News in Brief

Central London districts launch freefurbish scheme

The freefurbish scheme, is being developed in partnership with legal firm Olswang LLP, whose employees originally designed the concept. Using a dedicated website called Ourgeendistrict, the scheme enables businesses and their employees to post any unwanted office equipment or items from home from furniture and computers to books and office materials on an online community for reuse among the local business community. The online network is designed to save businesses procurement and waste disposal costs and ties in with Inmidtowns Zero to Landfill pledge. The 560 member businesses within the inmidtowns commercial boundaries have all been invited to take advantage of the Ourgreendistrict service.

Tass Mavrogordato, chief executive of Inmidtown, said: This is an excellent way for businesses to improve their environmental performance as well as making considerable cost savings and also provides a networking opportunity for local employees. We are extremely proud of this scheme and to be leading the way for Greater London and the UK as a whole.

Norwich praises Biffa response to vandal incident

Norwich city council has praised the efforts its waste and recycling collection sub-contractor Biffa Municipal in ensuring that a frenzied vandalism attack on the companys refuse trucks in the city caused minimal disruption to collections.

The collection service had appeared to be facing major difficulties running the collections when a disgruntled former Biffa employ entered Biffas depot last month and proceeded to smash vehicle windscreens, side windows, head lights and light clusters with a hammer. This act of vandalism left 22 out of 23 of the companys collection vehicles severely damaged, with damage costs projected at around 70,000. However, combining with local vehicle fitters, vehicle suppliers Orwell Trucks, windshield specialist AMG and working through the night, Biffa Municipal managed to get 16 vehicles back into operation by the next day, with 90% of collections taking place across Norwich that day. Repair work continued, and by the weekend, all Biffas vehicles were pristine again. A local man has been bailed to appear in Norwich Crown Court in July in relation to the incident.

Adrian Akester, head of citywide services at Norwich city council, said: My thanks go to all those involved who responded so quickly to this incident. Without everyone pulling together and working so hard, we would not have had a refuse service the following morning.

Waste firm Veolia announces Drivers of the Year

Waste management firm Veolia Environmental Services has announced the winners of its annual Driver of the Year competition following fierce competition between the 38 finalists

David Gerrard, who is based at Veolias Merseyside Huyton depot, was crowned Driver of the Year in the articulated category, and Carl Wells, who is based at its Lincoln depot, was awarded the rigid vehicle title. A new category launched in this years competition, for drivers of vehicles weighing between 3.5 tonne and 7.5 tonnes, was won by Brian Cornford at Veolias Hastings depot. All winners received a trophy and up to 2,500 worth of holiday vouchers. Veolia launched the competition last year to acknowledge the important role drivers play in the front-line of customer services and representing the company – 121 qualified for this years regional heats and 38 made it through to the final which took place at a one-day event at Wentworth Park in Barnsley.

Tom Spaul, chief operating officer at Veolia Environmental Services said: Our drivers are great brand ambassadors by driving our vehicles safely and competently on roads right across the country every single day. After last years competition we were excited to open up a new category (3.5-7.5 tonnes) to include even more drivers from our fleet. I felt proud to attend the Driver of the Year grand final day and present the winners with their prizes. Congratulations to all who entered this year.

Sunderland man fined 8,000 over waste storage

A Sunderland man has been fined 8,000 and order to pay 3,422 in costs after admitting to illegally storing waste at his business in Peterlee despite continued Environment Agency orders to remove the material.

Peterlee Magistrates Court heard how Alan Usher, 53, had stored 7,500 tonnes of waste other than in accordance with an environmental permit at North East Motor Salvage, on North West Industrial Estate in Peterlee. Agency officers visited Mr Usher in October 2009 and found hundreds of piles of waste on the site. After a number of letters and meetings to discuss removing the material, the Agency returned for a fifth visit to the site on June 24 2010 and found that Mr Usher had compacted waste using a mixture of rubble and small amounts of plastic in order to level out his site. The mixture was unsuitable for this purpose and Mr Usher admitted at an interview in September 2010 that he had accepted 7,500 tonnes of waste at the site and had not applied for an extension to the notice period in which he had to remove material.

Speaking after the case, Environment Agency officer Jo Mattock said: This case illustrates what can happen if you dont take advantage of the advice we can offer about using and moving waste. We could have provided information about how waste could be used to further develop this site. Instead, ignoring our warnings has led to a large fine, which we hope will serve as a warning to others.

Environment Agency lawyer welcomes MBE award

Angus Innes, prosecutions team leader for the Environment Agency, has expressed his surprise at being awarded an MBE in this months Queens Birthday Honours for his service to the prevention of environmental crime.

Mr Innes, who joined the Environment Agency in 2001 on a one-year contract, said he was very surprised to receive the award. Mr Innes obtained a law degree and qualified as a barrister and for many years specialised in planning and environmental law. The Agency said he brought substantial legal experience to his role within the regulatory body. Mr Innes most successful prosecutions were said to have ended a rash of predatory waste crimes that had impacted on the charitable owners of land and playing fields. Gill Weeks of Veolia Environmental Services was also commended in the Queens Birthday Honours, receiving an OBE for her work in the waste sector (see letsrecycle.com story).

Commenting on his MBE, Mr Innes said: As someone with a lifelong hobby interest in the natural environment, it is a rewarding convergence of my professional and recreational interests. More importantly than personal satisfaction, is the recognition it gives to the specialised area of environmental work undertaken by myself and many talented lawyers and officers in the Environment Agency. What we do is important.