Poundland awards £4m contract to Helistrat
Poundland has appointed contract management and consultancy company Helistrat to manage the company’s waste and recycling services in a five year deal worth an estimated £4 million.
The contract will see Helistrat manage the back of store recycling services for Poundland’s entire retail estate of 500 stores in the UK and Ireland, as well as the Company’s new purpose built distribution centre in Harlow, Essex.
Under the terms of the contract, which will commence in August 2014, Helistrat will have a dedicated Account Manager embedded within Poundland’s operations team whilst also providing a 360° ‘wraparound’ helpdesk service, recycling data management and reporting capability and full compliance auditing.
Craig Bales, property director at Poundland said: “Helistrat presented a strong proposal and already have extensive experience in the retail sector so we know we are in safe hands and we very much look forward to working together going forward.”
Helistrat’s business development director, Harvey Laud, said: “Poundland are one of the high street’s real commercial success stories and we are delighted to have the opportunity to mirror this success in their environmental performance at the back of store.”
Name change for ADBA
The Anaerobic Digestion & Biogas Association (ADBA) has today (October 1) announced that it is changing its name with immediate effect to the Anaerobic Digestion & Bioresources Association.
The Association said that the move was in response to a “rapidly changing political and economic landscape” as well as the development of new technologies and products.
ADBA chief executive, Charlotte Morton said: “AD has always been about more than the biogas – we all value the nutrients and minerals in the digestate, too. Our name change, therefore, reflects the wider objective to fully represent all the current benefits of AD as well as those emerging in the biochemistry and products arena. Thus ADBA will now cover all products and technologies that transform organic waste materials into high value biotechnology products or biogas, power and digestate opportunities.”
ADBA board member and development director for SITA UK, Stuart Hayward-Higham, added: “Anaerobic digestion was always about more than recovering energy and generating electricity. It was about making best use of biological materials, returning nutrients and minerals to the land and delivering a circular solution. So changing the name to include all bioresources, from those we currently manage, through to emerging technologies such as high value green chemicals, bioplastics, algae and other nutrient production, is both logical and timely.”
Welsh Government launches Food Sector Plan
An action plan outlining how the food manufacture and retail sector in Wales can reduce waste and increase recycling was launched yesterday (September 30) by the Welsh Government.
The Food Manufacture, Service and Retail Sector Plan is one of many that the Welsh Government is developing plans to deal with the different types and volumes of waste produced by each sector.
The sector plan involves measures to encourage large businesses to collaborate and support their suppliers to adapt and reduce waste and supporting small and medium sized enterprises to innovate. It advocates addressing inefficiencies in the manufacturing process to prevent food waste being created in the first place.
Welsh minister for natural resources, Carl Sargeant said: “This sector plan is broad, covering food and associated packaging waste and looking at the entire food supply chain after it has left the farm, from manufacturer to consumer. It focuses on the role that food manufacturers, wholesale suppliers, retailers and the service sector can play in reducing and recycling waste – and save money at the same time.
”It’s vital that Welsh businesses can be competitive and resilient in world markets. Ensuring a secure supply of materials, and making the most efficient use of materials is key to this, as well as the potential to make savings and become more efficient.”
Alpha Programme gives a £2m to community projects
A funding initiative designed to boost community and biodiversity projects is celebrating its success in giving over £2 million to schemes within the Greater Belfast and Lisburn areas.
The Alpha Programme- managed by Groundwork NI- allocates its funding through the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme, which helps improve the lives of communities living within a 10 mile radius of the Mullaghglass landfill site at Castlerobin on the outskirts of Lisburn.
Since the Alpha programme’s launch in 2008, a total of 73 projects have been assisted with funding to date of £2,226,652.92.
Mark Kelly, from Alpha Resource Management said: “Alpha Resource Management recognised the opportunity to develop a programme for distribution of Landfill Tax Credit funds for the operation of the Mullaghglass Landfill site. We have been impressed with Groundwork NI and the associated projects that have been undertaken in the heart of local communities over the last six years.
“The Alpha Programme has funded a diverse range of projects which have had a positive impact in the surrounding areas. These have included community gardens, play areas, sports grounds and facilities plus many more community led environmental regeneration schemes.
“Thanks to the impact of this programme, we have improved the general perception of the industry whilst having the opportunity to re-invest back into the community. We will continue to make a commitment to the good work by working in close partnership with these projects.”
‘Reuse and recycle’ message for new Portsmouth students
Students in Portsmouth have been offered free household items as part of the ‘Big Move In’ an event organised by University of Portsmouth Student’s Union (UPSU) in partnership with the council’s recycling scheme, the BIG Recycle.
In May, the BIG Recycle and UPSU collected unwanted household items from students leaving the city in order to offer them to new students for free.
Clothes, accessories and bedding were the most popular items collected, but furniture, an assortment of household items, CDs, DVDs, kitchen equipment and jewellery were also up for grabs.
Over 100 students turned up to the Big Move In on Wednesday 24 September to claim their free items.
Spencer Dawson, senior recycling officer for BIG Recycle, said: “In May, UPSU and my team of recycling officers went to around 33 houses and collected all the unwanted items from students leaving the city. By doing this, and offering the items to other students, we’re preventing the items going to waste and possibly going to landfill so we’re more than happy to do our bit and help out.
“We hope this event shows students who are new to the city that we are keen recyclers in Portsmouth and we hope that they help us to keep the city green and clean by continuing to recycle and reuse.”
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