Viridor acquires Adapt Recycling
The acquisition is in line with Viridor's parent company Pennon Group's strategy of expanding its waste management activities, particularly in the areas of recycling, waste treatment and disposal. Adapt Recycling processes comingled recyclate primarily consisting of plastics, cans and glass. It also bales some mixed paper grades. It employs 20 people and handles approximately 25,000 tonnes of material a year. Viridor has complementary recycling, transport and disposal assets in the operating areas. The operations will be integrated into Viridor's Northern region and will trade as Viridor Waste (Adapt) Ltd.
Mark Burrows Smith, director of Viridor North, said: “The UK's waste strategies are demanding ever-increasing levels of recycling to meet waste targets. The Greater Manchester region is a key operational area in Viridor's business and the acquisition of Adapt Recycling in Bury will strengthen our position as a leading operator in the region. Viridor's acquisition of Adapt Recycling is a positive step forward in expanding business in the key recycling areas and we look forward to welcoming and working with our new colleagues.”
University develops plastics recycling process
Researchers at the University of Warwick have devised a new technique which they claim could recycle 100% of Christmas and other household plastic instead of the tiny fraction that currently actually gets processed.
The Warwick researchers have devised a unit which uses pyrolysis – utilising heat in the absence of oxygen to decompose materials – in a “fluidised bed” reactor. Tests completed last week allowed the researchers to shovel in to such a reactor a wide range of mixed plastics which were then reduced down to products many of which can then be retrieved by distillation. The products the Warwick team have reclaimed include: wax that that can be then used a lubricant; original monomers such as styrene that can be used to make new polystyrene; terephthalic acid which can be reused in PET plastic products, methylmetacrylate that can be used to make acrylic sheets, carbon which can be used as Carbon Black in paint pigments and tyres, and even the char left at the end of some of the reactions can be sold to use as activated carbon at a value of at least £400 a tonne. This university claims that the research could have a significant impact on the budgets of local authorities and produce considerable environmental benefits.
The lead researcher on the project, University of Warwick engineering professor Jan Baeyens, said:”We envisage a typical large scale plant having an average capacity of 10,000 tonnes of plastic waste per year. In a year tankers would take away from each plant over £5 million worth of recycled chemicals and each plant would save £500,000 a year in landfill taxes alone. As the expected energy costs for each large plant would only be in the region of £50,000 a year the system will be commercially very attractive and give a rapid payback on capital and running costs.”
Judgement in SITA/GMWDA case not due until February
The case was heard at London's High Court last week in a hearing that lasted for two and a half days (December 14-16), with SITA arguing that the original decision by Mr Justice Mann to prevent its damage claim from reaching court was wrong (see letsrecycle.com story). SITA had brought its legal action on the basis that as reserve bidder for the deal, when preferred bidder Viridor Laing's costs rose and the project changed significantly, it should have been allowed to resubmit its own bid (see letsrecycle.com story).
But, the GMWDA's bid to halt SITA's damages claim was backed by Mr Justice Mann, who said the company's legal action had been launched later than allowed by UK contract law, and there was no reason to extend the limitation period – prompting SITA to launch its appeal. Commenting on when judgement was now expected, a spokesman for SITA UK told letsrecycle.com: “We're not expecting a judgement until at least February.”
Yorkshire councils agree to award PFI to AmeyCespa
North Yorkshire council last week (December 15) agreed to award the multi million pound PFI-funded residual waste treatment contract it is procuring in partnership with City of York council to its preferred bidder, the Spanish-owned waste company AmeyCespa.
The decision, which mirrors that made by City of York council earlier this month (December 9), means that AmeyCespa will now submit a planning application for the facility that it plans to build to deliver the long-term deal. The company is proposing to include mechanical sorting technology to recover 20,000 tonnes-a-year of recyclables from the residual waste, and 40,000 tonnes-a-year of anaerobic digestion capacity alongside an energy-from-waste incinerator as part of the Allerton Waste Recovery Park, to be built at Allerton quarry, near Harrogate. Under the current timescale for the project, if permits and planning permission are obtained as the councils hope, the facility would be operational in 2014.
AmeyCespa was originally named as preferred bidder for the North Yorkshire and City of York deal in June 2010 (see letsrecycle.com story), but the company's proposals have come under fire from both campaign groups and waste management companies already operating in the area. The chief executive of one waste management company operating in the area, who did not wish to be named, told letsrecycle.com that he had particular concerns over the cost of the project and the need for it.
He said: “The council themselves are to build this waste processing plant due to a lack of facilities in the area, however, there are many MRF, MBT and organic treatment operators in North Yorkshire, many of whom have never received items of waste from North Yorkshire county council.”
Cory launches pink bins for charity
The pink bins are distributed as part of the company's confidential document collection and destruction service providing confidential shredding to Cornwall-based businesses. The bins can be rented for a minimum charge of £1.50 per week, and all of the rental proceeds are donated to Cancer Research UK, while the presence of pink bins will raise awareness of breast cancer. All confidential waste is securely transported, shredded and recycled to be re-used as newspaper.
The initiative was spearheaded by Cory contract manager Nick Seviour, following requests from female colleagues at Cory's Carrick office. Speaking about the idea, he said: “Cancer Research UK is doing incredible work into a disease which has blighted so many individuals and families. This initiative is a positive way to use our industry to help raise money and awareness about cancer, and we are delighted to be able to assist such a worthy cause.”
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