Metals sector donates £50,000 to Chelsea Pensioners
At the British Metals Recycling Association's (BMRA) annual dinner, charity trustee George Bond presented the cheque to Chelsea Pensioners Eric Griffiths, Don Matthews and Don Crassweller, who were special guests at the Solihull event. In addition to the cheque, a further £5,115 was raised during the annual dinner from a draw for a case of champagne and a charity auction, to help in the Hospital's plans to raise £35 million to build and equip a new infirmary.
Mr Bond said: “The nation owes a debt of gratitude to all members of the armed services. We hope that this gift from the metal recycling industry will help make the Royal Hospital more comfortable for its veteran soldiers.”
Wastefile launches dedicated zero waste division
Skip hire and waste management company Wastefile UK has launched a new division aimed at helping the commercial sector and management facilities to dispose of zero waste to landfill.
The Telford-based firm intends to use the new Zero2 division to help develop partnerships with both clients and suppliers to create and use alternative routes for waste products. The company explained that Zero2 has already begun operating, and has started to collect and reprocess food waste into animal feed with Wrexham-based Nutrafeed, which recycles packaged food and drinks products.
David Hinton, divisional director of Zero2, said: “We are concentrating on working closely with companies that are investing in new and innovative technologies, enabling the delivery of these benefits and solutions to our clients. By working with Zero2, these companies have the ability to present innovation to a wider market, receptive to these solutions through the influence of environmental concern.”
London furniture company installs baler to cut costs
The North London company, which supplies furniture and domestic appliances to landlords and managers of rented accommodation, installed a Bergmann Jumbo Roll-Packer to lessen the costs incurred by breaking up and compacting large quantities of waste household items at its depot. According to Prelet, the baling machinery supplied by waste management firm Kenburn Waste Management means that the company now only uses one waste container every two to three weeks.
Managing director Charlie Josephs said: “We were using on average one skip a week and despite our best efforts they were not being filled to capacity because we couldn't crush the material properly by hand.”
Stockport selects wheeled bin provider
Stockport metropolitan borough council has awarded bin manufacturer Otto UK the contract to provide wheeled bins as part of a revamp of the Cheshire town's recycling service.
The Leicestershire-based manufacturer – which is a UK subsidiary of German company Otto Group -will now be charged with providing 107,000 households in Stockport with a 180 litre brown wheeled bin (for glass bottles and jars, plastic bottles and food and drinks cans) and a 180 litre blue wheeled bin (for mixed paper and card). The council also awarded a separate contract to Worcestershire bin manufacturer Egbert Taylors for on-street recycling containers. The council intends to distribute food caddies and a black wheeled bin for residual waste in 2010, with the contract for these bins due to go out to tender in 2009.
Councillor Stuart Bodsworth, executive member for the environment, said: “This is a vital step towards improving recycling services for local residents. These improvements will answer the public demand for plastic and cardboard recycling and for wheeled bins.”
WRG recycling centre receives public support
A survey canvassing visitors to the Smallmead centre, which is managed by waste firm WRG as part of its joint working with three Berkshire councils under the re3 Partnership, found that 99% of visitors rated it as “good or very good” and 94% said that they had found staff helpful during their visit. As part of its 25-year PFI deal, the re3 Partnership intends to open a materials recycling facility and a visitors centre at the site in the early part of 2009, with a household waste recycling centre and education centre being opened at Longshot Lane in Bracknell in the summer of 2009.
Mike Snell, general manager of external affairs at WRG, said: “This is a great result for re3 and the Smallmead team and emphasises the benefits of good customer service. WRG are proud to be part of a partnership whose facilities are so well regarded, and we are committed to developing all of our services for local authorities and residents alike.”
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