Recycling pledge for Welsh music festival

Waste Awareness Wales is hoping to match recycling success at last year's Royal Welsh Show

Organisers of the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod have pledged to increase the amount of waste recycled at the event, which starts today.

With funding from the Welsh Assembly Government and support from Waste Awareness Wales and Cylch, the Wales Community Recycling Network, one of the Principality's biggest annual events is providing more recycling facilities for cans and plastic bottles, as well as recycling wardens to provide information to visitors.

Councillor Richard Parry Hughes, chairperson for Waste Awareness Wales, commented:
"Introducing the simplest of changes, such as ensuring visitors can recycle their plastic bottles and cans rather than having to send them to landfill can make a huge difference when you consider the numbers of people the International Musical Eisteddfod attracts, so this joint venture should make a significant impact on the amount of waste sent to landfill, which is great news."

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Tony Cassidy retires after 23 years in recycling 

Tony Cassidy, general manager of Alloa Community Enterprises (ACE) has stepped down after 23 years in charge of the re-use and recycling group based in Alloa, Clackmannanshire.

Mr Cassidy was there at the start of the company in 1984 when the focus was on providing low cost furniture to people disadvantaged in the local community. Since then the organisation has grown to employ 30 people delivering recycling services for glass, paper, cardboard and cans across four local authority areas in central Scotland. Mr Cassidy helped establish a multi-material kerbside collection scheme in Clackmannanshire, now the best council for recycling in Scotland.

He was also one of the key players in the formation of the Community Recycling Network for Scotland in 2002. Iain Gulland, Network Director of CRNS, said: "Tony has been the driving force behind the success of ACE over the past 20 plus years. The organisation stands out in our sector in terms of achievements and the fact that it is first and foremost a business. I know that Tony's work at ACE has inspired others in our sector to develop their own local initiatives. I wish him all the best for the future."

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Veolia customers warned about pre-treatment

Veolia's leaflet on pre-treatment legislation

Veolia Environmental Services is warning its customers about the potential impact of new European pre-treatment rules for non-hazardous waste, which come into force in October.

The company has issued a leaflet it says should help explain the legislation, part of the Landfill Directive, which will require some kind of treatment process before material can be accepted in landfills. This treatment could include a physical, thermal, chemical or biological process and through it the characteristics of the waste must change - either to reduce its volume, hazardous nature or to improve the handling of it or increase recovery.

Veolia's environmental and regulatory affairs director, Gill Weeks, said: "We are pleased to offer customers a wide range of solutions that will help businesses prepare for increasing environmental challenges whilst identifying opportunities for cost-effective waste management and disposal."

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Help for Rotherham recyclers 

Recycling development agency Recycling Action Yorkshire (RAY) has funded a new baler to help Rotherham group Creation Recycling in its recycling of waste paper and card.

Not-for-profit Creation Recycling works with Rotherham borough council to collect materials through the council's blue box and green bag kerbside collection service. The new machine will allow it to sell collected paper and card for a higher price as the group seeks to switch from public funding to "full commercial viability".

Lorna Peacock, Recycling Action Yorkshire's project manager, said: "We've taken this decision to invest in the future of Creation Recycling Ltd because the baler will secure eight jobs and help Creation meet its target of recycling 750 tonnes of paper and card annually."

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Davey to boost innovation at LINPAC

New director of innovation Alan Davey has been at LINPAC for 28 years

Packaging firm LINPAC Plastics has promoted the general manager of its recycling division as its new director of innovations.

After 28 years with the company, Alan Davey will take responsibility for "harvesting ideas" for new product development throughout both LINPAC Plastics and LINPAC Recycling. With a chemical engineering background, Mr Davey was part of the team that set up LINPAC Recycling in 1992, which has since become one of the largest recyclers of rigid plastics in the UK.

Mr Davey said: "LINPAC has a huge amount of potential, with a history of innovation and packaging ‘firsts' as well as a first class, creative work force. We are now going to be actively pushing forward new innovations, both within the food packaging sector and the recycling business."