News in Brief

Luxus invests 600,000 in recycled plastics lab

The 750 square metre lab is in the initial stages of construction and is expected to be completed by December 2012. It will be used by Luxus to develop material for use in the global automotive industry, for clients including Nissan, Ford, Jaguar, BMW and Renault.

Luxus’ managing director Peter Atterby, said: “Our team will be housed in a new state of the art facility that will enable them to continue to undertake thermoplastic polymer testing, development and analysis research work that provides bespoke solutions for niche market needs.

He added: Our manufacturing processes will also improve as it will no longer be necessary to take out a production machine to run our on-going development work, such as compatibilisation of polymer alloys and the creation of recycled polymers with a high scratch resistance also demanded by auto manufacturers.

Metal recycler fined for employee finger loss

A Welsh metal recycling company has been fined after a worker lost a finger when it was crushed in machinery.

GLJ Recycling Ltd appeared before Caerphilly Magistrates Court in a prosecution brought by the Health and Safety Executive and were fined 6,000 and ordered to pay 5,000 in costs for breaching the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974.

The court heard that GLJ employee, Rhys Dee, of Treowen, Caerphilly who was 19 years old at the time, was working on a baling machine at Oakdale on 14 April, 2011.

He was helping to crush domestic copper boilers in the machine by standing in front of it to pick up pieces of copper and feed them into the baler to speed-up the process while a colleague operated the machine.

However, industry guidance states that only one person should operate the machine from behind the guard to prevent injury.

HSE Inspector, Dean Baker, speaking after the hearing, said: “This serious accident could have resulted in much more severe injuries for Mr Dee.GLJ Recycling Ltd were aware of the guidance but encouraged the use of the machine with two people.”

GLJ Recycling Ltd of Fern Close, Penyfan Industrial Estate, Crumlin pleaded guilty to a breach of Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

Gareth Jones, director of GLJ Recycling, said: We had carried out a risk assessment before the accident and it was obviously reviewed and changed afterwards. We were fined for allowing a second person into the area when the baler was in operation and we hold our hands up to that. We regret the incident and do not like to think of any of our employees going home injured.

Agrivert gets green light for AD plant in Hertfordshire

Organic waste recycler Agrivert has received planning consent from Hertfordshire county council to build a 48,500 tonne a year capacity anaerobic digestion facility at Coursers Farm, near St Albans.

The site will initially accept mainly commercial food waste from local restaurants, supermarkets, hospitals and food manufacturing companies. Agrivert also hopes to treat some of Hertfordshires municipal food waste at the plant.

The development includes a new building for waste reception together with eight tanks for digestion of waste and storage of digestate product. Waste will be delivered to the enclosed reception building where it will be cleaned and macerated before being pumped into the digester tanks.

Waste will be digested for up to 100 days to produce biogas for use in renewable energy generation and a digestate fertiliser.

Agriverts Commercial Director, Harry Waters commented, We are delighted to have secured this planning permission. There is a shortage of local AD capacity in Hertfordshire and Agrivert aims to deliver this plant to meet market demand as soon as possible.

FCC to open charity furniture reuse shop

Recycling and firm FCC Environment is set to open a charity reuse shop at its Judkins Household Waste Recycling Centre in Nuneaton alongside charity Chapter 1s 2nd Chance Furniture Re-Use project.

The opening of the shop at Judkins HWRC, run by FCC Environment on behalf of Warwickshire county council, is scheduled for Spring 2013.

In preparation for the opening of the shop, and in order to minimise the loss of good quality items, the site now has a container whereby good quality discarded furniture and other household items can be redirected to the 2nd Chance showroom in Weddington Terrace, Nuneaton.

Richard Hollidge of FCC Environment commented: We have seen an increasing number of people disposing of items in perfect working order, but which can be re-used in their current state.

Our aim is to encourage different behaviour when it comes to managing waste and to provide modern and efficient facilities where it is easy to re-use or recycle materials.
FCC Environment currently manages more than 80 HWRCs on behalf of 17 local authorities across the UK.

Veolia gives 3,500 to Southwark community projects

Veolia Environmental Services has today announced the community organisations in Southwark that will benefit from over 3,500 of funding through its Envirogrant scheme.

The scheme is operated by Veolia, Southwark councils recycling contractor, and is currently in its second year. By the end of 2012 EnviroGrant will have donated around 5,550 to projects across Southwark.

In the latest round of funding, Veolia has announced that money and manpower will be made available for the creation of a sensory garden for the Whippersnappers playgroup in Dulwich Park. Once completed, the area will be fully wheelchair accessible, have a pet area, a sensory area with plants and seating and it will have a soft play surface so that children can play safely.

Funding will also be used to pay for: give and take events for the East Dulwich Community Centre, mosaic board games for St Johns Walworth Primary School and building a community garden for growing vegetables, fruit, herbs and flowers for Nelson Community Garden.

The Delawyk community project was the first to receive funding through the Envirogrant scheme, receiving 600 in October 2011 to build a chicken coop.