BMRA calls for enforcement of scrap metal act
The British Metals Recycling Association has called for tougher enforcement of the Scrap Metal Dealers Act after having raised concerns over the increasing use of cash by some illegal operators.
According to the BMRA, which made the comments in response to a Home Office review of the SMDA, £There is a clear correlation between interventions and effective enforcement the legislation, and the number of recorded metal theft offences”.
The Scrap Metal Dealers Act came into effect in late 2013, and outlawed the payment of cash for scrap metal by recyclers. The law also requires every scrap metal dealer responsible for obtaining a licence to trade from their local authority.
BMRA has said that it strongly supports the retention of the Act, but has raised concerns that incidences of metal theft could rise unless effective enforcement of the legislation is carried out.
In a statement, the BMRA said: “Without effective enforcement of the SMDA, metal theft will continue to blight the UK’s infrastructure and cultural assets, as the price of metal and the demand increase. Poor enforcement creates an uneven playing field and harms legitimate businesses. Supporting the legitimate scrap metal industry ensures the disposal outlets for stolen metal are reduced and illegal operators are shut down.”
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CIWM report looks at consumer trends and waste
A report commissioned by the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) published yesterday (7 March) explores the impact in digital technology on consumption, and the impact on waste packaging and in the grocery sector.
According to the report, despite changes in consumer habits around the use of online retail and smart technology there has yet to be a significant change in packaging design and waste
The report suggests that retailers and brands are developing a more ‘personal’ relationship with their customers as well as signs of a “shift in responsibility” for waste and resources up the product supply chain.
Commenting on the report, CIWM president Margaret Bates, said: “We haven’t reached a tipping point yet but we need to be thinking about a different future. Over the next 30 years, what we consume, how we consume it – both where and when – and what resources are used and wasted will continue to change.
“This will influence the types and volumes of waste for which our sector has to plan and present new opportunities to improve resource efficiency. The report suggest that these opportunities will only be fully realised, however, if we have better data to inform planning and evidence-based policy making, and more ‘collective responsibility’ across the supply chain.”
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Eight join ECAP advisory board
The European Clothing Action Plan (ECAP), the first EU-Life funded project to drive sustainability throughout the entire lifecycle of clothing, has appointed eight special advisors to its advisory group
The eight, who represent a variety of disciplines from academia and design to manufacture and recycling, and interest groups within participating EU member states, will lend their expertise and influence to the programme.
Funded by EU LIFE and coordinated by WRAP, ECAP aims to develop a pan-European framework to deliver practical actions to reduce the carbon, water and waste footprints across the lifecycle of clothing.
The ECAP advisory group will offer guidance to the partner organisations responsible for delivering several action areas related to the European clothing sector.
The eight members include Alan Wheeler, director of the Textile Recycling Association and general delegate within the Textiles Division of the Bureau of International Recycling; Baptiste Carriere-Pradal, vice president Europe Sustainable Apparel Coalition; Jef Wintermans – coordinator on sustainable garments and textiles at the Sociaal-Economische Raad, Juergen Janssen – programme manager Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit; Laila Petrie, manager, global partnerships for WWF International; Mauro Scalia head of sustainable Businesses, Euratex; Professor Rebecca Earley, University of the Arts London, industry consultant and; Sigrid Barnekow Programme Director Mistra Future Fashion.
Leigh Mapledoram, Head of Programme at WRAP which oversees ECAP, said, “We are delighted to be working with such an experienced and influential group of advisors. We held our first group meeting recently, and it’s obvious that the Advisor’s involvement will be invaluable in expanding ECAP’s reach and that their energy and support will help towards ECAP achieving its ambitious goal of making European clothing more sustainable – from point of production to end of life.”
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