News in Brief

Rockware Glass has said its new cullet treatment plant at Wheatley is nearing completion and will be fully operational later in the summer, creating 30 jobs.

Rockware's Wheatley plant will turn bottles from Doncaster into high quality cullet

The multi-million pound plant, built and operated by Rockware’s long term recycling partner Berryman Glass, will take bottles and jars collected from bottle banks and doorstep collections in Doncaster and elsewhere in the UK. Using detection and separation machinery it will produce the high quality cullet that can be used in the glass making process at Rockware’s factory in Wheatley.

The plant will be similar to Rockware and Berryman's plant which has been operating in nearby Knottingley for nearly four years.

Malcolm Vernon, Rockware’s director of logistics, said: “We are very proud of our new facility at Wheatley, and plan to add an information centre in the near future so that local groups and people can see for themselves why it is so important to collect and recycle used glass bottles and jars.”

Wyvern Waste has announced a fund-raising event for St Margaret's Somerset Hospice on July 10 and 11.

During the event, the Somerset-based waste management company plans to give away free compost at its Priorswood composting depot Taunton to members of the public who give money to the local charity.

Andy Olie, managing director of Wyvern, said: “Our compost is normally sold at 2.50 per 40-litre bag and is so popular that last year we sold 20,000 bags. But we have decided that for this one weekend only we are going to it away in return for a donation for a really excellent local cause – St Margaret's Hospice.”

The Hospice provides free care and support to patients with incurable illnesses, their families and carers.

Liz Shirley Smith, St Margaret's community fundraiser, said: “We are very grateful to Wyvern Waste for their support and hope that their generosity brings in lots of keen gardeners.”

The London borough of Merton will be placing 20 new paper banks at Underground and rail stations over the next month.

The council received funding from London Remade for the Linpac Environmental bins that will be placed outside the Underground stations Morden, Wimbledon Park, South Wimbledon and Colliers Wood as well as rail stations Mitcham Junction and Wimbledon.

Merton council is also seeking permission to put bins outside Raynes Park overground station.

The London Remade programme to place paper banks outside London stations follows a successful pilot by the London borough of Camden which began in 2002.

British environmental consultancy SLR has been appointed to carry out an environmental impact assessment for a major new composting and materials recycling facility for the Mediterranean island of Malta.

Malta, a new member of the European Union this year, is proposing the plant through its waste management contractor WasteServ Malta Ltd.

WasteServ chief executive officer Vince Magri said: “The new facility will make an important contribution to our target to reduce landfilling waste in accordance with European Union Directives and will also improve the island’s recycling rates.”

SLR Consulting has been working with the Maltese government on a variety of projects over the past 18 months with local consultancy AIS Environmental. It has carried out EIAs for other waste facilities, including a non-hazardous and hazardous landfill, a hazardous treatment and storage area, and a transfer station and civic amenity site on Malta’s neighbouring island of Gozo.

SLR director Ian Roberts said: “Malta has been quick to develop new waste processing facilities following its accession to the EU.”