News in Brief

The Environment Agency has launched a new booklet and video to help small and medium sized businesses comply with environmental standards.

The 'Pollution Prevention Pays – Getting your site right' booklet, posters and video – available free of charge from the Environment Agency – aims to help smaller companies reduce the risk of causing environmental pollution.

It includes sections about site drainage, deliveries and material handling, storage, waste management, trade effluent, groundwater protection and training and emergencies.

Teresa Brown, a technical advisor for pollution prevention and waste minimisation at the Environment Agency, said: “Until recently, the drive to reduce the impact of business on the environment had been primarily focused on large companies with more than 250 employees, but all businesses – however small – have an impact on the environment.”

Pollution Prevention Pays is available at www.environment-agency.gov.uk or by phoning 08457 33 77 00.

London Community Recycling Network is to hold a free evening seminar to discuss developments concerning the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive.

The event is to look at the implementation of the Directive in the UK and the impact of new regulations on recyclers and local authorities. Speakers will include Daniel Kapadia from DEFRA, Alice Roberts of the Local Government Association, Craig Anderson of the Furniture Reuse Network and Bruce Bratley from London Remade.

Neil Carrett, technical manager at London CRN, explained: “The WEEE Directive offers a tremendous opportunity for London's community recycling sector to boost economic development in the capital. This event will enable anyone, whether they have been following the ongoing stakeholder debate or not, to gain an up-to-date overview of progress towards implementation.”

More information on the event – to be held on May 6 in Borough High Street – from Jude Burke on 020 7324 4690.

Major food manufacturer Greggs is currently trying out a machine which produces energy from food waste, at their Treforest factory in South Wales.

The machine is produced by South Wales-based company Inetec and is available in two, four, six and eight tonne capacities. It thermomechanically dries out the waste and turns it into fuel – thus reducing the need to landfill.

The site produces about seven tonnes of food waste a day, but Greggs may also use the machines at other sites in the future if the current trials prove successful.

Inetec says that machine is practically self-sufficient in energy terms, and can also provide energy for the rest of a customer's operations. Approximately a third of the fuel can be used to provide heat for the waste process whilst the remainder can be made available for hot water process, steam, electricity and refrigeration.

This means the customer can keep the machine on site and have virtually no transportation costs, the company said.

The chairman of the National Tyre Distributors Association (NTDA) has endorsed the Green Tyre Dealer Scheme for re-treaded tyre suppliers.

The Green Tyre Dealer Scheme is run by the Retread Manufacturer Association to promote the safety, performance and environmental benefits of re-treaded tyres.

The NTDA chairman, Martin Rowlands, is also director of Kinloss-based Tyrefair Ltd, one of the first dealers to join the scheme.

Mr Rowlands said: “I wholeheartedly support the active Promotion of re-treaded tyres and applaud the RMA for their initiative in developing the Green Tyre Dealer Scheme.

“Re-treads are good products. They are environmentally friendly, their appearance is good, they have the same speed rating as new tyres and they are excellent value for money,” he added.