News in Brief

New Recycle Western Riverside posters show London landmarks sinking in waste

Residents living in central London are being urged to get recycling with a new campaign using digital photo tricks to submerge city landmarks with waste.

Recycle Western Riverside is running a 10-week poster campaign in Lambeth, Wandsworth, Hammersmith & Fulham and Kensington & Chelsea asking householders “Just when will you start recycling?”

Campaign manager Sam Jarvis said the campaign was particularly urgent because landfill space is running out for London's waste. “In the 30 minutes it takes for the London Eye to go round just once, Londoners produce rubbish weighing as much as a staggering 30 double-decker buses. With fewer places left for this rubbish to be buried, it is now more important than ever that we all recycle. This campaign is a powerful call for everyone to do their bit,” he said.

EU environment commissioner Stavros Dimas

European environment commissioner Stavros Dimas has told Romania that big improvements are needed in its waste management as it bids to become a member of the European Union next year.

Mr Dimas said waste management was one of two major environmental issues needing to be addressed before accession in 2007, along with improving the transparency of environmental decision-making.

Speaking yesterday at the European Institute of Romania, Mr Dimas said: “Improvements are needed in waste management. I am thinking in particular of overall strategic planning, clarification of the responsibilities of different authorities, the finalisation of regional waste management plans and proper enforcement of legislation.”

The commissioner added that a well-functioning national infrastructure for waste management “requires heavy investment that will have to be spread over a period of time”.

Two new Kramer 580T loaders have been deployed at Mid UK Recycling's Caythorpe MRF

Lincolnshire company Mid UK Recycling has taken delivery of two new Kramer 580T telescopic wheeled loaders to help operations at its MRF.

Supplied by local dealer RW Marsh of Sleaford, the four-wheel drive vehicles will help handle the 200,000 tonnes of mixed dry recyclables processed by the Caythorpe materials recycling facility each year.

Mid UK Recycling commercial director Simon Mountain said: “The main plus points of the machine are greatly increased all-round visibility from the higher, central driving position and outstanding manoeuvrability within the confines of the MRF. These features not only contribute towards greater overall safety but also enable the drivers to see directly into the hoppers.”

Welsh children – like 8-year-old Charlotte Wheeler (pictured) – are being encouraged to take an alternative approach to Easter

Waste campaigners at Waste Awareness Wales are launching an Easter campaign to encourage householders to reduce the amount of highly-packaged Easter eggs they buy.

The campaigners are highlighting alternative ideas for Easter gifts including hand-painted eggs and home-baked chocolate cakes. Waste Awareness Wales is also promoting the use of an alternative gift catalogue produced by charity World Vision.

Cllr Richard Parry Hughes, Chairperson of Waste Awareness Wales, said: “This is an infamous weekend in terms of the sheer amount of rubbish generated from the hundreds of thousands of chocolate eggs consumed. There are plenty of things you could do to minimise this, from creating your own unique Easter card made from scraps of paper you find in your home, to baking your very own Easter chocolate cake.”

Local schools will be invited to visit Agrivert's three Oxfordshire composting sites

Oxfordshire-based composting and waste management company Agrivert is launching a new schools initiative in the county.

The company said it will raise awareness of environmental issues including recycling and composting among primary and secondary school pupils in Oxfordshire. As part of the initiative, Agrivert will offer schools the chance to visit the three green waste composting sites it operates in the county.

Agrivert sales and marketing director Harry Waters said: “As today’s younger generation is becoming more and more environmentally aware, Agrivert is keen to give local schoolchildren the opportunity to see what is being done to help the ‘green’ cause and to learn about what is involved in the composting process.”