Worn Again Technologies launches pilot R&D facility
Polymer recycling technology company Worn Again Technologies has launched a pilot research and development facility to be based at CPI in Redcar, North Yorkshire.
The pilot plant has been designed to validate and develop Worn Again Technologies’ proprietary process which separates, decontaminates and extracts PET polymer and cellulose from nonreusable textiles, PET bottles and packaging to go back into supply chains as raw materials.
Cyndi Rhoades, founder of Worn Again Technologies, said: “While there is still a long road ahead, it’s the next tangible step getting us closer to a scalable, commercially viable industrial process that will enable the move away from using finite virgin resources to the circularity of raw materials.”
The facility is to be hosted at the Biotechnology CPI research and product development centre.
Kris Wadrop, director of Biotechnology CPI, said: “CPI is delighted to host the Worn Again Technologies pilot plant within our scale-up facilities at Wilton, Redcar.
“Supporting a company at the forefront of the circular economy promoting sustainable fashion by using the strengths of the chemical industry on Teesside is an ideal combination and part of the reason CPI exists.’’
Founded in East London in 2005, Worn Again Technologies claims it was awarded a grant to become the first chemical recycling technology to be Cradle to Cradle certified in 2018.
MEPs call for common charger
MEPs called for the introduction of a common charger for all mobile devices to cut electronic waste during a debate on 13 January.
A demand was made for the European Commission to come up with a proposal for the initiative, initially suggested by the European Parliament’s internal market and consumer protection committee, by July 2020.
Committee vice-chair Róża Thun und Hohenstein said: “The Commission has to show leadership and stop letting tech giants dictate us standards. If digital sovereignty means something to this new Commission, we expect a proposal to establish a standard of a common charger, within the next six months.”
A study conducted by consultants Risk & Policy Analysts Limited on behalf of the European Commission in 2014 suggested there had been a reduction in the number of different chargers for smartphones from 30 in 2009 to three.
With new charges continuing to come as standard when purchasing a mobile device, the Parliament suggests a common charger would save on unnecessary plastic waste.
Company sentenced for breaking tyre storage laws
A man who ran illegal waste sites “dangerously hoarding” hundreds of tonnes of waste tyres in Northamptonshire was handed a 12-month suspended prison sentence on 17 January.
According to a statement from the Environment Agency, its inspections in March 2017 found Andrew Eyre and John Mullen, joint directors of IN4 Ltd, had stored more than 1,300 tonnes of tyres despite only having a permit to store 84 tonnes on their Brackmills Industrial Estate site.
Judge Rupert Mayo, presiding over the case, ordered the company to pay a fine of £11,250 and sentenced Eyre to 12 months’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 month, and ordered to perform 150 hours of unpaid work.
Rebecca Staff, environment officer at the Environment Agency, said: “It’s very clear that the mismanagement of these sites was no innocent mistake – rather, laws were broken and legitimate businesses undercut simply for the sake of profit.”
Cardiff to fine residents who recycle incorrectly
In a bid to get residents to recycle properly Cardiff council could fine and prosecute those who persistently place waste in the wrong bin.
A campaign has been launched which will see bright pink stickers placed on recycling and garden waste bags or bins alerting residents that they contain incorrect items.
If a pink sticker is put onto a container, residents will have to take their waste back into their property to remove the incorrect items before they put their recycling out again on the next collection date.
Councillor Michael Michael, cabinet member for clean streets, recycling and environment at Cardiff council, said: “This campaign has been designed to educate the public on what materials should be put into the green bags for recycling and what materials should be put in either the green wheeled bins, or bags, for composting.
“Over a rolling 12-week period, if a resident puts incorrect items in either their green bags or their green compost bin or bags on five separate occasions, they will be given a fixed penalty notice of £100.”
The pilot scheme is to be rolled out from 2 March and further information on which wards will be covered will be released closer to the launch date.
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