News in Brief

Almost third of councils charge for green waste collection

A survey conducted by the BBC has revealed that around 30% of local authorities in England charge residents for the collection of organic waste.

Of the 254 councils contacted, 75 charge residents for the collection and management of green waste, with the current highest fee being 69 for a green wheelie bin in Kingston-Upon-Thames in south west London.

Several of the councils in question have faced recent backlashes from angry locals over increasing rates. A 60 annual collection fee in Wokingham, Berkshire has received over 1,000 complaints from residents.

In London, Merton council faced a similar backlash over their annual charge of 65, while in Ealing more than 5,000 residents signed a petition to scrap a 40 annual levy.

Joy Blizzard, from the Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee (LARAC), told the BBC: Councils are facing a difficult financial climate where they have to make decisions about which services they keep and which they get rid of.

The move to charge for green waste collection has been condemned by the Taxpayers’ Allianceastaxation through the back door.

Minister unveils planning system reforms

Planning Minister Greg Clark has announced a package of measures to simplify theplanning system and make it more accessible to the general public.

The Government has previously taken steps to improve the planning system by introducing a National Planning Policy Framework in March 2012 and by issuing the Localism Act in November 2011. Around 100 local authorities are now working communities to speed up the process of neighborhood planning.

Discussing the proposals in a speech on July 3, the minister described the benefits they aim to provide. He said: Our reforms to the planning system are making it simpler, clearer and more accessible to people in communities. Following the simplification of the national planning policy in the National Planning Policy Framework, these proposed changes streamline the process of applying for planning permission.

The measures include plans to make it easier to re-use some existing buildings without needing planning permission; to reduce the amount of paperwork needed for a planning application; to speed up planning appeal decisions; and to ensure planning departments are properly resourced to assess applications more efficiently.

NHS Trust increases recycling tonnage by over 60%

University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (UHMBT) have increased their recycling tonnage by 62% over the past year.

The UHMBT oversees the operations of Furness General Hospital, The Royal Lancaster Hospital and Westmorland General Hospital, with the total mass of dry mixed recycling materials from the 3 sites increasing from 90 tonnes to 146 tonnes over the past 12 months.

Domestic waste costs the Trust 98 per tonne whereas dry mixed recycling costs 20 per tonne excluding transfer charges. Hence over the past year the Trust has saved 4,368 through the recycling of an additional 56 tonnes of waste. To encourage offices and departments to play their part, UHMBTs Patient Environment Department supplies dry mixed recycling boxes for the collection of recyclable materials across its hospitals.

Recent research by The New Economics Foundation found that recycling all the paper, cardboard, magazines and newspapers used by the NHS in England and Wales would prevent up to 42,000 tonnes of CO2 being released into the atmosphere. As a result of this NHS institutions have placed concerted emphasis on increased recycling of waste materials.

Sharon Granville, hospital services manager of UHMBT, said: Recycling one tonne of paper saves 17 trees and 7,000 gallons of water. Weve done really well to increase staff awareness about the value of recycling and were encouraging more of them to get on board to help improve figures once again this year. Every tonne of recycling waste we produce is a tonne less going to landfill, and of course it is all reusable material.

Vision 2020 campaigns for food waste change

The Vision 2020 Panel, which aims to eradicate food waste from landfill by 2020, is urging businesses from a range of sectors to sign up to the changes it is proposing.

The Vision 2020 initiative, launched earlier this year by food waste recycling giant PDM, is chaired by former Secretary of State for the Environment Lord Deben and members include representatives from the Chartered Institution of Waste Management (CIWM), the Institute of Hospitality, Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee (LARAC), Unilever and WRAP.

The panels aim is to address the challenges of developing a UK infrastructure and nationwide adoption of food waste recycling in order to stop such waste ending up in landfill. To facilitate this it is appealing to hospitality, retail and manufacturing businesses from across the UK to sign up to the initiative at the website vision-2020.co.uk. The panel also aims to set out a programme for change in the autumn.

Philip Simpson, commercial director of PDM, said: One of the key aims of the panel is to ensure that the views and knowledge of all those involved in the food industry, hospitality and local government are represented in achieving the eradication of food waste from landfill by 2020. The panels aim is to see food waste treated as a valuable resource… Its keen to communicate how this can benefit both businesses and the wider community in the longer term.

SkipTrips website saves customers time and money

A new website has been launched to provide customers with easier access to local user-rated skip companies in an effort to get them the best deal.

Skiptripsis a live online marketplace that links customers with local skip providers, allowing waste managers to place Ebay-style bids to win business and customers to make informed decisions about which company they use.

SkipTrips claims to save businesses up to 30% by providing customers with better deals and by promoting responsible waste management. The website recently won backing from environmental consultants CO2Sense.

Edward Fanshawe launched the website SkipTrips in February 2012 having previously worked as an associate for financial services giant JP Morgan.

Mr Fanshawe said: The aim is to get the best prices from the best people and whether you are arranging one skip for the weekend or several hundred for a big construction job… all the information is at your fingertips.