News in Brief

London borough of Bexley signed a 1.8 million deal with Straight last week (15/6/2004) for 310,000 bins and boxes.

The new bins form part of the council's strategy to increase its recycling rate to 37.5% by introducing kerbside collections for kitchen waste for composting. In the waste container supplier's biggest ever contract, the council has ordered 80,000 of Straight's 140-litre wheeled bins, 80,000 seven-litre kitchen bins and 150,000 kerbside boxes for paper and cardboard, glass, and plastics and cans.

The council's waste and recycling manager Stephen Didsbury said: “We were already doing well, with a recycling rate in excess of 20%. We're looking to almost double that by the year end, with a target of 37.5%.”

Included in the contract with Straight is and RFID chip on each bin to allow onboard weighing, so the council can analyse participation and usage patterns. Bexley was the best London borough for recycling in 2002/03, but has met with slight difficulties in 2003/04 (see letsrecycle.com story).

Model and TV personality Nell McAndrew teamed up with the UK’s recycling organisations this week to urge football fans to recycle during Euro 2004.

Model Nell McAndrew promoting recycling during Euro 2004

Recycling organisations WRAP (the Waste & Resources Action Programme), SWAP (Save Waste and Prosper), Waste Watch, British Glass, Alcan Aluminium Can Recycling, Corus (steel cans recycling) and Recoup are all backing the model’s plea to the nation.

As the English team progressed to the knock-out stage of the tournament in Portugal, Nell said: “Around 20 million glass bottles and 20 million steel and aluminium drink cans – the equivalent to 4,500 tonnes – will be thrown away over the course of each England match. The good news is that more than 60% of that household rubbish can now be recycled.”

The campaign material including Nell's photographs are being made available to local authorities to circulate to their local areas. Gareth Morton, director of SWAP, said “Attracting high profile support from celebrities is one of the best ways of securing the public’s attention.”

• The recycling and waste industry's football tournament, the Waste World Cup, is taking place on September 10 – more details at: letsrecycle.com/wwc.

The Merseyside Community Recycling Forum has launched a new website to promote recycling and re-use to businesses and households in the region.

Over 90 Merseyside community groups, social enterprises, voluntary organisations and businesses are featured on the website, www.recyclemerseyside.com, offering recycling services for materials such as office paper, white goods, garden waste and fax cartridges.

Gill Nowell of the Clean Merseyside Centre and chair of the community recycling forum, said: “The launch of the Merseyside Community Recycling Forum's website aimed the Forum's agenda to tackle the county's waste problem by communicating its services and resources on the worldwide web.”

“The website is an invaluable resource for all members of the recycling chain to share information as well as news of waste reduction and details of new products recycled from old rubbish,” Ms Nowell said.

Bin manufacturer Egbert H Taylor has unveiled a new lid for trade waste containers aimed at preventing bulky waste deposits.

Taylor's new &#39E;vent Lid'

The &#39E;vent Lid' has been designed for Taylor's 1280 continental container. The new lid has two flaps in the main lid for small items of waste which can be operated and locked independently to the main lid.

Taylor said: “Removing the need to lift the main lid provides a safer, more hygienic and more convenient way to dispose of waste at public locations.”