Support for Duty of Care campaign grows
The number of organisations who have joined the right Waste, right Place (rWrP) campaign, which raises awareness of the Duty of Care waste legislation and provides information to help businesses to comply, has continued to grow.
Since the programme was launched in August 2016, 23 organisations have signed up to raise awareness among their thousands of SME suppliers, customers and members. These organisations include: waste management companies Augean, Biffa, Cory Environmental, FCC Environment, Hills Waste Solutions, SUEZ, Veolia and Viridor. Other organisations taking part include Westminster city council, Kent county council,the Gloucestershire joint waste team and the National Trust.
The campaign is managed by the Environmental Services Associationm and sponsored by the Environment Agency, CIWM and the ESA education trust ESAET.
Sam Corp, head of regulation at the ESA, commented: “We are being approached by organisations from a range of sectors every week who want to get involved in the right Waste, right Place campaign. This demonstrates that local authorities, businesses and others are recognising how serious an issue Duty of Care compliance is. I am looking forward to continuing to work with our campaign ambassadors and to many more organisations signing up to the programme in the near future.”
Those interested in joining the rWrP Ambassador Programme are encouraged to get in touch via info@rightwasterightplace.com.
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Veolia recycles worker uniforms
Waste management company Veolia has teamed up with charity Reuseful UK to recycle staff uniforms.
The project, Re:Form, will recycle ten tonnes of used Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) from Veolia’s London contracts in its first year, with great potential to take in more corporate clothing nationally as the scheme evolves.
Re:Form partners with the Cambridgeshire Community Reuse and Recycling Network and is funded by Greater Cambridge and Greater Peterborough LEP and Veolia.
Following a successful trial at Veolia’s Southwark facility, where 250 people are provided with uniform to carry out their duties, the project has been expanded to divert 10,000 items from going to landfill or energy recovery from across London. Uniform which is still fit for purpose is repackaged and sold, whilst other items are remanufactured into new items and craft kits at a workshop in March, Cambridgeshire. Some of the 200 donated sweaters will be used to make teddy bears. Over 100 people seeking employment have been involved with the project since it started at the beginning of 2016, helping to sort, upcycle and resell the donated items.
Patricia Watson, who manages the project at Veolia said: “Our old uniform is such a mixture of materials, in various states of cleanliness and disrepair, the traditional recycling markets simply couldn’t deal with it. We’re delighted to be part of such an innovative solution which not only diverts waste from landfill and energy recovery, but more importantly, helps support the local community and people into work. I look forward to helping the scheme grow to expand these incredible social and environmental benefits”
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WRAP encourages ‘SMART’ shopping on Black Friday
Shoppers are being urged to keep the environment in mind when buying electrical items in the Black Friday sales later this week.
Each year the UK buys 1.4 million tonnes (or £21 billion worth) of electrical and electronic products, and it is estimated that we discard a similar amount.
Resource efficiency charity WRAP is calling on people to shop ‘SMART’. This acronym stands for Shortlist, Make a decision, Act, Register and Trade-in.
Sarah Clayton, head of products and services at WRAP, said: “We’re working closely with leading electrical manufacturers and retailers to transform the industry and generate value through sustainability. But there’s a lot you can do as a consumer too, to ensure you are switched on to value and getting the most out of your electrical items, which includes buying only those you will use.
“SMART buying is all about buying better, sensibly, and sustainably. Keeping a cool head, and our guide in mind, before you even step inside a store, or enter an online shop on Black Friday, should help you make the right buying decisions.”
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Cawleys sponsors Bucks rugby club
Luton-based waste management company Cawleys has become a sponsor of Buckinghamshire community rubgy club Olney RFC, through providing waste management services for the club.
The club, formed in 1877, runs three senior sides plus ladies, colts, vets, girls, mini and junior rugby. With over 1,000 members, including over 450 mini and junior players, the club’s site generates waste from its bar area and weekly post-match lunches.
Occasionally, the club holds hugely popular special events, including a biannual ball with 500-600 attendees, and in these instances, Cawleys will provide a skip to deal with the greater amounts of waste generated.
Paul James, chairman of Olney RFC, said: “We really value the support Cawleys are giving Olney RFC, in helping us with our waste management. We are a very busy community club with members and guests using our facilities every day, so having all our waste needs met by Cawleys will make a big difference to us. We know that Cawleys are a community minded family business so are delighted to receive their sponsorship.”
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Edinburgh tackles communal bin misuse
Edinburgh council has launched a drive to tackle the misuse of communal bins by traders in the Leith Walk area of the city.
Amongst measures to raise awareness are a targeted communications campaign, including radio adverts, social media, posters and branding for communal bins, and the increased presence of environmental wardens in the area, who will be on hand to provide information and guidance. A team of task force staff were also carrying out a ‘deep clean’ of the street. The drive represents the second phase of the council’s ‘Our Edinburgh’ campaign to clean up the city.
Transport and environment convener, councillor Lesley Hinds, said: “We’re making a real effort to address issues with waste and cleansing in the capital, and the Our Edinburgh campaign is central to changing behaviour around things like litter-dropping and fly-tipping.
“By helping residents and businesses around Leith Walk to understand what can and can’t be disposed of in communal bins, amongst other measures, we really want to reduce the unsightly and frustrating problem of overflowing bins in the area.”
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