CIWM and WRAP welcome single use plastic ban
The Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) and WRAP have both welcomed Defra’s plans to ban a range of single use plastic items.
The announcement comes after a public consultation on banning the supply of single use plastic items concluded in February 2022.
The output of the consultation is to be published next week (14 January). The items in scope include plastic plates, trays, bowls and cutlery. It has been leaked in the national press that these items will now be banned, confirming reports last month.
CIWM’s policy and external affairs director Lee Marshall said that CIWM “welcomes the progress”. He added that “banning items that are likely to be single use and easily littered is a step in the right direction”. He also pointed out the need to adopt better design principles which design out waste and design in enhanced reuse and refill ability.
WRAP’s interim CEO Richard Swannell seconded this, saying that the organisation is “in full support”. He noted that WRAP’s latest results show an 84% reduction in problematic and unnecessary single use plastics by our UK Plastics Pact members since 2018.
“We’re delighted to see these efforts being backed up by regulation, which will accelerate efforts to keep plastic out of the environment.”
Keep Britain Tidy highlights waste prevention
Keep Britain Tidy has launched a behaviour change project running throughout January, titled ‘Buy Nothing New Month’.
Keep Britain Tidy explained that in its experience, people appear to lack an understanding of waste prevention, which it says should be the focus of efforts ahead of recycling.
The charity emphasised that to reduce carbon emissions, “we need people to buy less stuff and maximise the life of stuff that already exists”. It then referenced its report which looked at how to move people up the waste hierarchy and highlighted the “significant” lack of knowledge as a barrier to taking up waste prevention behaviours.
“Buying high volumes of stuff we don’t need is couple with the throwaway culture and the disposal methods are causing enormous harm to our planet,” the organisation outlined.
Keep Britain Tidy said that during this month, it will be sharing tips and tricks “on how you can buy nothing new and make the most of what you already have”, encouraging residents to rent, borrow or buy second-hand.
Enforcement operation to take place at Wrexham HWRCs
Natural Resources Wales (NRW) announced yesterday (9 January) that those illegally disposing trade waste at Wrexham recycling centres are to be targeted in a partnership enforcement operation.
The regulator said that its officers together with colleagues from Wrexham county borough council and North Wales police will spend time at the county’s household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) “to ensure that trade waste isn’t being illegally disposed”.
During the operation taking place throughout January and into February, staff are set to undertake spot checks of cars.
David Powell, NRW operations manager for North East Wales, said: “We aim to ensure that all waste is disposed of in the most appropriate way. We have a responsibility to those operating legitimately to ensure that there is a level playing field and that there are no advantages to individual businesses.
“We suspect that some individuals and businesses are disposing of trade waste at HWRCs at the expense of the taxpayer. This is unfair on the majority of individuals and businesses who dispose of their trade waste appropriately and something that we aim to stop.”
Veolia’s fund supports 96 community projects
Waste management company Veolia said it supported 96 grassroots projects with over £80,000 in funding through its sustainability fund in 2022.
Launched in 2021, the fund set out to help grassroots projects that make a positive difference, supporting environmental benefits within local communities, Veolia outlined.
The firm noted how the fund has grown over 2022, welcoming partnerships with four new local authorities as well as increasing the number of projects it supported from 47 to 96.
Some of the projects that Veolia highlighted included CauliBOX, which is trialling the use of reusable food and drink packaging to eliminate waste from the catering industry as well as Brundall Community River Watch, which will see the River Yare kept clean through regular litter picking.
Pascal Hauret, managing director, municipal at Veolia said: “We are incredibly proud to see how Veolia’s sustainability fund has grown in just its second year. Through this campaign we can increase our impact towards ecological transformation by working with residents and groups on the ground to find local solutions to everyday challenges.”
Recycling Lives achieves B Corp certification
Recycling Lives has achieved B Corp certification, scoring 137.9 within its impact assessment.
The firm with headquarters in Preston said that “the accreditation recognises the company’s commitment to driving a circular economy and making its operations greener”.
The certification is known as the ‘gold standard’ for sustainability, the company said, with certified corporations required to meet social and environmental standards which cover five key impact areas, Recycling Lives explained. It added that these are environment, governance, workers, community and customers.
The business is set to be reassessed every three years across all categories in order to retain the certification.
Gerry Marshall, CEO of Recycling Lives, commented: “The B Corp process is an incredibly demanding and highly individual assessment, and this certification is a fantastic result of our purpose and beliefs.
“However, whilst we’re immensely proud to be recognised, this is just a step on our journey in making further progress toward our sustainability targets, whilst delivering meaningful opportunities across schools, colleges, the justice system, and disadvantaged groups.”
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