SITA UK installs market intelligence software
The technology, which is believed to be the first of its kind used in the waste and recycling sector, enables employees of the French-owned firm to access up-to-the-minute information and news relating to SITA UK. The software developed by Artesian delivers the equivalent of over one million manual searches every time it runs and allows keywords relevant to SITA to be picked it up and distributed via web pages and social media.
Louise Earnshaw, business intelligence manager at SITA UK, said: “We wanted to reduce time spent searching online by creating a real time intelligence portal which delivers information which has been pre-filtered for SITA. This includes updates on our competitors, legislation changes within the waste management industry and key commercial triggers like planning applications for new landfill sites.”
DS Smith trading update highlights increase in paper costs
The firm, which is set to publish its full results for the year until April 30 on June 24 noted that, while European demand for corrugated packaging was below 2008 levels, its input costs had increased. This rise was attributed “predominantly to waste paper” and has resulted in DS Smith having to introduce price increases to its corrugated case material (CCM) and box prices. Despite the increase, the firm does not expect a full recovery of these higher costs until its next financial year statement.
In addition to increases in waste paper ocsts, the firm also reported that plastic packaging had continued to achieve the “better profits” noted in its First Half of 2009 statement, which it attributed to restructuring and sales into new markets.
HSE launches ‘central interventions' project with waste sector
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has launched a three-year project aimed at improving health and safety in the waste management sector through a serious of ‘central interventions'.
The scheme, which began in 2009/10 and is set to be completed in 2012, is intended to build on work by the HSE to help arrest the number of incidents in the waste sector, with specific focus being given to waste and recycling collections. Outlining the programme, the HSE stated: “[Collections] are where the largest proportion of accidents within the waste management and recycling sector take place”, and it has approached 10 waste and recycling firms to take part. The firms will be charged with developing ‘central intervention plans', looking at route risk assessments, reversing procedures, communication with collection crews and supervision and monitoring of crews.
In the first year of the scheme, the HSE planned to undertake a total of 80 ‘intervention' days – which would see officers visiting or working with firms. This would fall to 50 in 2010/11 and then 20 in 2011/12. The 10 firms involved in the project are: Biffa; European Metal Recycling; Enterprise; May Gurney; Serco; Shanks Group; SITA UK; Veolia; Verdant; and, Viridor.
Recoup invites members to Recycle-on-the-Go platform
The launch comes in the wake of Recoup highlighting its existing UK-wide initiative at an event in Birmingham in January earlier this year, which looks to build on work already done in the UK with Coca-Cola Recycle Zones and Tesco onsite reverse vending (see letsrecycle.com story). The platform is intended to further promote the need for on-street recycling facilities and founding members include: Recoup, AWS Eco Plastics, Tesco, Egbert H. Taylor and the European Association of Plastics Recycling and Recovery Organisations.
On behalf of the Recycle-on-the-Go Platform, Michele Matthews, corporate development manager at Recoup, said: “Valuable and exciting Recycle on the Go initiatives are taking place across the globe. By sharing information and experiences we can work together to move forward this key opportunity, to maximise the capture of materials in public space areas and increase the recovery and recycling of these valuable resources.”
Direct mail industry meets 2009 recycling targets
The UK direct marketing industry met the 2009 recycling target agreed by the government and the sector trade body, the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), and is even ahead of the goal for 2013, according to an industry report.
The report, published by the DMA (UK) and Royal Mail, revealed that 76.5% of direct marketing material is now recycled – ahead of the 2009 target of 55% and the 2013 target of 70%. Furthermore, the amount of direct mail entering landfill has fallen by 79% since 2003, and, the report claimed, direct marketing material now accounts for only 0.4% of all non-recycled household waste. In addition, the report indicated that data from the paper sector trade body, the Confederation of Paper Industries, suggests that the current levels of recycling for direct mail material outperforms general paper recycling.
Robert Keitch, chief of membership and brand at the DMA, said: “The huge volume of direct mail now being recycled is not merely mail that travels straight from doormat to recycling bin. Every year, direct mail generates £16 billion in sales for UK plc. Hitting the Government's recycling targets shows we can do so without hitting companies' bottom lines.”
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