News in Brief

WEEE recycling firm Recolight publishes lamp recycling guide

The Lamp Recycling Guide, which has been issued to RecoNet members – the Croydon-based company's network of 1000 collection points across the country – has been developed to provide guidance on complying with the WEEE regulations with regards to lamp recycling. Topics covered include the scope of lamps within the Regulations, the environmental benefits of recycling and the different methods used to safely recycle lamps.

Peter Lees, commercial manager at Recolight, said: “We are constantly working to raise awareness of the Regulations and ensure everyone in the supply chain is meeting their obligations. This publication provides a clear overview of the lamp recycling process which we hope will give confidence to those returning lamps to our collection system and help to increase the volume of lamps being collected for recycling.”

Thames Water 100th company to sign up to construction pledge

Utilities company Thames Water has become the 100th company to sign up the Waste & Resources Action Programme's pledge to cut construction waste by 50% by 2020.

Since its inception six months ago, companies from across the construction supply chain have committed to the ‘Halving Waste to Landfill' voluntary agreement, which aims to promote resource efficiency during the recession. WRAP claimed that, as the construction sector currently wastes around £1.5 billion annually in unused materials and sends almost 25 million tonnes of waste to landfill every year, the growing number of signatories suggests mounting recognition of the economic and environmental case for change.

Alan Young, waste manager at Thames Water, said: “We believe that halving waste to landfill by 2012 is readily achievable, and reaching this target is essential to avoiding materials wastage and costly landfill disposal. We look forward to working with WRAP further as we establish our own waste reduction targets, and measure and report on the progress we make.”

G&P appoint new business unit manager

Mr Kerr, 39, joins the battery collection and recycling specialists from Hanson Building Products, where he was regional transport manager. Reporting to operations director Miles Freeman, Mr Kerr is set to be responsible for G & P's fleet of 21 vehicles, which operates on a nationwide basis collecting automotive, industrial and portable waste batteries and transporting them to G & P's Darlaston headquarters where they are sorted and recycled.

Mr Kerr, who is from Wolverhampton, started his career as an HGV driver, progressing through the ranks in companies including VW Transport, Robert Wiseman Dairies and Cadbury Trebor Bassett. The company said that Mr Kerr will bring wide-ranging transport and site management experience to the G & P team.

WEEE firm to collect at Glastonbury

Hampshire-based WEEE recycling company Midex is set to supply Glastonbury Festival 2009 with cages to collect waste electrical and electronic items disposed of during the four-day event.

The company will supply the event with lockable wire roll cages to collect obsolete electrical and electronic equipment and batteries, particularly from the back of house, in a bid to further support Glastonbury's established collection of dry recyclables. At the end of the festival, the disused equipment will be transported to Midex's Aldershot facility for processing, where it will be broken down into component parts and shredded in line with Environment Agency requirements.

Sam Prentice, sales manager at Midex, said that the cage would improve the security of sensitive kit requiring secure destruction: “We always recommend only one employee has a key and that cages are kept locked at all times for optimum security.”

Viridor's Beddingham landfill site full

Waste management and recycling company Viridor has confirmed that its Beddingham landfill site in East Sussex will close on Saturday May 16 as it has reached full capacity.

The site, which is near Lewes, has been open for the disposal of non-hazardous wastes arising from homes and businesses in the area for over 30 years and -in recent years – around 250,000 tonnes of waste was disposed of safely at the Beddingham site each year. Once closed, the site will be subject to a substantial restoration programme, which will ensure it is restored to a Sussex Downland standard with around 80% of the site's area having already been restored.

The restored site will continue to generate renewable power by harnessing the landfill gas produced by the waste mass but the site will remain closed for public access with a maintenance and after-care programme to be carried out by Viridor, in agreement with the Environment Agency.