Aberdeenshire council has decided to continue its kerbside collection scheme for recyclables after a successful trial period.
The monthly scheme, which collects newsprint and office paper in six Aberdeenshire towns, collected more than 100 tonnes in August/September, an increase of over 200% from the first collection in April/May.
The scheme covers 32,000 households as part of a 10-year contract between the council and paper recyclers Shotton Paper which also involves Aberdeen city council and Moray council (see letsrecycle.com story). In 2002, Aberdeenshire council's recycling rate was 21% and it aims to cut landfill rates by 40% and recycle or compost 25% by 2005.
Councilor Alison McInnes, chair of Aberdeenshire council's infrastructure services committee, said: “The response to this trial scheme really has been magnificent and very encouraging. The first collections in April and May were good, but they have continued to grow since then. With a growth of virtually 208% in collections since then, we are now definitely in a position to continue the scheme.”
SIGMA unveils sustainability guidelines for businesses
A DTI backed project, Sustainability: Integrated Guidelines for Management (SIGMA), has been launched in an attempt to encourage businesses to commit to environmental obligations.
The project was launched in 1999 and undertaken by the British Standards Institute (BSI), AccountAbility and Forum for the Future. The project's partners included Marks and Spencer, Boots, The Co-operative Bank, Innogy, Northumbrian Water and the London Borough of Waltham Forest.
RMC UK, a producer and supplier of materials, products and services for the construction industry, piloted the SIGMA guidelines. Tim Pinder, environment manager for RMC UK, said that the guidelines had helped the company consider its future in providing sustainable construction materials.
He said: “SIGMA has helped us to innovate; to look 20 years ahead and understand how our business can develop and become increasingly sustainable and accountable. In the future we hope to be viewed not only as a sustainable building materials producer but also as a resource management business. This approach will present us with new commercial opportunities and we are already developing new activities based on this long-term view.”
A full copy of the SIGMA guidelines and further information about the project can be found at www.projectsigma.com
Wyvern Waste spends 200,000 improving Poole landfill
Wyvern Waste has spent 100,000 on recent improvements to its Poole landfill site near Wellington in Somerset and plans to invest a further 100,000.
The first investment was spent on “capping” the sections of the site that have been filled with waste. More than half of the site has already been capped with a layer of compost, a plastic membrane, a layer of clay and a top layer of soil.
The Somerset-based waste company will be investing an additional 100,000 into engineering works on the final available section of landfill at the site prior to the company beginning to tip.
Jon Pring, general manager of Wyvern, said: “As we prepare the final phase of the site, and complete the capping on additional areas of waste, we feel that we are now making significant progress towards finishing the site and leaving it in a state that will not be a nuisance to any of our neighbours.”
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