waste, so it's an easier sell," he
said.
WRAP's food waste trials covered nearly 100,000 households across England and Northern Ireland.
The trials also found that residents were reluctant to use
collections that combined food and garden waste, and that people
throwing away out-of-date food frequently did not bother to take it out
of its packaging.
Average participation was about 62%. Of those who did not
participate, the main reasons were that residents believed they did not
produce enough food waste, they were concerned about hygiene or vermin,
or they composted at home.
David Mottershead, head of waste policy and processes at Defra,
said Government still believed that anaerobic digestion was the best
way to deal with food waste once it was collected.
"The UK needs the contribution from renewable energy that it can get through the anaerobic digestion of food waste," he said.
He added that ministers were very pleased with the widespread and positive coverage that the Love Food Hate Waste campaign had received
Don’t skip the plasterboard – recycle it (13/10/2008)
The publication of a new ‘publicly available specification’ (PAS) means that waste plasterboard can now be recycled into quality-assured gypsum.
The Specification (PAS109:2008) – which is published by the government-backed Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) in collaboration with industry and the British Standards Institution (BSI) – provides guidance for processing waste plasterboard.
This is good news for two reasons: plasterboard recyclers will be able to advertise that their recycled gypsum product meets the PAS109 quality requirements, giving purchasers confidence in the quality of the product; and as confidence in the end-product grows, so too will the market for waste plasterboard.
'Trigger happy printing' wasting tonnes of paper (07/10/2008)
Office workers are creating a mountain of waste paper by printing out documents they don't need.
Envirowise, a body set up by Government to advise business on its environmental performance, says that half of office workers it asked openly admit to wastefully printing documents and that the dream of a paperless office is still a long way off.
Up to 120 billion pages are printed out in the UK's offices every year, with a significant share of these going straight in the bin due to what Envirowise calls 'trigger happy' printing.
"Unnecessary printing of emails, multiple copies, single-sided printing and the sending of massive documents to the printer which are unlikely to be read, are just some of the regular scenarios lived out by businesses every day as a result of 'accidental printing'," said Mary Leonard, Envirowise director.
"Most offices will find they can reduce waste costs by around 20% through simple no or low cost actions.
"Measures such as double sided or multiple page printing and recycling instead of paying for disposal can really help."
According to Envirowise advisors, paper has become one of the biggest waste challenges facing UK offices with around half of all office waste being paper-based.
As it stands, 4.7 million tonnes of paper and cardboard is entering the waste stream each year in the UK.
Businesses interested in finding out what they can do to make a difference to their business and the environment can download Envirowise's free Green Officiency Toolkit or call the organisation's advice line on 0800 585794.
Miliband to head new climate department (07/10/2008)
Former Treasury advisor Ed Miliband has been given a major
frontbench role leading a new Government department focusing on climate
change and energy.
The creation of the department was among a number of shock changes
announced by Gordon Brown on Friday as he confirmed details of a
Cabinet reshuffle.
Mr Miliband, brother of former Environment Secretary David, will
take on areas of policy previously split between Defra and the
Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR).
The Prime Minister said the changes, which also included the
creation of a new Economic Council headed by Peter Mandelson, were
necessary to meet challenges that did not exist when Labour came to
power in 1997, such as oil price rises.
Mr Miliband - who until last week was Minister for the Cabinet
Office - said: "The new department reflects the fact that energy policy
and climate change are directly linked.
"My job is to make sure our policy on climate change is fair for
ordinary families and our policy on energy is sustainable for future
generations.
"We will do all we can to ensure affordable fuel bills for people,
put Britain at the forefront of creating green jobs and play our part
in ensuring every country meets the climate change challenge."
The move has been praised by environmental and industry groups, but
they were quick to highlight the tough decisions the new Secretary of
State for Energy and Climate Change will face.
Greenpeace executive director John Sauven said: "The first test of
his credibility will be whether he stops the UK's first new coal fired
power station in over thirty years at Kingsnorth in Kent."
Friends of the Earth said the move was a "big step forward" but the
test will be how quickly it translates into a shift in policy.
Philip Wolfe, director general of the Renewable Energy Association,
said Mr Miliband will have his work cut out meeting European renewable
energy targets.
"He also needs to overcome obstacles delaying renewable
technologies like wind, bioenergy and marine renewables, and to adopt a
more robust approach to renewable transport fuels and decentralised
energy technologies like solar energy and heat pumps," he added.
The Renewable Energy Foundation warned that the UK electricity
industry faces a "Herculean" task to replace ageing power stations,
reduce air pollution and switch to more renewable power.
Dr Neil Bentley, director of business environment at the
Confederation of British Industry, raised concerns about combining the
pressures of climate change and energy security.
"Combining them both may help identify both synergies and
trade-offs, but we must avoid either one becoming subordinate to the
other," he said.
Government will get its first chance to prove whether the rhetoric
will translate into action on Wednesday when ministers are expected to
announce whether the new climate change law will commit the UK to
cutting emissions by 80% by 2050.
If follows a review by the Climate Change Committee on a target of at least 60% set by the Climate Change Bill.
REACH For Recyclers Implications for Recycled Polymers – A one day seminar 15th October 2008 (25/09/2008)
REACh the European regulation (EC1907 /2006 ) has implications for Waste Management and Polymer Recycling companies, and their downstream user compliance. Failure to comply with REACh regulations may mean that your business will no longer have a market place within Europe.
The University of Hull, in conjunction with Polymer Training Ltd have developed a REACh course, tailored specifically for companies involved in recycled polymers.
The course will be delivered by Mark Selby and Amanda Foulkes from the University of Hull’s Environmental Technologies Centre for Industrial Collaboration and will be held at at Polymer Training Ltd – Telford
on Weds 15th October 2008
Click here to download the programme and further details
The UK Green Building Council (UK-GBC) has launched a consultation to find out what guidance the industry needs to help it achieve Government sustainability targets. (16/07/2008)
Ministers have announced that following the 2016 zero-carbon target for
homes, they also want all non-domestic buildings to be zero carbon by
2019.
UK-GBC is inviting a range of companies and organisations from the
building industry to take part in a task group led by the council's
chief executive Paul King.
The council wants to see a national Code for Sustainable Buildings developed, and the task group will discuss what standards should be included.
Mr King said: "With the upcoming Government consultation on zero
carbon non-domestic buildings, this is an ideal moment to take stock
and consider what kind of code and rating tools we need for the future.
"Industry needs a clear and practical route map and milestones that
are aligned with Government policy to give it the confidence and
knowledge to move forward on a trajectory to 2019.
"We also need to anticipate forthcoming European regulation in this
area, and the growing demand from multi-national clients and developers
for increased harmonisation between international tools."
The consultation has been backed by industry bodies.
Rab Bennetts, director of architects Bennetts Associates, said: "In the same way that the UK GBC is a pan-industry body, so the Code for Sustainable Building
should aim to be just the sort of joined-up thinking that offers
clarity and strategic direction to designers, constructors, owners and
occupiers."
George Martin, head of sustainable development at construction firm
Willmott Dixon, said he supported the idea of a national code for green
building when it was first floated in 2004.
He added: "I was seriously disappointed when it was watered down to become the Code for Sustainable Homes.
"Now is the time for the UK to set an example and deliver a national Code for Sustainable Buildings."
New guidance to help recycling of small-scale construction waste (15/07/2008)
It is now simpler for mobile concrete crushers to obtain air pollution approvals, under new guidance issued in accordance with the government's drive for better, more simplified regulation.
The new guidelines mean that in most cases the new
breed of micro crusher - with its comparatively small pollution
potential compared to conventional models - will no longer need a
pollution permit.
Larger crushers will still need a permit, but
the procedures have been simplified and the costs substantially
lowered. Instead of each customer needing their own permit, hire
companies will now be able to temporarily transfer the permit to the
customer for the hire period.
The new guidelines are published in full at:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/ppc/localauth/pubs/guidance/manuals.htm
Reducing food waste will help tackle environmental problems as well as spiralling prices, according to Gordon Brown. (15/07/2008)
Speaking prior to the G8 summit in Japan this week, the Prime Minister
said we had a responsibility to face up to the twin challenges of
climate change and global food security - and the solution could start
at home.
The average British family throws away a shocking third of the food it buys, wasting 4.1 tonnes, or £420 worth of produce.
Better planning could reduce that amount, says the government, saving money and unnecessary carbon emissions.
Mr Brown's comments coincide with the release of a Defra report, Food Matters - Towards a Strategy for the 21st Century.
Mr Brown said: "The rise of popular interest in food policy issues,
and growing public awareness of the impact of what we choose to eat on
everything from animal welfare, to our health and the protection of the
environment has seen a massive transformation in Britain's food culture
over the past ten years.
"This cultural change, along with more recent events in global food
markets, has brought new and urgent policy challenges to the fore,
which governments must act to meet."
Environmental groups welcomed the Prime Minister's concerns about
wasted food, but argued it should not distract attention from the more
pressing issue of biofuels
Friends of the Earth food campaigner Vicki Hird said: "Gordon Brown
is right to draw attention to the need to waste less food, but he must
also use his sway at the G8 to urge a rethink on global agriculture and
food production.
"Current policies on biofuels and trade lie behind the global food
crisis. By feeding cars instead of people we are driving deforestation
and pushing up food prices.
"Forcing countries into one-size-fits-all trade deals devastates local food markets and puts small farmers out of business.
"We need a new model of food production that doesn't rely on
techno-fixes like GM crops or biofuels - both of which have failed to
deliver - and allows local food production to flourish across the
globe."
Leaders of the world's most powerful economies have pledged to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% by 2050. (15/07/2008)
The G8 group of nations, which is currently meeting in Japan, announced the ambition following a day of discussions on Tuesday.
Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, who is hosting this year's G8
summit, said it was "an appropriate and necessary goal for the earth".
He added that on Wednesday, the G8 will call on other major economies to cooperate with their plans.
"This long-term goal requires the wisdom and cooperation of the entire world," Mr Fukuda said.
He said the G8 will set up a new international initiative to
research and develop low-carbon technologies, and use climate
investment funds to help developing countries.
Environmental campaigners around the world have slammed the announcement.
Friends of the Earth International accused the G8 of "spewing futile rhetoric".
Campaigner Karen Orenstein said; "The G8 countries' agreed
long-term goal is totally inadequate and they have failed to commit to
mid-term targets.
"Their demands for developing countries to agree to binding
commitments show total disregard for their own responsibilities towards
the rest of the world."
The organisation also questioned the G8's failure to mention a
baseline year from which the cuts will be measured and argued that 1990
- the year used in the Kyoto treaty - should be used.
In the UK, Greenpeace campaigners also criticised Tuesday's announcement, labelling it a "festival of vacuous black-slapping".
Executive director John Sauven said: "The G8 leaders have failed
the world again. We need tough targets for the richest countries to
slash emissions in the next 100 months, but instead we got ambiguous
long-term targets for the world in general.
"The G8 could and should have ruled out the scores of new
coal-fired power stations set to be built across the industrialised
world."
More than two-thirds of UK households are still putting electrical gadgets in the household waste and 17% do not recycle electrical items at all. (02/07/2008)
Research from electrical specialist Comet to mark the first anniversary of the introduction of the WEEE Directive on Tuesday showed consumers are lagging behind on electrical recycling compared to other household items.
Although awareness of waste electrical and electronic equipment
(WEEE) has increased from 2% in 2007 to 67% today, but Comet said this
did was not matched by action.
UK residents currently throw away enough WEEE every year to fill
the new Wembley six times, and each person throws away 3.3 tonnes in
their lifetime.
Commenting on the findings, Bob Mead, WEEE policy adviser for the
Environment Agency, said the directive is having a positive impact on
the amount of waste electronics ending up in landfill.
"Householders in Britain throw away more than a million tonnes of electrical waste every year," he said.
"However, about a third of this is now collected, treated and
recycled. In fact, in the first six months of WEEE, about 184,000
tonnes of household WEEE was collected and treated, and therefore
diverted from landfill."
Under the directive, retailers such as Comet are responsible for
collecting and recycling old electrical items, and the chain last year
expanded its collection service.
It now recycles more than 400,000 electrical items a year and helps to fund recycling facilities at rubbish tips across the UK.
Toby Lousada, Comet's services director said today's figures were a
big improvement on the amount of people recycling electrical equipment
before the directive was introduced, but encouraged consumers to do
more.
"Although only a third of British households recycle all electrical
goods, the items that are recycled tend to only include bigger
electrical items, for example fridges and dishwashers," he said.
"However all electrical items such as toasters, radios and ice
cream makers can be taken to local electrical amenity sites and
recycled. On the 1st anniversary of WEEE we'd like to encourage more
consumers to do their bit."
MEPs back 'watered down' waste directive (23/06/2008)
Half of household waste and 70% of construction and demolition waste in the EU should be recycled or reused by 2020 after MEPs backed the revised Waste Directive.
The European Parliament voted in favour of a deal that had been hammered out with the Council of Ministers earlier this month.
It also included a definition of incineration as recovery provided it meets certain energy efficiency standards, which has provoked controversy among some MEPs and the recycling sector.
The targets themselves have also come under fire, with some accusing Parliament of agreeing a watered down deal, and arguing the wording of the directive does not make the targets legally binding.
Questioned about these concerns in Parliament, Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said: "If these targets are not met in 2020, the Commission can take Member States to court for non-compliance with the requirements of the directive."
Conservative south west England MEP Caroline Jackson, who led MEPs in negotiations with the Council, told Parliament: "This is a positive incentive to incinerator operators to reach high standards and we would do well to remember, in these fuel poor days, that waste can be a useful fuel.
"But it is important to recognise that the Parliament has now ensured, by writing in targets for recycling and emphasising waste prevention objectives, that incineration of residual waste will have to go hand in hand with recycling."
RREUSE (Reuse and Recycling European Social Enterprises) said the overall result was "disappointing" and MEPs had accepted "watered down recycling targets".
South east England's Green MEP Caroline Lucas said it was "a major lost opportunity" on waste prevention.
She added: "As well as promoting incineration, the compromise also includes two potential loopholes that are likely to haunt us in the future.
"It introduces new definitions for 'by-products' and when 'waste ceases to be a waste'. This creates possibilities to unduly escape waste legislation and may well lead to a new series of court cases."
But the Chemical Industries Association said the vote "makes sense for the environment".
Dr Anne-Gaëlle Collot, CIA's environmental protection policy advisor, added: "Being able to use our by -products means the chemical industry can use fewer virgin resources and contribute less to landfill."
testing testing 1, 2 (06/06/2008)
testing news items
Government to miss 60% of eco-targets, think tank says (14/05/2008)
Government looks set to miss more than half of the green targets it has set since 1997, according to a new study.
Of 138 high level targets, 60% have been missed, are unlikely to be achieved, or are worded too vaguely to make a meaningful analysis, according to right-wing think tank Policy Exchange.
Biodiversity, and climate change and energy are the two worst areas, while waste is the sole area where the researchers say a majority of targets will be met and Government policy has undoubtedly made an improvement.
Green Dreams: a Decade of Missed Targets calls for ministers and their counterparts in the opposition parties to set fewer and more achievable targets.
Target setting is too often made without the policy drivers - most notably the finance and interim benchmarking - needed to achieve them, researchers at the think tank concluded.
Tara Singh, head of Policy Exchange's environment unit and one of the authors of the study, told edie: "I have no doubt that Government had genuine targets for the environment.
"But I think Government underestimated how much policy work needed to go into it. Energy policy, for one, is a nightmare."
She called for Government, as well as the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives, to set more realistic targets and set them over the longer term to give businesses the ability to meet them.
Ms Singh said: "They have got to set far fewer targets and make them genuinely ambitious but set things that are not so aspirational as to be unachievable."
The report also criticised the changing of targets over time, such as those to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
In one example, the report says the 1999 Pre-Budget Report said Government would reduce C02 emissions by 20% on 1990 levels by 2010, but by 2005 this target had instead been applied to emissions of all greenhouse gases.
"As the targets get closer and closer, instead of being honest and saying we are going to miss it, Government started to spin it a bit," Miss Singh said.
Businesses still confused by WEEE (14/05/2008)
More than a third of UK businesses think that small companies are exempt from WEEE regulations and many believe the regulations affect manufacturers of electrical products more than importers.
Waste electrical and electronic items are still confusing some companies.
More than a year after the introduction of the regulations, research by the Environment Agency showed that 76% of businesses are aware of the regulations and the environmental cost of electrical and electronic waste.
But there are still some major misconceptions about the rules which could put businesses at risk of breaching the regulations and incurring a fine.
One of the major areas of concern for the agency was that many UK businesses do not realise they are classified as electrical producers.
Some companies also mistakenly believe that if their offices are not in the UK they do not need to join a WEEE compliance scheme in the UK.
The Environment Agency also found some of those businesses questioned believed manufacturers are affected more than importers, although WEEE regulations apply equally to all businesses involved in the supply chain, from manufacturers to distributors.
Adrian Harding, producer responsibility policy advisor at the Environment Agency, said: "It is encouraging to see good overall awareness of green issues across electronics manufacturing businesses.
"However, it is concerning that many businesses in the sector have not made full use of the guidance that's been put in place to help them comply with the WEEE Regulations.
"As we step up our enforcement of the regulations, many of these businesses are putting themselves at an increasing risk of being fined."
The agency is urging businesses to use its step-by-step guide to help them comply with the rules and choose a compliance scheme to join.
More information on the WEEE regulations from the Environment Agency can be found here.
http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/business/1745440/444663/1106248/?version=1&lang=_e
£310m in PFI credits for waste schemes (29/04/2008)
Millions of pounds of funding is being made available for four waste projects under Government's Private Finance Initiative scheme.
Defra has announced PFI credits will be awarded to Leeds City Council, Suffolk County Council, Bradford Metropolitan District Council, and a partnership of local authorities in Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham.
The projects are expected to involve building either incinerators or facilities for Mechnical Biological Treatment (MBT), which would use a process such as composting or anaerobic digestion to treat the waste.
Leeds City Council, which has been awarded 68.6m of credits, said it has not yet decided which treatment process will be used.
Environment chief Councillor Steve Smith said: "Given the advances in waste treatment technologies, we feel that a decision on the actual solution should not be taken until after the evaluation of all potential solutions brought forward during the procurement process."
Bradford Metropolitan District Council has secured £62.1m for a project collaborating with neighbouring Calderdale Council. The two authorities currently send about 75% of their household waste to landfill.
Ian Bairstow, Bradford Council's head of waste management, said his council was also keeping an open mind about what technology the PFI funding will support.
He added: "This funding to support the long term solution is good news, although it still only represents a very small proportion of the increasing cost of waste treatment."
Suffolk County Council, which will receive £102m, favours an incinerator on a site at Great Blakenham, near Ipswich, but has not fully committed to this plan.
A spokeswoman said: "We are still open for other technologies to come forward when the tenders go out."
Local authorities in Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham - which together produce enough waste each year to fill Wembley Stadium - will receive £77.4m.
The three authorities are currently drawing up a Joint Strategic Waste Development Plan which will map out sites across the borough that could house facilities to process waste.
Kate Martin
TEG ENVIRONMENTAL OFFERING FOOD WASTE COLLECTION IN YORKSHIRE AND LANCASHIRE. (02/04/2008)
Recent research by the Government’s Waste & Resources Action Programme has shown that about one-third of all food in the UK ends up being wasted – that’s more than 6.5 million tonnes of food per year. Now, companies in Lancashire and Yorkshire are being offered a green alternative to landfill to recycle their waste food. Composting specialist TEG Environmental is launching a commercial food waste collection service, which will provide a cost effective and environmentally responsible alternative to traditional disposal routes.
TEG will provide participants with a separate wheelie bin to be used exclusively for food waste, which it will collect on a designated day and transport to its state of the art commercial composting plants at Todmorden and Preston. There, the food waste will be mixed with garden waste before feeding into TEG’s Silo Cage composting systems. The end product can then be used as a soil enhancer for agricultural and horticultural purposes.
The new service will cover Preston, Blackburn, Burnley, Todmorden, Hebden Bridge, Luddenden Foot, Sowerby Bridge, Halifax and Bradford but businesses within a 10 mile radius of any of these towns could be eligible to join the scheme.
TEG decided to launch the service after realising that many commercial food organisations such as restaurants, take-aways and food retailers combine their food waste with their general waste, which then has to go to landfill. TEG’s Commercial Director, Jayne Pierre, explained how the scheme works: “Any company within the designated catchment area that produces food waste is eligible to join. We will provide either 240lt or 1100lt wheelie bins designated exclusively for food waste which will collected regularly.”
TEG is expecting an enthusiastic response to the service as companies recognise the benefits of a more environmental approach to food waste. Added Jayne: “Landfill taxes are due to increase dramatically this April the Government has stated that they will double by 2010. Removing food waste from the general waste bin and sending it for composting should prove a more cost-effective option than landfill for most companies. They will also find that other wastes in their bin, such as cardboard and plastic, will stay clean once the food is being dealt with separately and so could have a positive value if recycled.”
Companies requiring further information about the food waste collection scheme should call Jessica Stewart on 07825 426484.
Environmental Grants for Businesses in the Yorkshire and Humber Region (28/01/2008)
The Business Resource Efficiency Improvement Grant (BREIG)scheme helps businesses in the Yorkshire and Humber region to improve their resource efficiency; providing grants and access to third party expertise to target reductions in waste, energy and/or water whilst at the same time delivering a boost to a business’ bottom line profitability. Funded by Yorkshire Forward through the Business Resource Efficiency and Waste (BREW) programme, BREIG helps offset the costs of capital investment or consultancy that results in the greater use of recycled or environmentally friendly processes and materials, reduced energy, fuel or water consumption, reduced landfill waste and improved production efficiencies.
Businesses can apply for a capital grant of up to £8,000, a consultancy grant of up to £2,500 and a training grant of up to £1,000 to help put in place measures which will cut waste and usage of energy and water.
BREIG grants are available until 31st March 2008 or until funds are exhausted – so apply now for a BREIG grant and start building a better future for your business. For further details or for help applying for a Business Resource Efficiency Improvement Grant, call 0870 125 3311. Email: kevin.cassidy@yfmgroup.co.uk see http://www.breig.co.uk/project_availability.htm
