Flats recycling suffers from budget constraints
The service was originally introduced in May 2006, and, after external funding ceased in 2008, the London local authority helped support the scheme at a cost of £60,000 per year. However, residents' requests for garden waste collections means that the council cannot now fund both services and had to terminate the kitchen food waste scheme at the end of January.
Councillor Val Rush, cabinet member for environment and sustainability, said: “We are sorry that some Marks Gate residents will be disappointed that the kitchen composting scheme has come to an end. Sadly, the council had no alternative but to end its financial commitment to the kitchen scraps scheme.”
Cambridgeshire councils sign Viridor MRF deal
The deal, which the councils hailed as “impressive” during discussions in November last year (see letsrecycle.com story), means that residents in Fenland and Huntingdonshire district councils will now be able to recycle glass bottles and jars at the kerbside from March 29, 2010. The third local authority involved in the deal, Cambridge city council, overhauled its recycling service in November 2009, ahead of signing the contract, in order to allow residents to recycle glass containers, paper, cardboard, aluminium and steel cans, plastic bottles and drinks cartons.
Stuart Wood, Viridor's regional manager, said: “Peterborough MRF's recent modernisation, together with our strict quality control protocols and procedures will ensure the councils' dry recycling is effectively sorted meeting the end-market specifications.”
PRAG publishes recyclability design guidance
The Packaging Resources Action Group (PRAG) – which represents retailers, the packaging industry and the Local Government Association – has published guidance aimed at helping designers improve the recyclability of packaging.
The document, entitled ‘An Introduction to Packaging and Recyclability', was developed by the Product Design sub-group of PRAG and is intended to offer designers a means of ensuring that products: are fit for design, ensure that the packaging actually protects the product; challenge whether packaging is needed at all; identify places where packaging could be reduced; look at reuse or refill options available in packaging; make packaging easier for consumers to recycle; and, specify recycled content in a bid to reduce demand for primary raw materials.
The document is available on WRAP's website and is predominantly aimed at primary packaging in the household waste stream, such as that including plastics, glass, compostable material, composite, paper, card, corrugated board and metals.
Monmouthshire priorities health and safety
The vehicles have been fitted with mobile safety technology by Leicestershire-based Innovative Safety Systems (ISS), which includes digital video recording (DVR) systems complete with CCTV cameras and colour monitors to assist during reversing. In addition, the vehicles have been fitted with safety reversing radars to inform drivers of any obstructions in a bid to eliminate reversing incidents.
Glyn Edmunds, business unit manager (cleansing) for Monmouthshire county council said: “The safety of our workforce and the public is of paramount importance to us. This technology will help us to comply with the very best in health and safety practice, and reduce the occurrence of accidents.”
Home Retail unveils reusable furniture packaging
Home and general merchandising chain Home Retail Group has unveiled a reusable sofa bag for upholstered furniture.
The reusable bag is intended to replace traditional sofa packaging, with it being applied to the item before it is containerised and shipped for sale. Home Retail Group highlighted that there are almost five million upholstered items purchased in the UK each year, which are wrapped in a large amount of disposed-of packaging. The initial concept was developed several years ago and piloted with funding from the Waste & Resource Action Programme (WRAP), with the main trial taking place over the last 18 months. The roll-out begins at the start of this month, with furniture manufactured in the Far East. European manufactured items will follow later in the year.
Maria Thompson, commercial director at Home Retail Group, said: “We believe that there are clear benefits for the environment, the business and our customers by making use of reusable and recyclable packaging and from reducing the amount of packaging associated with the products we sell. It demonstrates our continued commitment to the reduction of waste going to landfill.”
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