Suez UK rolls out defibrillators across sites nationwide
Suez UK has announced that it has expanded its network of defibrillators to cover all its 320 sites.
The company outlined that implementing the additional units supplements the circa 70 existing on-site across the Suez network. It explained that the expansion came “as part of its commitment to social value and safeguarding its employees and others”.
As part of this, Suez said it has committed to always dispatch a suitably trained member of its team to support any person using a defibrillator, whether a colleague or a member of the public. A training video was produced that instructs viewers how to use the defibrillator alongside crucial reminders such as checking for responsiveness and placing someone into a recovery position.
Geminor reaches milestone of 100 employees
Geminor has said that as of this month it has passed a landmark of having 100 employees between offices and processing facilities in nine countries of Europe.
The company outlined that while the growth gives it “more professional and operational weight, it also places new demands on the organisation”.
According to the company’s CEO Kjetil Vikingstad, Geminor has had the most growth in Southern and Eastern Europe in the last couple of years. Geminor explained that the growth in the number of employees has, among other things, required changes in locations, with the UK, Polish and Italian offices having to adapt to new, larger or more premises.
Mr Vikingstad commented: “We have grown to become a medium-sized company in the industry, which is also in line with our strategy. We notice that a growing organisation provides more “muscle” and offers new expansion opportunities. At the same time, we gain greater regional knowledge, which makes us more compatible with regulations and industry cultures in different markets.”
Digital DRS solution ‘must avoid unnecessary cost and manual labour’
Alice Rackley, chief executive of a recycling tech firm Polytag, has highlighted the importance of exploring different ways to deliver DRS with minimal disruption and manual labour.
In a statement on the back of the Welsh government’s local scheme in Brecon which ran a 12-week digital deposit return scheme (DRS), Ms Rackley said the company “is pleased to see the scheme receiving positive comments, further bolstering our industry’s collective effort towards achieving a nationwide digital DRS”.
Ms Rackley continued: “It is vital that we explore the different ways in which a DRS can be delivered that will benefit brands, retailers, customers, and the supply chain for a long-term, scalable solution with minimal disruptions, interference, and manual labour.”
She then explained that in its digital DRS pilot with Ocado Retail, Polytag generated and stored over 2.5 million unique-every-time serialised codes that were directly integrated and printed onto milk bottle labels, ensuring no disruption or unnecessary manual labour.
Ms Rackley added that invisible UV tags were also applied, enabling MRFs to scan bottles when they were recycled which gave Ocado access to unprecedented insights into its packaging.
UKVIA to launch vape recycling info hub
The UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) has announced that it is launching a web-based information hub as well as Sustainable Vaping Week campaign in October.
The UKVIA explained that the initiatives are designed to get vapers, the vaping industry and those outlets that sell vapes to act now for the benefit of the environment. It noted that while the sector is making some progress in limiting its environmental impact, a recent report by Material Focus highlighted that some 5 million single-use vapes are thrown away each week.
The new resource hub and week-long campaign is set to provide vapers with information on the dos’ and don’ts of recycling single use vapes, as well as access to locations where they can dispose of their devices in an environmentally considerate way. Educational resources will also be available to retailers and other outlets, such as pubs and clubs, UKVIA said.
And, there will be guidance provided for producers, importers, distributors and sellers of vape devices to ensure they are meeting environmental regulations and working with waste management companies, the association added.
Axil announces EcoVadis silver standard
Axil Integrated services has announced its achievement of the silver standard with EcoVadis, a business sustainability rating provider.
The company outlined that this award “reinforces its commitment to sustainability and responsible waste management practices”. Axil added that it ranked in the 91st percentile.
It then said that it achieved ‘advanced’ status in both Environment and Labour & Human Rights assessments.
Commenting on the achievement, Gina Rudkin, head of sustainability and zero waste at Axil, said: “We decided to complete the evaluation with EcoVadis proactively, ahead of any request or obligation to do so. Our EcoVadis scorecard and award provide transparency of our strong performance and our commitment to continuous improvement. This is a testament to the culture at Axil and we will continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible in sustainable business practices, to support our client’s goals in CSR, Sustainability, and ESG.”
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