Cory stresses intent to complete Belvedere EfW
The Riverside Resource Recovery (RRR) project, which the company faced a 20-year planning battle to develop at Belvedere in Bexley, was thrown into doubt at the end of last month when the parent company of Cory's engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor went into administration (see letsrecycle.com story). In November, Swiss engineering giant AE&E Group filed for administration and, subsequently, AE&E Inova Holdings AG – the parent company to Cory's contractor AE&E Inova and subsidiary to AE&E Group -filed for administration on December 3 2010.
Commenting on the latest development, a Cory Environmental spokesman said: “There are a number of options and contractual rights now available to [project company] Riverside Resource Recovery Limited to ensure that the RRR project can be completed with minimum disruption. Cory and RRRL will be implementing those plans and ensuring that the subcontractors and personnel involved in the project continue to undertake the work to achieve a satisfactory outcome.”
Food sector aims to ‘accelerate' zero waste to landfill goal
Under the body's ‘Five-fold Environmental Ambition' plan, the FDF has set itself long-term goals for cutting waste to landfill from the food and drink sector, as well as saving water carbon emissions and reducing carbon emissions across what is the UK's largest manufacturing sector. In a progress report on these ambitions, the FDF said the members were now only sending 9% to landfill (see letsrecycle.com story). However, the organisation has vowed that, in a bid to update all five of its aims, it will accelerate landfill diversion efforts and focus more keenly on waste prevention across the supply chain.
Andrew Kuyk, director of sustainability at the FDF, said: “We believe that a combination of new targets and our new sustainability principles will help us to take our Five-fold Environmental Ambition to the next level.”
EA grants permit for SITA UK's Cornwall EfW
The Environment Agency has granted an environmental permit to waste management firm SITA UK for its proposed energy-from-waste incinerator near St Austell in Cornwall.
The Agency said it had approved the proposal after careful consideration and thorough determination of the application since accepting it on September 17 2008. SITA is seeking to develop the £100 million, 240,000 tonnes-a-year capacity facility under its 30-year, PFI-backed contract to handle residual waste for Cornwall council. Plans for the proposed facility had been rejected by the now defunct Cornwall county council in March 2009 (see letsrecycle.com story) before the unitary authority – which was formed in April 2009 – vowed to continue with the scheme in February of this year (see letsrecycle.com story). And, the planning inspector is due to announce the outcome of SITA's appeal against the council refusal in April 2011.
Commenting on the environmental permit, Judy Proctor of the Environment Agency said: “During the last two years we have rigorously assessed this proposal using the most up-to-date scientific evidence and specialist advice on health matters. We have consulted widely on the details of the environmental permit application and sought comments from many organisations including the Health Protection Agency, Cornwall council, Primary Care Trust and Natural England as well as local residents and groups.”
Vegetable oil recycling tanks installed at 10 Wiltshire sites
The scheme, which will be operated by the two companies in conjunction with Wiltshire council, refines waste cooking oil into a biofuel used for generating electricity. The installation of the oil recycling tanks is also intended to help reduce the amount of waste vegetable oil currently being poured down drains, which is estimated to cost UK taxpayers around £15 million each year to clean up. Hills Waste Solutions is the waste and recycling contractor for Wiltshire council and the measure is intended to complement ongoing work in the local authority area to reduce the impacts of food waste.
Toby Sturgis, cabinet member for waste at Wiltshire council, said: “Wiltshire's 10 household recycling centres play a key part in helping residents recycle 40% of their waste. New services like this keep providing residents with more opportunities to reduce waste. We are particularly keen to reduce food waste because of its environmental impact.”
Warks claims increased recycling could save it £445,000
The Warwickshire Waste Partnership has claimed that an increased recycling rate would cut £445,000 from it six local authority members' combined waste bill.
The recycling rate currently being achieved across the partnership's members is 48% but it has warned that a failure to increase this level would see it faced with a bill of £445,000 next year due to associated disposal costs. Stressing the need for increased recycling performance, the Waste Partnership said that if each household recycled one extra glass bottle, or equivalent weight, each week, this would achieve a 5% increase in recycling and an annual reduction in waste of 13,400 tonnes as well as producing a total saving of £878,000 – or £3.98p to each household. The Partnership is comprised of Warwickshire county council, North Warwickshire borough council, Rugby borough council, Nuneaton & Bedworth borough council, Stratford district council and Warwick district council.
Cllr Alan Cockburn, Warwickshire county council's portfolio holder for environment and economy and chair of the Warwickshire Waste Partnership, said: “I would like to say a huge thank you to residents for being so committed to recycling, but it is a stark fact that by not increasing the amount of household waste being diverted to recycling, people are throwing money in the bin.”
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