Lib Dems urge London Mayor to improve transport recycling
Mike Tuffrey claims that he has received assurances from the current Mayor and his predecessors that facilities in London would be “dramatically improved” for all commuters using London Transport, however, he says these pledges have proven “worthless”. The London Assembly – which scrutinises the decision-making of the Mayor – has been vocal in its demand for further recycling on-street recycling initiatives in the city, with it calling on Mayor Johnson to address the issue in March 2009 (see letsrecycle.com story).
Commenting on the latest call for improvements, Mr Tuffrey said: “Each and every day well over 1.5 million free newspapers are handed out to commuters and people travelling around London, yet the opportunities to recycle these papers as you travel remain totally pitiful. Not surprisingly last year Transport for London (TfL) completely failed to increase the recycling of commercial and industrial waste.”
Veolia appoints Vinci to West Berks PFI deal
The Watford-based services firm is set to construct the plant, which will handle 80,000 tonnes of household waste generated by West Berkshire council a year. The plant is expected to be operational by the autumn of 2011. And, once complete, the integrated facility is set to include an in-vessel composting facility, a materials recycling facility (MRF), a waste transfer station, a mini-household waste and recycling centre, a vehicle depot and a visitor's centre. Veolia was awarded the £500 million contract to provide waste management services by West Berkshire council in March 2008, which saw the firm takeover operations from Birmingham-based Biffa (see letsrecycle.com story).
Commenting on the award, Tracey Reilly, general manager for Veolia in West Berkshire, said: “This integrated facility – a first for Veolia Environmental Services – will transform the way waste is handled and recycled in West Berkshire. We are very pleased to have Vinci on board and this facility will be crucial to the delivery of our contract goals.”
Exeter confirms intent to stick to AWC roll-out
Plans to roll-out alternate weekly collections to the majority of Exeter's 50,000 households will continue despite communities secretary Eric Pickles' outspoken support for weekly collections, the city council has confirmed.
Speaking to letsrecycle.com, Mike Trim, head of cleansing services at the Devon local authority, explained that the measure to almost all households in Exeter onto ‘bi-weekly' collections would go ahead “as planned” in a bid to save the council around £84,000 per year. The city council made the comments in the wake of Mr Pickles giving his most blatant call for councils to offer weekly refuse collections earlier this month by ordering the Audit Commission to remove guidance which supposedly supports the introduction of “unhygienic” and “unpopular” fortnightly collections (see letsrecycle.com story).
Commenting on its decision to stick with the changeover, Mr Trim said: “As planned, the city council will be putting another 14,000 properties onto bi-weekly collections and will be saving us £84,000 per year. I think overall there were more in favour than against the change among the constituents. We had local consultations, we had road shows and the only concern from people was they didn't know how it works, so we explained.”
MWDA to offer free heavy-duty recycling bags to residents
The waste management body, which represents Liverpool, Sefton, the Wirral, Knowsley and St Helens – will be issuing the bags at its Newton-le-Willows and West Kirby sites, with residents able to claim a bag after dropping off two green or garden waste loads at either recycling site. Residents will be given a stamped voucher on each occasion which can be used to redeem the free bag through the month of July. The scheme, which is being organised MWDA and its waste contractor Veolia Environmental Services, will move to the Kirkby and Otterspool sites in August before being offered at the Formby and Southport sites in September.
Commenting on the scheme, Carl Beer, Director of MWDA, said: “We ran a giveaway scheme a few years ago and it was very popular – in fact we shifted around 20,000 bags. And our regular compost giveaways are always enthusiastically received by the public, so we know there is an appetite for recycling habits to be rewarded.”
EMR purchases Stoke-based metal recycling firm
Metal recycling giant European Metal Recycling (EMR) has purchased Stoke-on-Trent-based metal recycling firm Arthur Wright and Son for an undisclosed fee.
The agreement, which was completed last week (June 25), will see existing employees of Arthur Wright and Son transferred to EMR's operations. The purchase of the Stoke-on-Trent firm includes the transfer of its scrap metal recycling facility into EMR's possession, which currently handles plate metals, girders, piping, electric motors, switchgears, transformers and oversize, among others. EMR, which is recognised as one of the largest metal recyclers in Europe, claimed that the purchase of the firm would enhance its presence in the north of the country and follows the purchase of the Sunderland Metal Company in September 2009 (see letsrecycle.com story).
Ian Sheppard, regional general manager at EMR, said: “The new site is well located to enhance our operations in both the North West and the Midlands and will enable us to build our relationship with other merchants in the local area; something which is very important to us.”
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