News in Brief

Carrier bag usage in Wales down due to charge

Single-use carrier bag distribution in Wales is down 96% in some retail sectors following the introduction of a 5p charge last October.

Research conducted by Cardiff University has revealed that the number of shoppers who said they had used their own bags on their last supermarket trip rose by 21% between September 2011 and April 2012; and the figure now stands at 82%.

According to data from the British Retail Consortium, food retailers saw their carrier bag usage fall by up to 96% over the past year, with home improvement retailers reporting a 95% reduction and fashion retailers a 75% reduction.

The university also found that Welsh support for the bag charge had increased from 59% to 70% in the six month period whilst opposition to the charge had dropped to just 17%

The majority of retailers donate proceeds from the charge to charity. Since the launch, environmental charity Keep Wales Tidy has received more than 105,000 from bag charges.

Welsh environment minister John Griffiths expressed his delight at the findings. He said: The Welsh public has adjusted brilliantly to the Welsh bag charge and the majority now regularly take their own bags with them when they go shopping.

70% of people in Wales are now fully supportive of the charge and of the changes we are trying secure in terms of litter reduction. I would like to thank retailers for their ongoing help in making this policy the first of its kind in the UK – a success.

Merseyside launches money-for-oil charity drive

Merseyside residents are being encouraged to use their waste cooking oil to raise money for a local childrens hospital.

Veolia Environmental Services, the Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority (MRWA) and eco-firm Living Fuels have collaborated to raise funds for the Alder Hey Childrens Hospital in Liverpool by encouraging residents to take their used cooking oil to collection tanks at any of the 16 local household waste recycling centres managed by Veolia.

The collected oil is then taken to Living Fuels recycling facility and turned into bioliquid called LF100. The bioliquid is transported to Living Fuels renewable power stations to generate electricity which is sold on to the National Grid.

Opened in 1914, Alder Hey Childrens Hospital houses the biggest paediatric accident and emergency ward in the country and provides for 200,000 children per year within a catchment area of 7.6million people.

Paul Smyth, contracts manager of Veolia ES in Merseyside and Halton, said: We are proud to be turning a national habit which costs the UK an estimated 15 million per year in pipe blockage removal into a fantastic way of raising money for a worthy cause. It couldnt be easier to recycle your used cooking oil, just visit your local recycling centre.

Food waste addressed by Green Food Project

A significant proportion of some food waste, notably fruit and vegetables, occurs before the food reaches the consumer and understanding and tackling the drivers behind this could have positive economic and environmental benefits.

That is one of the messages from the Green Food Project (see letsrecycle.com story), a project bringing together farmers, retailers, caterers, environmentalists, government and other stakeholders to try to achieve the goals of trying to improve the environment while increasing food production. Its findings were announced by farming minister Jim Paice earlier this month.

The Project recommends that alternative approaches to consumption and waste should be considered, including: looking at post harvest food waste, particularly within horticulture; the potential for smarter regulation; and, the potential for using food waste as feed.

Mr Paice said: With our increasingly hungry world every country must play its part to produce more food and improve the environment. Britain already punches above its weight, but were a small island with limited space, so weve got to show leadership and play to our strengths more efficiently.

Were not talking about setting Soviet-style targets but an overall approach in which the whole food chain pulls together. Whether it means embracing new farming technology or people wasting less, weve got to become more sustainable.

DS Smith Recycling joins Resource Association

Packaging recycling giant DS Smith Recycling has joined the Resource Association, the trade association for reprocessors and recyclers.

Resource Association chief executive Ray Georgeson said: The Resource Association is absolutely delighted to welcome DS Smith Recycling to our ranks. DS Smith Recycling is the UKs largest fibre recycling company and is a significant industry player with a strong corporate ethos of sustainability and quality. The DS Smith Groups approach to utilising quality recycled materials to make quality products very much chimes with the core values of the Association. They are a very welcome addition to the growing membership of the Association.

DS Smith Recycling said it has been encouraged by the development of the Association and said it believed it had an important role to play in championing the value of the reprocessing sector.

DS Smith Recycling managing director, Peter McGuinness, said: DS Smith Recycling has been encouraged by the development of the Association as we believe it has an important role to play in championing the value of the modern reprocessing and recycling sector in which we play our part. We look forward to playing an active role in the development and the life of the Association and ensuring that quality recycling has a healthy future in the UK.

Apprenticeships to address skills gap in waste sector

Education minister John Hayes has announced 240,000 of funding for three new Higher Apprenticeships in power, water and waste management.

The funding for sector skills council Energy and Utility Skills (EU Skills) will allow employers to design the Apprenticeships at Levels 4 and 5 which are expected to be available for first registrations from February 2013.

Large employers including Veolia have backed the EU Skills bid to the Higher Apprenticeship fund that will see them develop programmes in line with their own industry specific needs. The power, water and waste sectos needs to recruit 17.8% of the current workforce over the next five years. At least 3,920 trainees and upskillers are needed with around 1,060 at Higher Apprenticeship level.

Neil Robertson, chief executive of EU Skills said, We are really excited about the opportunities the new Higher Level Apprenticeships will bring to the power, waste management and water industries. The fact that the Government is investing in our industrys people demonstrates the value of Higher Apprenticeships and the significance of the energy and utilities industries.

“These new Apprenticeships will close the existing gaps and provide a structured route to job competence delivering the high level technical skills urgently required by the sector. I am delighted that we have been able to achieve this level of investment, together with our employer and stakeholder partners, we can deliver real results that will benefit employers, individuals and the UK economy.