News In Brief

Rhondda Cynon Taf council has submitted a planning application for a community recycling centre in Gelliwion, Pontypridd.

The proposed centre would include paper, glass, clothes and can banks, and facilities to dispose of oil, batteries, white goods and green waste. For security purposes, the council plans to include 24 hour CCTV monitoring in addition to the full time site attendants.

Additionally, the plans for the site mean improved road and footpath access and a two-lane one-way system around the site to minimise the effect of the increased traffic to the site.

Councillor Syd Morgan, cabinet member for service improvement, said: “The site will be a massive step forward for Rhondda Cynon Taf. There are recycling banks situated throughout the county borough as well as civic amenity sites in the Rhondda and Cynon Valleys to take recycling already. However, this new centre will provide a focal point for recycling in Pontypridd and the surrounding area, something that has lacked previously.”

M-real finds solution to paper manufacturing sludge waste

M-real has decided to send its waste sludge material, a by-product of the recycled paper making industry, for use in worm farms.

The company produces 5,000 tonnes of the sludge annually, which comes from the 'recovered cellulose fibres' recycling plant at M-real's New Thames Mill in Kemsley, Kent. Instead of being landfilled, the sludge will now go ORM Waste Management's 75 active sites around the UK.

Stephen Muggleton, of ORM Waste Management, said: “We deal with the reduction of organic wastes by various methods, one of which utilises the digestive systems of worms. Worms spends their time doing two things: one is eating, the other is reproducing.”

“To reproduce they require their environment to be pH neutral, which they achieve by eating what is around them and processing it through their bodies. This process is called vermidigestion and can reduce the volume of organic wastes by up to 80%, producing worm cast as an end product,” he added.

Hounslow reviews waste collection system

The London Borough of Hounslow council has retained SLR Consulting to review is waste collection system.

The review, due to be completed in October 2003, will cover a market test of the council's current refuse collection service as well as modelling future developments. The council is particularly interested in extending its kerbside collection to include kitchen waste.

SLR will use a computer model the council's refuse collection service and use it to evaluate different options in terms of cost effectiveness in order to develop the best service for Hounslows.

Rushcliffe changes from sacks to wheelie bins

Rushcliffe borough council is changing its black sack refuse collection for a wheelie bin service.

The new service involves alternate collection of two wheeled bins, a green for green waste and grey for refuse, as part of the council's “Recycling2go” kerbside recycling pilot scheme.

The council has invested in five Otto Continental TDM vehicles, which can take both wheelie bins and black sacks, to ease the transition between the two systems. Otto is also fitting some of the council's older vehicles with lifts.