News in Brief

Recycling at Heathrow's new Terminal 5 is taking off – with the company behind the project now selling waste materials to other firms as recycled concrete.

Construction of the new terminal 5 at Heathrow is achieving high recycling rates (photo: www.baa.com)

The British Airport Authority (BAA) project, which was given the go ahead in 2001 after the longest public inquiry in British history, is expected to be completed in 2008. At peak times, 15,000 cubic metres of concrete are poured each week, enough to fill 2,000 concrete mixer lorries.

But, with the assistance of market development organisation London Remade, the project is managing to recycle 82.5% of the waste generated, according to BAA.

Suzanne Worrall, BAA's sustainability manager, said: “We are now recycling over 82.5% of our airport construction waste, and our surplus is so great we have begun selling our recycled concrete to other companies.”

One of the signatories of the Mayor of London's Green Procurement Code, BAA is also aiming to use as much recycled products as it can in construction. The London Remade project now has 80 companies signed up, and has so far meant 375,000 tonnes of material has been diverted from landfill, the organisation said.

Keltruck has become the UK's first truck dealer to be awarded an Environment Agency waste licence.

The West Bromwich company's recycling department is now an authorised treatment facility for end of life vehicles.

Keltruck's managing director John Biggin said the award of a waste licence by the Environment Agency was a “major achievement” for the company.

Mr Biggin said: “The Agency imposes strict criteria on the treatment of waste emanating from the dismantling of vehicles – I am therefore delighted that Keltruck has been recognised by the EA for its efforts in commercial vehicle recycling by being the first company in the industry to be granted EA approval.”

WRAP has produced a good practice guide to recycling window waste, after research suggested up to 500,000 tonnes of flat glass waste arises from buildings in the UK each year.

Produced with the Building Research Establishment, the guide is designed to provide window makers, fitters, site managers and other professionals in the housing sector with “practical guidance” on how to recycle window waste.

The two-part guide, Recycling Your Window Waste: A good practice guide,
highlights potential recycling opportunities and the potential cost savings. Clear financial advantages can be gained by reducing waste disposal costs and recycling segregated glass, PVC-U and metals found in window frames, WRAP said.

Andy Dawe, materials sector manager for glass at the Waste and Resources Action Programme said: “The guide covers the key aspects for those considering recycling their window waste, such as deconstruction and segregation techniques, how to deal with the waste produced and the costs and savings involved in recycling.”

The Environment agency has released new guidance this week to help companies with Pollution Prevention and Control regulations involved in the storage, treatment or disposal of waste.

PPC regulations set controls on the environmental impacts of certain industrial activities, including waste management and landfills. The regulations are designed to prevent, reduce and eliminate pollution by requiring good practice and efficient use of natural resources.

Although the regulations have been in place since the year 2000, the Agency said its regulatory timetable had meant that most waste operators have not yet had to apply for a PPC permit.

Liz Parkes, head of waste regulation at the Environment Agency, said: “The waste industry should know these changes are coming and that, if they haven't already, they will need to apply for PPC permit in the very near future.

“These guidelines will help anyone involved in the treatment, storage and disposal of waste understand what standards they will need to meet to get a PPC permit,” she added.