Welsh First Minister visits DS Smith
First Minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones, has visited DS Smith’s Caerphilly site to find out about challenges facing the recycling industry.
Matthew Prosser DS Smith UK managing director for recycling and the company’s marketing director Tim Price discussed importance of quality and consistent communications campaigns with the First Minister and Hefin David AM.
After a brief presentation the First Minister toured the customer contact centre and learned how the Caerphillly manages recycling collections.
Mr Jones said: “It was good to visit DS Smith’s facility in Caerphilly to find out more about their innovative and sustainable business practices.
“Moving towards a more circular economy in Wales could save over £2 billion each year and create up to 30,000 jobs.
“We have a huge opportunity to take the lead and innovate having already made an excellent start by being top of the UK recycling league.”
Mr Prosser added: “The visit was extremely useful and gave us the opportunity to tell the First Minister about the need to put frameworks in place that focus on the separate collection of paper for recycling. This is the only to ensure mills have access to the highest possible quality of paper for recycling.”
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Biffa unveils ‘wasteeater’ trucks
Waste management firm Biffa have teamed up with celebrity environmentalist Bill Oddie to launch a new fleet of trucks dubbed ‘The Wasteaters’.
The monster-inspired trucks named Walter, Wanda, Willy, Winston, Wendy, Woody and Wilma, each have their own eye-catching characteristics, name and personality, and serve a different UK city.
The trucks built nine meters length by four meters height has been manufactured by Dennis Eagle, and according to Biffa are made with 95% recyclable material.
A Biffa spokesperson added ‘The Wasteaters’ meet Euro 6 regulations, which require all trucks and buses to meet guidelines on nitrous oxide and particulate emissions.
Mr Oddie explained why he got involved with the launch.
He said: “I’m proud to be supporting Biffa on this fantastic campaign, designed to capture imagination and spread enthusiasm across the nation for recycling.
“Waste can be perceived as a dry subject for lots of us in our day-to-day life, so a great idea like this which makes waste collections and recycling fun will be enjoyed by everyone.”
The trucks are launching between now and August 12 in locations including London, Leeds, Bristol, Norwich, Birmingham, Worthing, Manchester, Glasgow, Nottingham, York, Southampton and Middlesbrough.
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Calderdale to open re-use shop
Calderdale council is launching a ‘revive’ re-use shop at the Atlas Mill Road Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRCs) in Brighouse, West Yorkshire.
The authority said the store has been set up because items that usually can’t be recycled at HWRCs can now be recovered through their bric-a-brac containers and offered for resale at a ‘fraction of the cost.’
The shop based on the Suez-run site will open on 11 August – items that can be brought to the shop include golf clubs, crockery, mirrors, tables, chairs, cabinets, fishing rods, jeans, shirts and more.
Councillor Barry Collins, Calderdale council’s cabinet member for regeneration and economic development, said: “Re-using is even better than recycling, and we all know the saying ‘One person’s rubbish is another person’s treasure,’ so we’re hoping to encourage people to place their unwanted, good-quality items into the bric-a-brac containers for the revive shop, rather than throwing them into waste skips.”
Revive will sell selected items that have been discarded by local residents at the borough’s five Household Waste Recycling Centres as well as some items that have been collected through the bulky waste collection service.
For further details, visit www.calderdale.gov.uk/recycling.
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Valpak and Keenan Recycling recognised
Valpak and Keenan Recycling have received recognition as part of Scotland’s Resource Sector Commitment Health and Safety Standards.
The commitment operated by Zero Waste Scotland and backed by the Scottish government is a voluntary agreement open to local authorities, private resource management firms and third sector organisations involved in waste collections from businesses.
The agreement was launched in 2014 to encourage customers to cut waste.
Charlie Devine, head of resource management at Zero Waste Scotland and chair of the Scottish Waste Industry Training Competency and Health and Safety Forum (SWITCH) praised the companies.
Grant Keenan, managing director, Keenan Recycling, commented: “It has always been a focus of Keenan Recycling to ensure we are at the forefront of health and safety. We work in a dangerous industry so it is hugely important that we care for the wellbeing of our staff to ensure that they are always operating in a safe working environment.”
Steve Gough, CEO of Valpak added: “Valpak views health and safety as one of the biggest challenges facing our sector. We support the work of SWITCH and the forums objectives to provide leadership and raise standards of health and safety as well as education, training and competence in the sector.”
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ReFood in Doncaster renewables milestone
Chemical and food treatment firm Saria has claimed it is using 100% renewable energy at its ReFood anaerobic digestion (AD) plant in Doncaster.
According to the company the facility generates 5MWh of electricity and recycles more than 160,000 tonnes of food waste every year.
The power generated is being used to power other businesses sharing the Ings Road site in Doncaster, Saria claims.
Philip Simpson, commercial director at SARIA, commented: “With a group-wide commitment to energy efficiency, realising our goal of achieving off-grid status is a noteworthy achievement – demonstrating true commitment to meeting food sector sustainability targets.
“Through continued investment and our pioneering AD process, we are now able to not only provide homes and businesses across the region with access to a complexly sustainable energy source, but also minimise our own reliance on fossil fuels.”
“As Europe’s largest food chain by-products processor, SARIA prioritises sustainability across its business operations. As well as boasting a highly environmentally-friendly vehicle fleet, sustainable building methods are utilised in every new site development and expansion project undertaken.”
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