News in Brief

Scottish metal recycler fined 53,000 for waste crime

David Cochrane (Duns) Ltd was fined 53,000 after pleading guilty to depositing controlled waste, namely mixed waste metals, liquid, tyres and batteries on land at Station Road, Duns, and failing to remove a quantity of waste as required by a notice served by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). The company is also required to pay 41,131 under a Confiscation Order.

SEPA said despite numerous attempts over several years to get the company to comply with legislative requirements, appropriate progress was not made. In November 2011, SEPA served a notice requiring all the waste to be removed from the site by June 30 2012. Although a large quantity of waste was removed from the site the terms of the notice were not met. The site was finally cleared of waste by the end of October 2012 and the site is now closed.

Karen Ellis, SEPAs investigating officer, said: David Cochrane (Duns) Limited had a significant amount of time in which to comply with the legislative requirements and had several options as to how this could be achievedContinuing to carry on the scrap metal activities at the site in contravention of the legal requirements has the potential to put the ground and surface water at risk.

When contacted by letsrecycle.com David Cochrane (Duns) Ltd was unavailable for comment.

Lincoln to introduce green waste charge

Lincoln city council has approved changes to its green waste collection service which will see residents charged 25 per annum for the service.

The changes will be introduced from July 1 2013 so that only those who opt-in will be required to pay. Members of the council voted to bring in the charge in a bid to help save 1 million following cuts in government funding. At present, green waste is collected for free.

Council leader Ric Metcalfe said: In order to make this decision we scrutinised every element of our budget to see where we could make savings. Although general waste and recycling are compulsory services covered by council tax, green waste collections are discretionary and currently costs the authority almost 500,000 a year. To raise this income through council tax would have meant a seven per cent increase to every home in the city, whether they needed the service or not. In the end, due to the size of cuts we are being asked to make, we decided we would have to introduce a charge for this service rather than cutting it altogether as we know it is highly valued.

M&S makes strong progress on Plan A

Marks & Spencer has continued to send zero waste to landfill and has reduced waste arisings by 28% under its Plan A sustainability initiative.

In an update published last Thursday (June 6) the retailer said it had made strong progress under the initiative with 139 of the 180 commitments already achieved and a further 31 on track. Key points on waste highlighted in the report included zero waste to landfill from its stores, offices, warehouse and construction activities and a 50% reduction in construction waste per 100,000 project. Additionally, it noted a 32% reduction in food waste compared with 2008/09 and recycled an additional 14,200 tonnes of waste through its work with the Somerset Waste Partnership.

Marc Bolland, chief executive of M&S, said: We have moved closer to our vision of M&S as a sustainable international multi-channel retailer, but we know that we still have a long way to go to make this a reality. Through Plan A we will continue to push the business case for social and environmental responsibility, develop new alliances and learn from others.

Axion launches training for MRF managers

Manchester-based Axion Consulting has launched a dedicated training package for managers of materials recycling facilities (MRFs).

The consultancy said the programme is a result of customer demand and aims to fulfil the growing need for expert advice on commissioning and operating new plants. Axion director Keith Freegard said the recent growth in building new facilities has fuelled training demand in the technical, practical and people-management aspects of operating large-scale and expensive materials sorting plants. Packages can be tailored to suit the individual MRF process and feedstock.

Mr Freegard added: Very often a fresh group of people are recruited to run a newly-built MRF and this creates two big training needs: firstly how all the equipment works and secondly, getting all the employees to work as a team. So in line with high-quality technical training, weve developed methods of encouraging people to work in teams and groups by applying the knowledge theyve learned to solve hypothetical problems. This then helps them to identify and plug any knowledge gaps.”

UKWSL unveils customer-led web portal

Nottinghamshire-based waste service broker UK Waste Solutions Ltd (UKWSL) has unveiled a bespoke web portal which will allow its customers to order, view services and compliance data and generate information online.

The companys new portal works across multiple systems with features including access to compliance documentation such as waste transfer notes and site licences log reports and landfill diversion and weight reports. UKWSL works across the waste and recycling industry and uses its network of suppliers meaning it can offer containers and collections across a range of materials.

Commenting on the new portal Max Kanda, head of sales and marketing, said: This is an exciting development for us and our customer base; it has been two years in the making. UKWSL are all about providing added value to our customers and The Hub addresses the need for accessible information in the dynamic area of waste management and prevention. Our goal is to encourage sustainable practices through education and case studies, as the waste management sector has undergone remarkable changes over the past few decades.