Valpak Recycling (North West) launches new website
Valpak said that the website, valpakrecycling.co.uk, had been designed with local businesses and the surrounding community in mind, and was geared towards showing how it's services could help save businesses money. Website users can request quotes online, request a visit from a locally-based sales team and learn what services Valpak can offer to help manage their waste costs. And users can find out which materials Valpak can handle on their behalf. In addition, the website promotes a recycling bring bank facility recently developed by Valpak Recycling, which is intended to provide an easy and accessible recycling route for local businesses and householders alike.
Duncan Simpson, director of sales and marketing at Valpak, said: “I am delighted with the user friendliness and appeal of the new Valpak Recycling website. It was our aim to develop a website which provides local customers and businesses with all of the tools, contacts and information that they need.”
Hampshire councils and waste firms sign H&S pledge
The support for increased awareness of health and safety in the sector was made at a seminar organised by the Project Integra initiative's Common Approach to Safety and Health (CASH) event earlier this month (June 17), which aims to maintain the profile of health and safety in the municipal waste sector in Hampshire. Speakers at the event included the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), local authorities and waste contractors with the range of topics covered including behavioural safety, the benefits of NVQ2 training and the work of the LAWS forum.
A total of 21 pledges were signed and Mike Wilcock, HSE head of operations for the South East, said: “We are very pleased to be supporting CASH in making this commitment to improve health and safety in the waste industry in Hampshire and are delighted by the number of partners that have signed up to the HSE pledge to ‘Be Part of the Solution'.”
Environment Agency issues permit for Battlefield EfW
The Environment Agency has decided to issue an environmental permit to Veolia Environmental Services for its proposed energy-from-waste facility at Battlefield in Shrewsbury.
The Agency opted to grant the permit for the planned 90,000 tonnes-a-year capacity facility following a consultation over plans to develop the plant. This permit, issued under the Environmental Permitting (England & Wales) Regulations 2010, requires the company to comply with all relevant legislation including strict air emission and monitoring standards. Planning permission is still required before the facility can be built at the Battlefield site and a planning application has been made to Shropshire council but has yet to be determined. Veolia was named waste contractor for Shropshire under a 27-year deal signed in October 2007 (see letsrecycle.com story).
Environment Agency area manager Dafydd Evans said: “We have carefully considered all the responses made during consultation and have issued this permit because we are satisfied it contains the necessary conditions and control measures to ensure protection of human health and the environment.”
GMWDA launches bike recycling initiative
The ‘Recycle Your Bike' initiative, which was launched to coincide with National Bike Week 2010, is intended to raise awareness of recycling and reuse, as well as to cut the amount of bikes that could still be used that end up being thrown out as scrap metal. GMWDA is working with groups such as the lottery-funded Gremlins Cycling workshop in Oldham to show how a bike can be reconditioned and reused rather than disposed of, while bikes that cannot be reused are still able to be recycled.
Councillor Neil Swannick, chair of the GMWDA, said: “This project is a fantastic idea for reducing waste and CO2 emissions, and cycling is good for your health. We hope the social and environmental benefits of the scheme will encourage residents to donate unwanted bikes to the reuse and recycling projects across Greater Manchester and increase the amount of affordable bikes for local people.”
Camden invites directors for recycling film
The London borough of Camden is calling on young people in the North London area to make their directorial debut by producing a film for the council's new recycling service.
All completed films are set to be screened at cinemas in the London local authority area, with prizes such as filming equipment being issued to those behind the winning efforts. The project has been launched to coincide with the launch of Camden's new recycling service this month, which includes the collection of food and green waste for the first time. It has also been designed to help children learn about the importance of recycling and reusing resources, as well as giving them the opportunity to star in and film their own video.
Councillor Sue Vincent, cabinet member for environment at Camden council, said: “These days children seem to understand better than anyone the importance of looking after our environment. So this is a fantastic opportunity for our younger residents to send out a strong and inspirational message to others, and to show how recycling fits into the bigger picture.”
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