Hundreds turn up to ERP WEEE recycling party
Hundreds of partygoers turned up with electrical waste to gain entry to the event, before getting the chance to see live performances from Man Like Me and James Yuill, as well as DJ sets from Rob da Bank and Jackmaster. The event was one of 10 Recycling Parties across Europe to celebrate recycling one million tonnes of electrical waste. Every year, householders in London create 58,000 tonnes of WEEE, and purchase 150,000 tonnes of news electrical equipment.
Scott Butler, general manager of ERP, said: “We've recycled over a million tonnes of electrical waste, saving enough energy to power a million and a half homes for a year and keeping mountains of valuable material from landfill. Next time one of your gadgets breaks, don't bin it – recycle it. The gold in your old mobile phone could end up as jewellery or in a new phone.”
Aylesford secures five-year extension to Aylesbury paper contract
Paper mill Aylesford Newsprint has secured a five year extension to its contract with Aylesbury Vale district council, in a move which the company claims will allow the Buckinghamshire council to continue its “excellent” record for collecting used newspapers and magazines at the kerbside.
Aylesbury council collects more than 5,000 tonnes of used newspapers a year from its households and has sent paper to the Aylesford Newsprint mill in Kent for over 10 years. The council stressed that it was important to both it's waste team and the councillors to which they report to not only provide a practical environmentally acceptable solution to recycling, but also to recover the best value for this resource and highlighted the role Aylesford Newsprint had to play in this.
Commenting on the extension until 2015, Martyn Jarvis, Aylesbury Vale district council's waste technical officer, said: “We have worked with Aylesford Newsprint for many years and have always had an excellent relationship with them. They provide us with good value for a good quality product – and in the current economic climate that is really important.”
Demag installs crane at £12.5m waste-to-energy plant
The £12.5 million renewable energy facility processes biomass, typically timber and cardboard waste from the construction and demolition industries, for the generation of electricity. The biomass material is reclaimed from builders' skips operated by Rabbit Skips, also part of the Group. As a result, some 50,000 tonnes of biomass per year, which would have been otherwise sent for landfill, is now used in the renewable energy process, which has an output capacity of over five megawatts.
Commenting on the decision to work with Demag, Enviropower's plant manager, Mick Adams, said: “Our decision to work with Demag on this project was based on the company's reputation for quality and reliability, as well as an industry recommendation, highlighting Demag's proven expertise in the energy from waste industry.”
WRAP announces 100th council to sign up to Collection Commitment
Wyre borough council has become the 100th local authority to sign up to a set of principles which aim to define what constitutes a “good” waste and recycling service.
The ‘Waste Collection Commitment' was established by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and the Local Government Association in September 2009 (see letsrecycle.com story), and details 10 standards that signatories will aim to meet, with the aim of increasing customer satisfaction with waste services and, ultimately, boosting recycling rates. Councillor Paul Moon, street scene portfolio holder for Wyre borough council, said the council was “delighted” to be the 100th local authority to sign up to the commitment.
And, Phillip Ward, director of local government services at WRAP, said: “Reaching this milestone proves that local authorities across the country are dedicated to improving customer experience when it comes to waste and recycling.”
Ministerial launch for Cardiff bike reuse workshop
The workshop is run by social enterprise Cycle Training Wales, which was recently shortlisted for a LARAC Celebration Award 2010 for its work in partnership with Cardiff council. Since June this year, Cardiff Cycle Workshop has taken in more than a hundred bikes and has already put 65 of them back on the road. Through their efforts they have already help to avert 1.5 tonnes of waste from landfill. Unwanted bikes can be left at the Waungron Road and Bessemer Road household waste sites , allowing the Cycle Workshop to recondition and safety check them before they are sold on at an affordable rate or made available to community projects.
Ms Davidson said: “The work of the Cycle Workshop is inspiring. It sees old bikes being repaired and given a new lease of life instead of being abandoned, it reduces the amount of waste sent to landfill, and it ensures that cyclists and community projects that want them have access to cheap, working bikes.”
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