EA issues permit for Swansea landfill site
The permit issued to the operator, SI Green UK Ltd, includes a number of conditions to protect the local environment, and an accompanying decision document explains how the permit application has been determined and why conditions in the permit have been imposed. The wide-ranging controls in the permit start from the date of issue through construction and the operational phase. When the site ceases to accept waste the controls will still be in operation.
Graham Hillier, the Agency area manager for South-West Wales said: “We have spent a great deal of time evaluating this application and have produced a permit designed to make sure there is adequate protection of the local environment. It gives us the powers to regulate the operations on site so that improvements can be made to the current state of the waste deposited in the quarry.”
Website to be launched to help tackle over-packaging
The ‘Webinar' system will be launched on February 25, 2009 for use by product and packaging designers to help them deal with rising material costs and increasing pressure to improve their environmental credentials. Users of the site can take part in a virtual seminar intended to stimulate live discussion and debate on practical elements of eco-design, including re-design exercises, comments from key stakeholders in the design industry and the site also includes a live re-design activity decided on the day by participants.
Envirowise eco-design specialist Jenni Rosser says: “It is estimated that some 80% of the cost of a product and its packaging is set at the design stage, so the benefits of thinking about resource efficiency from the outset can be a win-win situation for both the environment and the bottom line.”
Doorstep furniture collection launched in Camden
Camden council has launched a scheme for residents to donate unwanted furniture for free to new homes as part of a doorstep collection scheme.
The service – which is being run by the council-funded charity Restore Community – aims to encourage reuse and to reduce the amount of quality furniture going to landfill. The said that around 200 tonnes of waste was collected through Camden's bulky waste booking service last year, and the furniture collection scheme aims to turn furniture which can reused over to other Camden residents at a low cost. Initially being run as a six-month trial in the London borough, the service has the potential to be extended if it proves successful.
Councillor Chris Knight, executive member for environment at Camden council, said: “Recycling is good but reusing is better. This is a perfect example of how reuse can create an affordable supply of goods of excellent quality while at the same time keeping goods and materials out of the waste stream.”
Lancashire firm launches customisable waste information wheel
The company said that the new 'What Goes Where Wheel' has been designed with users and local authorities in mind. It said that “old style discs” had “design faults” in the arrangement of information and that they were sometimes difficult to use for people with poor mobility or eyesight. Marketing manager at Whitney Woods, Helen Mihill, said: “The residents of the borough who are the most likely to have problems with the recycling wheels are the ones who need most help in the first place.”
The company said their new wheel addresses design issues, it features a ribbed wheel to help people with mobility issues turn it, and all information is printed the correct way up so no-on has to read upside down. Waste types are also colour-coded and images are clear to help those with reading difficulties.
Campus Veolia achieves teaching accreditation
The training centre for staff employed by waste management company Veolia Environmental Services has become the first training organisation in the UK to be fully accredited with the prestigious Standards Verification UK, by the Institute for Learning.
Campus Veolia, which was established in 1999 to provide training and development for Veolia subsidiaries Dalkia, Veolia Water and Veolia Transport, achieved equivalence to either ‘Qualified Teacher Status' or ‘Associate Teacher Status' (QTS) after rigorous scrutiny of its teaching and learning methods by the Institute for Learning.
Roy Fairweather, managing director says: “The team at Campus Veolia are very proud of achieving this QTS standard which reflects the quality of learning programmes available to every employee in our organisation.”
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