News in brief

Energy minister visits plastic bag recycling plant

The facility claimed to be the UKs first plastic bag recycling plant started operations last year after it was officially opened in September 2013 (see letsrecycle.com story).

Recycling up to 20,000 tonnes per year of used shipping bags and plastic films, the plant produces a plastic granulate which can be used for making new bags, replacing virgin polymers in the production process.

The 10.7 million funding was supplied by the likes of: the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP); the Foresight Environmental Fund; and the London Waste and Recycling Board (LWARB), which provided around 3,455,000 for the facility.

Commenting on the facility, Mr Fallon MP said: The innovative technology being used by PlasRecycle shows that dealing with waste and recycling properly can create jobs and boost economic growth as well as being good for the environment. The governments industrial strategy is giving businesses all over the country the confidence to invest, and securing highly skilled jobs and a stronger economy including here in Woolwich.

Fire at Glass Recycling UK site in Barnsley

South Yorkshire fire crews were called to a fire which broke out at Glass Recycling UK Ltds site on Carlton Road in Barnsley at 3pm on Saturday (February 14).

According to South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue service, 25 firefighters attended the incident, where they found a glass drying unit had caught fire which was well alight. Crews worked for four hours to bring the blaze under control, leaving the site just after 7pm.

An aerial appliance was used to tackle the flames from above and five firefighters also entered the premises in breathing apparatus.

No workers on the site are thought to have been injured as a result of the fire, which the fire service believes started accidentally. As a result, a spokeswoman for the fire service said it would not be carrying out an investigation.

At glass recycling facilities, drying units are used in the separation process to remove dust, labels and paper before drying the glass cullet for recycling.

Glass Recycling UK employs more than 70 people at the Barnsley plant, which enables mixed glass cullet to be separated back into individual colours so that it can be used to remake glass in its original colour.

When contacted by letsrecycle.com, Glass Recycling UK could not be reached for comment.

Grundon helps with flood relief near Colnbrook EfW

Waste management company Grundon has been helping customers and communities impacted by floods near its Conbrook energy-from-waste (EfW) plant in Berkshire through the supply of sandbags.

With the River Thames reaching its highest level in nearly 60 years and many people forced from their homes, Grundon has delivered 14 tonnes of sand from its quarries and hundreds of sacks to some of the worst-hit areas near Colnbrook to help shore-up flood defences.

Deputy chairman of the waste firm Neil Grundon said: We are very experienced and well positioned to help and support our customers and local residents following the recent unprecedented flooding. We are used to mobilising assets during UK disasters, and did so during the foot and mouth crisis, the breaching of the Avon Canal and the 2003 floods.

Our primary consideration is to minimise the impact that this unfortunate event will have on customers businesses and operations. We have been offering out-of-regular-hour collection services as well as providing additional waste containers, tankers and more vehicles to assist with the clean-up.

Grundon said it would continue to provide support for flood defences and is on standby to help with the clean-up once water levels subside.

Aircraft recycler achieves technical accreditation

Leicestershire-based aircraft recycler ARRCAM has become one of the first recycling companies in the UK to become accredited under the new Competence Management System (CMS), developed by the Energy & Utility Skills as a scheme to demonstrate technical competence.

CMS enables businesses to satisfy the environmental permit requirements for competence on a corporate basis rather than requiring a qualified individual.

Certification for ARRCAM was carried out by testing and certification firm SGS following implementation by consultants 360 Environmental.

Managing director of ARRCAM, Peter OCarroll, commented: We are delighted to have achieved this and could not have done so without the commitment and drive of 360 Environmental to apply this new standard. It ensures that as a company we are all focussed on maintaining environmental excellence and not reliant on one person for on-going Technical Competence.

The Competence Management System (CMS) is a scheme approved by Defra and Welsh Government.

MBA Polymers to pay 10,851 after worker injury

Plastics recycling company MBA Polymers has been fined 7,000 and ordered to pay 3,851 in costs after a worker suffered a broken arm at the its Sandy Lane, Worksop, facility in north Nottinghamshire.

A 23-year-old man from Costhorpe, Nottinghamshire, was working alone on a night shift in an area at the top of a factory when his sleeve became caught in machinery. The incident left him with a broken arm and he has not returned to work, the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) said.

According to HSE, the lack of suitable guarding was the main cause of the incident. The guards over the access holes to the drilling tool had been removed and not replaced, leaving the rotating parts unguarded.

At a hearing at Worksop Magistrates Court on Friday (February 14), MBA Polymers UK Ltd of Sandy Lane, Worksop, Nottinghamshire pleaded guilty to single breaches of Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and Section 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.

HSE inspector David Butter said after the hearing: This man suffered very serious injuries to his arm but had he not been fortunate enough to be able to free himself, it could easily have resulted in amputation.

Incidents involving entanglement on rotating machinery can be easily avoided if suitable guarding is maintained. The guarding defects had been raised by employees and MBA Polymers was aware of the situation, so there is no excuse for failing to take action.