News in Brief

Viridor announces subtle rebrand

The company, which is part of the FTSE 100-listed Pennon Group, said that it was uniting its Viridor Waste Management, Viridor Glass Recycling, Viridor Electrical Recycling and Viridor Resource Management operations under the Viridor name as part of a “subtle” change that was “appropriate for the current climate” and would give the company a “single clear identity”.

Commenting on the move, which also sees the company's website address change to www.viridor.co.uk, Viridor's managing director, Mike Hellings, said: “The name Viridor is from the Latin meaning ‘to become green'. We are leaders in an industry going through massive transformation – helping the UK to achieve huge and sustained increases in materials recycling and improved resource efficiency.”

Views sought over joint strategy

Worcestershire county council has launched a consultation for residents and businesses on its joint municipal waste strategy with Herefordshire county council.

The strategy, which sets out how domestic and commercial waste is managed in the two counties, was originally published in November 2004 to cover a 30-year period but is being reviewed to reflect local needs and opinion. Worcestershire claims there has already been a marked reduction in the amount of waste being produced in the two counties, along with an increase in recycling rates, over the past four years. The consultation exercise runs until May 15.

Councillor Derek Prodger MBE, chairman of the joint waste resource management forum, said: “We need to start looking at waste as a potential resource as we simply cannot continue to fill up landfill sites. Although we already boast a number of fantastic recycling initiatives across the two counties, we need to be even more creative in how we deal with waste.”

“Gaping hole of knowledge” over WEEE

The company has started directly promoting WEEE recycling in store and has carried out a small survey. On Sunday (March 29), its promotional staff handed out over 600 WEEE pamphlets and SWEEEP said its survey painted a “worrying picture of the lack of recycling knowledge but rather reassuringly a willingness to recyle.” Less than 1% of the people engaged had any prior knowledge about being able to recycle electronics from the household.

Justin Greenaway contracts manager at SWEEEP, said: “Virtually 2 years on from the WEEE directives implementation and there is still such a gaping hole of knowledge about WEEE recycling. WRAP recycling figures confirm tonnage on to market vs. tonnage off running at 12% for small WEEE and I amazed it is even that high considering the publicity void thus far. It is frustrating how the WEEE directive is structured when compared to the battery directive whereby there are demanding targets to be reached based on weight put onto the market place. The low weight targets of the WEEE directive have been easily achieved and there is no driver to divert any further material than is legislative necessary. The net result of this is that if less WEEE is collected then manufactures have a smaller bill to pay.”

WRAP announces SME advisory service

The Waste & Resources Action Programme has expanded its business development service to enable small and medium sized recycling businesses across England to draw on local expertise.

The expansion is set to see regionally placed business advisors give SMEs in the recycling and reprocessing industry free support at any stage of their business development. WRAP claims that SMEs would be able to receive wide-ranging support from raising finance, market information, access to funding for equipment, opportunities for staff training through to marketing, business planning and much more.

Marcus Gover, director of market development at WRAP, said: “Equipping the UK's recycling businesses with the skills they need to become sustainable businesses is critical to developing our excellent domestic recycling industry, in the face of many global challenges. WRAP's business development service provides access to skills, knowledge and resources for SME recycling businesses – all available from a team of local business advisors.”

Recolight launches education campaign

Specialist WEEE compliance scheme Recolight has launched a schools education campaign to improve public understanding of the differences between compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and traditional incandescent light bulbs. It aims to communicate to the public why CFLs should be recycled rather than disposed of with domestic waste. Marketed to teachers in April, it will be available for use in classrooms from May 2009.

Known as the ‘Big Light Project' and aimed at children aged 8 -13 years, the educational programme will feature a specially designed character – ‘Professor Bright, Expert in Light', who will communicate serious messages about the environment and climate change. The project will be piloted across 1,000 primary and 800 secondary schools in London and the South East beginning mid-2009, with a view to a national roll-out in future years.

Peter Lees, Commercial Manager of Recolight said: “With the current emphasis on the fulfilment of energy reduction targets in the UK, the uptake of energy efficient light bulbs (CFLs) has exceeded all expectations. But, because CFLs last so much longer than traditional incandescent bulbs, the issue of what to do with used CFLs has not been perceived as any kind of problem. People need to understand that because these bulbs contain a small amount of mercury they should not ‘throw them in the bin' but preferably take them to a recycling centre.”