News round-up June 2023 | MRW

Urbaser in 40-lorry deal

NRG Riverside has been awarded an eight-year contract-hire deal by waste firm Urbaser to supply 40 vehicles with repair and maintenance support.

It will see NRG Riverside supply Dennis Eagle Olympus Rear Steer RCVs with Terberg Matec Omnidel bin lifts, 11-tonne Terberg Matec Orus food waste trucks, 16-tonne NTM K-Series, and 16-tonne Hillend Engineering FHE PN15 Split Bodies.

These will be used for Urbaser’s contract with Tonbridge & Malling and Tunbridge Wells borough councils. 

Urbaser’s UK operations director, Jose Ramon Sanchez Espejo said: “We have been working with NRG Riverside for over ten years and are delighted to call on them again to deliver 40 vehicles for this contract. With effectively three months’ notice, NRG Riverside has mobilised this contract and employed all necessary staff.”

Press release

Honour award for O’Donovan

Jacqueline O’Donovan, managing director of O’Donovan waste disposal, has become an OBE in the King’s Birthday Honours List.

She was the first woman to lead a prominent waste company and her award was for services to recycling, safety and the Industry.

Joining the family business aged 19, she saw it grow from a £175,000 annual turnover to more than £20m. The company was in June 2022 bought by Sweden’s Sortera.

Press release

Toolkit to help on withdrawn wood policy

The Wood Recyclers’ Association has launched a toolkit to help members prepare for the withdrawal of RPS 250 (Hazardous waste wood from demolition and refurbishment activities) on 1 September.

It said the withdrawal of Regulatory Position Statement 250 in England meant certain kinds of potentially hazardous waste wood from pre-2007 buildings would no longer be accepted at wood recycling sites unless testing showed them as non-hazardous.

Press release

Barbecue fire disrupt collection rounds

A fire broke out in an East Hampshire District Council truck in Clanfield causing delays to collections with hundreds of bins missed, the council has said.

The News (Portsmouth) has reported that the council found a smouldering barbecue set to the cause.

The entire 10-tonne collection, almost a full load, was tipped and then doused with water to ensure the fire was properly extinguished.

This was the second such incident this month following one a Stratford-upon-Avon (see below, Waste dumped after barbecue truck fire).

The News (Portsmouth)

First pipes laid for district heating EfW scheme

Vattenfall and Midlothian Council have installed the first pipes in the Shawfair Town low carbon heating scheme.

A 4km network of underground pipes will supply 3,000 homes, education and retail properties saving more than 2,500 tonnes of CO2 per year,.

The partners are working as Midlothian Energy and heat that would otherwise be wasted will be captured by from Millerhill recycling and energy recovery centre, operated by FCC Environment, then transported via the pipes to provide a low-carbon source of heating and hot water. 

Eoghan Maguire, director for Scotland at Vattenfall Heat UK said:

“Scotland’s ambitious net zero target of 2045 cannot be met unless district heating is deployed at scale. The collaboration between organisations working to deliver this project means that the vision for this brand new town can become exemplary for district heating in Scotland and beyond.”

Press release

Call for festival vape ban

The British Metals Recycling Association (BMRA) has called on summer festivals organisers to ban vapes due to safety and fire risk.

BMRA chief executive James Kelly said: “We welcome the move by Glastonbury festival and would like to see other festivals follow suit to increase site safety this summer.

“At the very least we would like to see suitable disposal bins for vapes allowing festival-goers to safely dispose of and increase the recyclability of them.

“We have seen the devastation of fires at member sites caused by lithium-ion batteries being placed in the incorrect waste stream and we would hate to see this occur at a summer festival.”

Press release

Empty blister packs sent to MP

Isle of Wight residents have been sending empty medication blister packs to the island’s Conservative MP Bob Seely, in an attempt to raise awareness for special recycling facilities.

On The Wight has reported that with a higher than average older population, with many taking more than one type of medication daily, the amount of blister packs heading to landfill is substantial.

One resident said: “Sending these packages to Bob Seely is direct action, it would be great if more people joined in with this and, hopefully, it would make him pay attention to this problem, and do something about it.”

On The Wight

Recyclable vape seeks to avoid environmental bans

Vape supplier ANDS has unveiled a new 99% plus recyclable and recoverable single-use vape, Convenience Store has reported.

The Slix range comes in eight flavours and has an outer casing made of 100% recyclable e cardboard, with a biodegradable silicone mouthpiece and end piece.

Fadi Maayta, president of ANDS, added: “We’re very much on a journey and by the end of this year we hope to launch a 100% recyclable and recoverable version of SLIX, which will reduce the tonnage of waste going to landfill even further.

“If these single-use vapes are restricted or banned over environmental fears as is being talked about in some circles – smokers could lose what many believe to be a very convenient, accessible and compelling alternative to conventional cigarettes.”

Convenience Store

Learn from Scotland’s mistakes, says Food and Drink Federation chief

Scotland’s struggling deposit return scheme shows why complex policies cannot be rushed to meet arbitrary deadlines, says chief executive of the Food and Drink Federation Karen Betts.

Writing in The Times, Betts says these lessons should be applied to the rollout of extended producer responsibility, which she argues will not work in its current format.

“We believe the government’s current proposals lack ambition. They won’t establish the effective, efficient, national, fit-for-the-future recycling system the UK so badly needs,” said Betts.

“They don’t ringfence the new EPR funding to stop current waste funding for local councils being diverted on to other budget streams,” arguing that this revenue must be protected.

“The government must improve these regulations, and then get out of the way. Political manoeuvring and posturing played its part in the downfall of Scottish DRS, and let’s not repeat the same mistakes.”

The Times

Mother and kitten survive being trapped in recycling bin

A cat and her kitten miraculously survived being trapped with tonnes of cardboard in sweltering conditions on a Liverpool trading estate.

The RSPCA was called after workers heard the cat’s cries on the Britonwood Trading Estate, who then worked alongside local staff to remove the cardboard by hand late last month.

“It was the most extraordinary rescue I have taken part in, in 21 years with the RSPCA,” said inspector Vicki Brooks.

“They could so easily have been crushed by falling cardboard or succumbed to the heat.”

Metro

Eastleigh council collects quarter of a million coffee pods

Within three months of offering collection, Eastleigh Borough Council has gathered 250,000 coffee, tea and hot chocolate pods, weighing four tonnes.

Four percent of households have signed up for the scheme, in which the authority has partnered with coffee pod recycling service Podback.

“We are really pleased to be the first Council in Hampshire working with Podback to open up this new kerbside recycling opportunity for our residents,” said Cabinet Lead for Environment councillor Rupert Kyrle.

“I’m thrilled that so many of our residents have already started to recycle their pods – I encourage all residents to sign up to this free recycling service.”

Press release

Edinburgh University secures £125,000 for turbine recycling

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh have won £125,000 in funding from the Greencoat UK Wind Plc for a wind turbine recycling research project.

The 12-month project will develop techniques to turn old blades into powdered coating to prevent corrosion.

“The recycling of the fibre-reinforced, epoxy-based composites used in many applications, including wind turbine blades, has become of critical importance for net zero targets,” said Professor Vasileios Koutsos, who is leading the project.

“[We] look forward to using our materials expertise to create a novel recycling technology that is likely to have considerable commercial impact.”

Renewables Now

Lidl to help save oceans from plastic

Lidl GB is to use Prevented Ocean Plastic in its water bottles in what it said was a first for a UK supermarket chain.

San Celestino Italian sparkling mineral water will be sold in one litre bottles with a minimum of 30% Prevented Ocean Plastics – defined as plastic which would have otherwise ended up in the ocean.

It said this initiative was expected to save almost 100 tonnes of plastic from entering the oceans per year.

Shyam Unarket, Lidl GB’s head of responsible sourcing and ethical trade said:

“Ocean plastic pollution is a pressing environmental concern, it is expected that by 2050 there could be more plastic in the ocean than fish.”

Press release

Southwark to extend SELCHP heat network

The London Borough of Southwark is to start work on a low carbon heat network after securing approval for a development order.

This permits construction of an underground network of 7km of insulated pipes to carry heat from the South-East London Combined Heat and Power (SELCHP) facility to properties in the Old Kent Road and Peckham areas to provide heating and hot water.

SELCHP already provides 2,650 homes in Bermondsey with energy, saving 7,700 tonnes of carbon annually, the council said.The expansion will add 3,000 additional properties to the network.

Press release

Review praises North London Waste Authority

An  peer review by the Local Government Association (LGA) has given the North London Waste Authority (NLWA) a clean bill of health and praised it for such innovations such as the recycling of mattresses. 

Reviewers commended NLWA’s work on carbon capture and storage for the new energy-from-waste plant at Edmonton EcoPark, and found that it “works collaboratively and with purpose” with the seven north London boroughs it serves

NLWA chair Clyde Loakes said reviewers had “observed how dedicated my colleagues are in working to reduce the consequences of unsustainable levels of consumption”.

Press release

Cash for Merseyside waste projects

The Merseyside Recycling & Waste Authority and Veolia Community Fund has awarded shares of £165,000 for 2023-24 to help 13 community groups in reduce, reuse and recycle projects.

Programmes include a tool lending library, cookery lessons to reduce food waste, clothes repair clubs, upcycling and restoration of unwanted furniture, food growing and community composting.

Applicants had to tackle one of the priority areas of food, electricals, textiles and furniture.

Press release

Boroughs test hard plastic recycling

North London Waste Authority (NLWA) has expanded its hard plastics recycling trial to Islington, after a successful launch in neighbouring Camden.

It said hard plastics can be difficult to recycle due to their complex composition and lack of collection services.

NLWA is trying a new system for collecting and processing the material to test the effectiveness and viability of collecting it.

Chair Clyde Loakes said: “While it’s essential that more is done to prevent waste in the first place, we will continue to seek out opportunities to manage materials more efficiently and with less impact on the environment; helping to support the circular economy.”

Press release

Lamb joins UN food waste programme

WRAP chief executive Harriet Lamb has become a member of United Nation’s Champion 12.3, an international coalition of executives from across governments, businesses, international organisations, research institutions, farming groups and civil society dedicated to promoting delivery of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal Target 12.3.

This target is to halve per capita global food waste at retail and consumer levels by 2030, and also to reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses.

Lamb said: “We have taken big strides in reducing food waste, and while we’re breaking new ground improving water efficiency and reducing green house gas emissions from food, we still have a mountain to climb to make our food system sustainable, and some companies are not yet even at base camp.”

Press release

Council adds two-monthly glass collection

Newark & Sherwood council has added glass to its kerbside collection service in a bid to improve its recycling rate, following public demand.

The district will use 140 litre wheelie bins for the glass service, which will be collected every eight weeks.

Press release

Firm gains energy efficiency recognition

J&B Recycling has gained ISO 50001 certification for demonstrating commitment to energy efficiency and sustainability.

The company, which is part of Urbaser, said ISO 50001 is a comprehensive energy management system standard that provides a framework for organisations to improve energy performance, reduce energy consumption, and enhance overall energy efficiency.

Press release

Finland pilots textile recycling incentive

The Finnish city of Lahti is piloting an incentive-based system for recycling textiles, based on a similar model for cans.

City council communications director Veera Hämäläinen said the textile deposit scheme aimed to minimise the amount of waste and show the potential of discarded textiles as a raw material.

The textile pilot aims to investigate if a city-wide reward system can incentivise people to recycle their textiles. Lahti residents will be able to exchange a bagful of textiles for vouchers for local services, such as cafes or passes to a local pool. 

The textiles collected in Lahti will be processed into recycled fibre at Finland’s largest textile processing facility in Paimio.

Press release

Waste dumped after barbecue truck fire

Refuse workers were forced to dump some four tonnes of recycling waste onto the road it caught fire. A recycling crew with Stratford-on-Avon District Council was working in Kineton when the fire broke out.

A disposable barbecue was understood to have ignited and the waste had to be tipped into the road as firefighters extinguished the blaze.

The crew were unhurt and the vehicle was not damaged but residents have been reminded about the dangers of disposable barbecues.

Coventry Telegraph

Man sentenced after EA probe

A fourth man operating from a Skegness waste site has been sentenced to a community order and unpaid work following an investigation by the Environment Agency.

Michael Todd was sentenced following the sentencing of three other men last month.

Between June 2015 and April 2017, the EA found various failings including waste stacked too high creating a fire risk and a health risk following an influx of mice and flies. 

After further inspections the site’s environmental permit was revoked in March 2017 but a search under warrant found waste moving on and off the site.

A diary owned by Todd highlighted a day when waste could not be brought onto site because of a visit by EA officers.

Todd  pleaded guilty to two counts and was sentenced to a 12-month community order with 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days and 100 hours of unpaid work. He was disqualified from being a company director for five years.

Press release

Recolight boss hails circular progress

Recolight chief executive Nigel Harvey has applauded progress by the lighting industry towards a circular economy.

Speaking at an industry event, Harvey said: “Many more lighting industry companies are now active in the circular economy. A significant number of producers are now actively in remanufacture and upgrade of existing lighting – rather than just the supply of new lighting. That is a huge change. The needle is moving in the right direction.”

Harvey said Recolight’s circular economy webinars had attracted 3,500 attendees over three years, with a further 4,450 listening in afterwards. 

Press release

Asda replaces coloured milk bottle tops

Supermarket chain Asda will replace coloured caps on its own-brand milk, saying this will mean 268 tonnes of High-Density Polythene (rHDPE) – or 207 million plastic milk caps – can be recycled.

It will introduce ‘natural coloured’ caps to its fresh milk, working in partnership with the UK’s largest dairy co-operative Arla. The caps, which will contain 30% recycled material, will be introduced from June.

“The introduction of clear caps on our milk bottles, is part of our wider commitment to drive 100% recyclability packaging and increase recycled content levels across all of our products by 2025,” said Fiona Dobson, lead packaging strategy and innovation manager at Asda.

Catriona Mantle, head of milk, organic and yogurt at Arla, said the switch would mean the clear caps could be recycled more easily back into food grade packaging.

Press release

Firefighters continue to tackle Pewsey blaze

Around 20 firefighters, from three counties, are involved in extinguishing a fire at a scrap metal centre in Dorset, which broke out on Thursday afternoon.

Local residents have been urged to stay indoors while the nearby B3087 remains closed, though police say they are having problems with people ignoring the road closures.

Andy Cole, assistant chief fire officer, told the BBC that hot weather conditions were making conditions more difficult.

BBC/Wiltshire Times

Marks & Spencer launch beauty takeback scheme

Retailer Marks & Spencer will launch a takeback scheme for hard-to-recycle beauty packaging materials in over 40 of its UK stores.

“Plastic is one of the biggest challenges facing the beauty industry and whilst there is still lots more to do,” said Carmel McQuaid. The company said that, of 120 billion units of packaging produced globally every year, recycling rates varied between 9% and 50%.

The scheme will be run in partnership with recyclers HANDLE, and means M&S customers can return any form of plastic or aluminium beauty packaging – including bottles, tubes, caps and pumps – into dedicated in-store boxes.

Press release

Basildon council says ‘go wild’ as garden waste charges begin

Essex residents who don’t wish to pay a subscription fee for garden waste could rewild their gardens, suggests Basildon Council.

In offering alternatives to the £50 a year fee – reduced by 50% in the first year – the council suggests home composting, taking garden waste to the local recycling centre, or just letting gardens grow.

“You could leave your garden wild and let nature take its course. This will allow for a variety of wildflowers to form, giving bees and other wildlife a home as well as vital food sources to keep the pollination cycle going,” read a council leaflet.

Charges have already been introduced in Brentwood, Castle Point, Harlow, Maldon, Tendring, Southend and Uttlesford.

BBC

‘Tiger eyes’ watch over festival cans’ fate

The Every Can Counts campaign marked World Environment Day on 5 June at the Mighty Hoopla festival in London’s Brockwell Park as part of the International Recycling Tour, when there were activities in 16 countries.

Group members unveiled a nature-inspired installation made of 2,000 drink cans, with the PixelCan artwork using tiger eyes designed to have a ‘watching effect’ over festival goers to encourage them to recycle their drink cans. 

The group also helped raise awareness of the importance of recycling by spreading the ‘aluminium recycles forever’ message. 

Press release

M&S scraps ‘use by’ for milk range

Marks & Spencer has removed ‘use by’ dates across its RSPCA assured select farms British and organic fresh milk range as part of its commitment to halving food waste by 2030 and reaching net zero by 2040.

The recyclable bottles will instead show ‘best before’ dates. It said a combination of improved shelf life and overall quality of milk had enabled the retailer to make this change so customers can use their judgement before throwing away milk too early.

Catherine David, director collaboration and change at WRAP, said: “Milk is the third most wasted food in the home…the main reason is not drinking before the ‘use-by’ date. By changing its British and organic fresh milk to a ‘best-before’ date, M&S is instantly helping its customers save money and cut waste by giving them more time to consume the milk they buy.”

Press release

Levenseat gains 10-year council contract

Falkirk Council has appointed waste contractor Levenseat on a 10-year contract to recover material for recycling and reuse at the Levenseat facility. Residual waste will be converted to energy rather than landfilled.

Angus Hamilton, Levenseat’s managing director said the bulky household waste stream “has in the past proven to be a challenge for the industry, with materials often ending up in landfill. Our new facility at Lathallan, Falkirk, offers a more environmentally friendly solution”.

Press release

Liverpool to award bulky waste work

Liverpool City Council is set to award a 4.5 year contract for the collection of household bulky waste to Liverpool Streetscene Services (LSSL).

LSSL was awarded a temporary contract last November and has since made “significant operational improvements” the council said, including a new practice of collection crews visiting the next working day when unable to gain access, 

It will collect household waste items weighing more than 25kg or which are too large to be placed in a wheeled bin, Under the contract, LSSL will deliver 40,000 collection slots per year at a cost of £520,000.

Press release

Aldi trials Polytag recycling data

Supermarket Aldi is to partner with Polytag on a trial to improve the traceability of its packaging through the supply chain, MRW’s sister title Packaging News has reported.

Aldi will trial Polytag’s invisible UV tags from July 2023. It said this would provide insights on the quantity of packaging that is recycled and allow the retailer to track an item’s journey through the recycling process. Readers will be installed at the Biffa Teeside recycling centre.

Luke Emery, plastics and packaging director at Aldi UK, added: “We are constantly working to be a more sustainable retailer, so we are excited to see how Polytag’s technology will enable us to access and analyse more data around our packaging lifecycles, and use these learnings to accelerate our progress towards our sustainability goals.”

Packaging News

Council pleads for landfill ban delay

Argyll and Bute Council has repeated its request for a formal meeting with the Scottish Government to discuss a possible extension on the municipal solid waste landfill ban which is due to be implemented from 1 January 2026.

The council said it was locked into a landfill contract until September 2026, and varying or terminating this would have “serious financial implications for the council which could run into the hundreds of thousands”.

Council leader Robin Currie said: “It makes sense to synchronise the date of the ban with the end of our current landfill contract. If the Scottish Government fails to grant this extension, the costs to council tax payers in Argyll and Bute will be significant, and will affect other essential council services.”

Press release

Biffa blaze deemed ‘accidental’

Arson has been ruled out after a fire at the Biffa Eye waste site, the Peterborough Telegraph has reported.

Five fire crews attended the scene last Saturday and Sunday before the area was declared safe. The fire service blaze had been started “accidentally.”

Peterborough Telegraph

Strike called off at Wealden

The GMB union has suspended strike action at Wealden District Council ahead of talks with Biffa and the conciliation service ACAS.

Members are though working to rule, but the council said it  expected the majority of collections to take place with limited disruption to services.

It said: “We sincerely hope the GMB and Biffa can reach agreement on Wednesday and the industrial action in any form be concluded.”

Press release

Paper bottles trial for vodka

Absolut Vodka is to sell single-mould paper-based bottles commercially in the UK in what it clams is a first.

It is launching a three-month test with 22 Tesco scores in Greater Manchester as part of a wider collaboration with Paboco, the Coca-Cola Company, Carlsberg, P&G and L’Oréal.

The Tesco deal follows some previous tests by Absolut at festivals in the UK and Sweden and aims to gain insights from consumers, retailers and supply chain partners.

Elin Furelid, director of future packaging at Absolut, said: “We want consumers and partners to join our journey towards a more sustainable future. Together we can develop packaging solutions that people want and the world needs.”

Press release

Police explain plastics fire probe

A BBC documentary has traced how police investigated a devastating fire at a Birmingham plastics recycling factory before it was concluded that no-one could be charged with an offence.

The programme Forensics: The Real CSI did not name the company involved in the August 2020 fire but said it had since entered administration.

Police found an employee had carried out a burn test on a piece of plastic in the factory and failed to fully extinguish this afterwards.

They considered a charge of reckless fire starting but the Crown Prosecution Service concluded that such tests were common practice at the factory, so a jury would be unlikely to convict and no charges were brought.

BBC

£1m investment powers farm and paper waste plant

Edinburgh-based Carbogenics has raised more than £1m to build its first production and R&D facility. The company said it turns difficult-to-recycle farm and paper waste into a product called CreChar, which is a carbon-rich, porous material that will help stabilise the performance of anaerobic digestion plants and enhance green energy production from food and farming waste. 

The investment has come from Green Angel Ventures along with valued Scottish Enterprise and Old College Capital.

Carbogenics expected the facility to be operational by the end of March 2024. Chief executive professor Ed Craig said: “This investment will allow us to scale the business significantly, including building our first production facility, solidifying our customer base in the UK, and facilitating our European expansion plans.”

Press release

Airline to recycle meal items

Dubai-based airline Emirates has launched a recycling initiative where onboard items such as plastic trays, bowls, snack and casserole dishes will be recycled and remade into fresh meal service products.

It said millions of old and damaged meal service items will be collected, washed and transported to a reprocessing facility in Dubai.

Emirates said it has diverted more than 150m single-use plastic items from landfill each year by replacing plastic straws, inflight retail bags, and stirrers with responsibly sourced paper and wooden alternatives.

Press release

WEEE tracked on ‘curious tour of Britain’

An investigation by the Financial Times newspaper has found widespread ‘leakage’ of WEEE from bona fide recyclers to what it called “potentially questionable actors”.

It fitted trackers to old laptops and gave them to six prominent retailers. The laptops were found to have taken “a curious tour of Britain, with stops at a Norfolk beach, two residential addresses in Slough and a warehouse in rural Wales”.

Two were stolen twice out of the recycling supply chain and two sold to an eBay seller though the remaining 10 appeared to be recycled correctly, it said.

Financial Times

Aquapak joins circular initiative

Aquapak Polymers has joined the Circular Economy for Flexible Packaging (CEFLEX) initiative – a collaboration of more than 180 European companies, associations and organisations that seeks to make all flexible packaging in Europe circular by 2025.

It said membership would allow promotion of its Hydropol product, which it described as one coated onto plastics, paper and board with gas and grease barrier properties. Additional functionality such as heat seal and increased paper sheet strength, made it suitable for other uses such as bags and pouches.

Chief executive Mark Lapping said: “The reality of most standard recycling plants across the globe is that currently they concentrate on two or three plastics that have the largest quantities and therefore the most value when recycled (such as PET).  Hydropol, which is non-toxic and marine safe, is compatible with current recycling infrastructure and offers the industry a way to protect resources and the planet.”

Press release

New MD for S Norton

Metals recycling firm S Norton Group has appointed new managing director Tony Hayer. The company said it recycles 95% of materials processed, with a target of sending zero waste to landfill

Hayer said: “We are positioning the company for the future building on its position as leaders in metals recycling innovation. We are committed to delivering a circular economy for waste metals, ensuring valuable raw materials are responsibly recycled and diverted from landfill.”

Press release

Furniture partners divert waste from landfill

The Furniture Recycling Group (TFR Group) says it has diverted 402 tonnes of material from landfill following a successful partnership with CHC Waste Facilities Management.

This initiative has also seen 11,212 mattresses recycled and 93-96% of mattress materials recycled since the companies began working together in February 2023.

Nick Oettinger, chief executive of TFR Group, said: “The significant diversion of materials from landfill and the high recycling rate underscores our successful joint efforts to optimise recycling operations.”

Press release