HSE urges vigilance after worker's death
Brighouse-based Associated Waste Management was fined £75,000 and ordered to pay £10,000 in costs at Bradford Crown Court last week (January 8) after an employee died following an incident in the waste management company's tipping yard on April 12, 2007. The employee was hit by a skip loader, which was reversing without the benefit of any visual aids, audible warning alarm or guidance. AWM was unavailable for comment.
After the hearing, HSE inspector, Paul Robinson, said: “This incident is all the more tragic because it was avoidable. If the risks had been assessed, equipment been properly maintained and if appropriate safeguards had been put in place it might never have happened.”
AFOR appoints director from REY
Matt Hill – who has been an AFOR member since 2005 – is set to continue his work diverting organic waste away from landfill in Yorkshire and Humber, while also carrying out his director responsibilities. Under his nominations to the board, Mr Hill's main objectives were identified as defending the use of food-derived compost and digestate for agriculture for food manufacture where it is threatened, support market-development for all organic products and minimise time and money spent by members in meeting regulatory requirements.
Mr Hill said: “AFOR is taking a new direction under managing director Jeremy Jacobs and I am looking forward to contributing my experience of regulatory and operational issues to help not only composters, but all organic waste processors across the country benefit from the business opportunities out there.”
January 16 date for funeral of John Connor
It has been confirmed that the funeral of Mr John Connor, managing director of Stirling Fibre, will take place on Friday January 16, 2009 at 2pm at Mortonhall Crematorium, Howden Hall Road, Edinburgh, Midlothian EH16 6TX. A spokesman for the company and family said that all will be welcome.
After the funeral the family would like everyone to attend a celebration of John's life at Prestonfield House Hotel, Priestfield Road, Edinburgh EH16 5UT. The family have requested that no black ties be worn.
Mr Connor died recently during a holiday in Spain, (see letsrecycle.com story).
Trial launched to extract recyclables
Optical-sorting equipment manufacturer TiTech has launched a trial in Germany to see whether commercially valuable recyclable material can be extracted from residual waste streams.
Performed over two-days at a materials recycling facility (MRF) in Munich, the Norwegian firm processed 180 tonnes of residual municipal waste through a series of sorting equipment found in a standard MRF to assess whether saleable material could be recovered from the waste stream. TiTech claimed that the initial results were “promising”, with one plastic film reprocessor confirming that the quality of material recovered was of a good standard. Full results of the trial are expected to be released in early February.
Jonathan Clarke, head of TiTech UK, said: “The preliminary results are particularly encouraging. It is becoming clear that there is still the potential to extract more recyclable material from household waste and that the residual waste stream should be considered as a significant source of recyclates.”
Construction firm wins environmental award
The firm, which has headquarters in Preston, received a ‘Green Apple Gold Award' from the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management for piloting an initiative to divert post-construction u-PVC window frames from landfill during a window replacement scheme for Helena Housing's Clockface Estate in St Helens. Old frames from over 300 properties were stripped apart with the glass, metal and plastic elements sent to specialist recycling firms, and the recycled plastic sent to be used in manufacturing applications, such as Enviro-Kerbs and new u-PVC profiles.
Neil Carroll, systems manager at Herbert T Forrest, said: “This is the first initiative of its kind in the North West and we are proud to have been given this award which acknowledges our work in this area. We will now be looking to roll the scheme out across many of the other projects we are working on.”
North London councils launch WEEE scheme
A number of North London councils have joined with high-street retailers to encourage residents to recycle unwanted electrical goods.
Running across the seven boroughs that compile the North London Waste Authority – Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Haringey, Islington and Waltham Forest – the initiative is intended to allow residents to take back electrical waste to participating stores such as Aldi, Currys, TK Maxx and Orange, in addition to using the nine recycling centres across the boroughs.
Councillor Clyde Loakes, chair of the North London Waste Authority, said: “There's a huge potential to recycle these items into new products, rather than throw them away and we are delighted that it is now easier than ever before to do so.”
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