News in brief

Sainsburys collects Red noses for recycling

Sainsburys and Comic Relief have partnered for a second year with carpet underlay manufacturer, Ball & Young, to recycle the PU Foam Red Noses. They will be collected from Sainsburys supermarkets nationwide and taken to its factory in Corby, Northamptonshire to be washed and prepared for recycling. They will start a new life as part of Ball & Youngs Cloud 9 range of underlays. It takes a day to turn them into underlay and the red flecks from the Red Noses can be easily spotted throughout the underlay.

Katherine How, Sainsburys Comic Relief partnership manager, said: The success of Red Nose Day shows our customers want to help transform lives across the UK and Africa. We also know they care about the environment so were making it really easy for them to recycle the Red Noses. Its good news for the environment and its helping Comic Relief supporters make an even bigger lasting impact.

According to Sainsbury’s, recycling and reusing wasteis a key part ofits work around environmental sustainability and is one of its targets to achieve by 2020 as set out in its industry-leading 20×20 Sustainability Plan.

More certainty for AD as biogas escapes RHI review

The government has announced that it will not be reviewing support for biomethane and biogas projects under the Renewable Heat Incentive, in a move welcomed by AD operators.

The Anaerobic Digestion & Biogas Association (ADBA) has been lobbying for the tariffs not to be changed since the start of 2013, as it had feared a review may undermine investor confidence.

Charlotte Morton, chief executive of ADBA, said: The Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) is right to exclude biomethane and biogas from the review of the RHI tariffs, as we have suggested to them since they announced the potential for reviews in January.

There is a significant number of projects in the pipeline, and these do not need further reviews of tariff levels, but rather consistency and certainty in government policy.

The governments focus should now be on issues which are holding back projects, such as the lack of preliminary accreditation for biomethane, the 200 kWth limit on support for heat from biogas combustion, and clarity on overall RHI budgets after 2015.

At present, biogas combustion is eligible for 7.1p in support under the RHI per kWh, for plants up to 200kWth in capacity.

Edinburgh rolls out food recycling to flats

The majority of Edinburgh residents will have access to food waste recycling by this summer with the service being rolled out to flats and tenements.

Although a kerbside food waste collection service has been available to residents with individual wheeled bins, there has only been limited access to the service for residents in more high density forms of housing, despite food waste accounting for nearly a third of the waste being thrown out.

Letters explaining how the food collection service will work are being sent to each household, while secure kitchen caddies and large street containers will be delivered ward by ward between March and the end of May 2013. The containers will be placed at existing bin points, either on the street or in bin stores, causing as little impact as possible.

The latest step in the food waste collection programme is taking place almost two years after a pilot was trialled in Edinburgh. It was then expanded to include low density properties last year.

Councillor Jim Orr, vice convener of the councils Transport and Environment Committee, said: “Separating food waste from residual waste will make a huge difference to the amount being placed into bins and ending up in landfill. Last year this council spent over 13m on sending waste to landfill. This is money that would be far better spent on improving local services.

Software enables scrap metal recycler toavoid cash

Scrap metal recycling business E A Heath has adopted new software and technology to comply with new legislation banning cash transactions.

The Checkprint Solution Express from the TALL Group of Companies will ensure the company has the correct processes in place to meet the requirements of the revised Scrap Metal Dealers Act 1964, as well as help streamline payments, reduce administration and provide a professional service to customers.

The solution, including all software and an initial 1,000 laser cheques, has been implemented at two sites in Stoke on Trent in Staffordshire and Rhyl in North Wales. As a result, E A Heath will now be able to quickly and accurately print individual cheques for scrap metal purchases with a receipt of payment as an alternative to an existing electronic payment service.

John Hand, company director at E A Heath commented: Checkprint Solution Express provides an effective solution that is not only straightforward to use but is also good value for money. It allows us to swiftly print individual cheques for our customers, enhancing our payment offering in line with the new regulations and presenting our company in a professional manner.

The revisions to the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 1964 came into force at the beginning of December 2012, outlawing the purchase of scrap metal for cash and only permitting cheque or electronic payments.

New Volvo loading shovel for Eco

Eco Sustainable Solutions has added a further loading shovel produced by Volvo to its fleet of mobile plant at Parley near Christchurch in Dorset.

The organics recycling and renewable energy company now operates a mix of thirteen Volvo excavators and loading shovels at both the Parley facility and a satellite facility located in Southampton. The new Volvo L110G just delivered joins recent excavators and shovels purchased in 2012.

This latest acquisition is for a new development in our green waste recycling activities here at Parley, says Eco production manager, Justin Dampney.Having run Volvo shovels and excavators for so long now, we know what to expect in terms of the reliability, the package and back up from Volvo Construction Equipment so choosing the L110G was the right decision for the company to make.”

The machine delivered to Eco Sustainable Solutions features L5 heavy duty tyres to reduce the impact of wear, a reversible fan, turbo II pre cleaner, automatic lubrication and guarding around the working lights to counter the conditions on site. It has been supplied complete with Volvos silver service agreement package as are all the existing Volvo machines in the fleet.