News in Brief

Capacity warning as Midlands “wakes up” to recycling

The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) said “carrying on as before is not an option” with cities such as Birmingham now “waking up” to the need to recycle household waste. In a new report, it called for a sensible coordinated approach to waste, simplified legislation and a “pay as you throw” system for commercial waste to help address the problem.

ICE West Midlands chairman, Len Threadgold, said: “Local authorities can use all the powers available to them – economic development policies and local area agreements, for example – to facilitate the creation of facilities to deal with all forms of waste.”

PDM Group launches catering waste service

The award-winning food industry waste management company PDM Group has launched a new initiative to collect catering waste and used cooking oil and turn it into renewable energy.

The Doncaster-based company, which won an Award for Excellence in Recycling and Waste Management during 2006 for its work with retailers, is offering the service nationwide, and is already being signed up by major UK supermarkets. Leftovers are used to generate green power at the company's power plants, including the facility at Widnes, whilst used cooking oil is processed into biodiesel and other biofuels.

“We've used pioneering technology to ensure we can handle food wastes from all sources,” explains Commercial Services Director Philip Simpson, “and we believe the services we've developed will help members of the catering industry develop more sustainable and transparent processes.”

Chase Plastics joins 'MRF protest group'

Suffolk plastic recycling company Chase Plastics has joined the Campaign for Real Recycling, which is lobbying against the use of commingled recycling collections.

Jessica Baker, managing director of the Brandon-based firm, explained: “We believe that the UK needs to urgently address the quality issues surrounding recycling collections. The UK should aim to recycle its own waste as much as possible, and careful recycling collections and handling is key to this.”

Regarding mixed plastics collections, she added: “Collecting mixed polymer food trays, plastic film and containers in a co-mingled recycling bin is a recipe for disaster. Food residue from this material will contaminate all the recyclables, and the film element will cause havoc in MRF operations, getting tangled in machinery and obscuring the sorting equipment. Even if the mixed plastics could be successfully sorted out from other recyclables, there is no obvious end market for this material at present.”

David Boran to head up Lloyds TSB waste team

Mr Boran has had 32 years' in the banking sector, mostly with Lloyds TSB including time as managing director for a number of specialist teams covering the natural resources, utilities and pharmaceuticals sectors. He will be supported by a team of experienced directors to provide waste management firms with services including cash management, structured finance, risk management and debt capital markets.

Richard Dakin, managing director of Lloyds TSB Major Corporate said: “This is a market with huge potential which is why David and his team use their experience to hit the ground running. Our goal is to deepen relationships with existing customers. Delivering innovative solutions via specialist teams, such as David's, will ensure a greater depth of understanding of our customers' needs, enabling us to provide flexible funding packages incorporating a range of tailored services.”

Promising start for Cambridgeshire composting site

The Composting Company has reported “a successful first six months” at its 10,000 tonne per annum open windrow site in Newmarket, Cambridgeshire.

Mark Drury, operations manager for the site said: “When the site started, the company only had a few landscaping contracts for around 50 tonnes in total, now we are averaging 50 tonnes week. Many local landscapers were burning or sending their green waste for pre-treatment, we have diverted this waste stream to help create a high-grade compost.”

The company now hopes to be accredited to the PAS100 standard by March 2008. Mr Drury said: “Even though I do think In-Vessel is the way the industry is going, particularly for the treatment of food waste, I think there will always be a place for open windrows in areas which don't have large local authority contracts.”