News in brief

Collection efforts follow London Marathon

Special recycling bins were situated along the route of the 26.2 mile race to make it easier for runners to dispose of their bottles.

Meanwhile, any bottles left on the ground were removed by Veolia Environmental Services 40-strong street cleaning team which includes 23 manual sweepers and 14 vehicles.

Jarno Stet, Westminster city councils waste services manager, said: The London Marathon is one of the most highly anticipated events of the year and draws the eyes of the world to the capital.

Keeping our streets clean is a marathon not a sprint, and in partnership with Veolia we work hard to meet the high standards people expect while ensuring that everything we collect is either recycled or converted into low carbon energy to power Londons homes.

Liverpool HWRC scheduled for 2015

A new 1.4 million household waste recycling centre (HWRC) has been approved by Liverpool city council planners.

The Old Swan Recycling Centre, on Cheadle Avenue in Old Swan, is set to relieve pressure on the Otterspool site in Aigburth currently the only HWRC within the council boundary.
Work on the Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority-operated site is due to begin in the summer, while the opening of the facility is scheduled for early 2015.

MRWA chairperson councillor Graham Morgan said: The Old Swan Recycling Centre is a badly needed facility and is good news for residents in the north of the city because they will now have a much shorter drive to recycle their unwanted items.

LRS Consultancy merges with Urban Mines

Environmental consultancies LRS and Urban Mines have merged businesses, with both companies to operate under the LRS Consultancy name.

The merger sees Urban Mines team integrated into LRS, while both consultancys clients will continue to receive the same services with wider industry expertise, including supply chain resource efficiency and sustainable procurement.

Paul Levett, chairman of LRS, said: LRS and Urban Mines are a great fit and we are pleased to bring them together to create a stronger consultancy, which can respond to the changing needs of the market place as it seeks to address the opportunities associated with the circular economy.

This growth is part of our strategic plan, which will continue our development in 2014 and beyond.

Lynva Russell, trustee of Urban Mines, added: Urban Mines has a strong reputation in market research, data management and analysis work, which will complement the LRS offerings nicely, and enable us to provide new services to our clients.

Recycler licence revoked over dangerous vehicles

A recycling firm has lost its operating licence after it was found to be running dangerous vehicles.

Traffic Commissioner Nicholas Denton terminated Remarkable Recycling Solutions Ltds licence, arguing the shocking state of the vehicles posed a danger to other road users and the firms own drivers.

During an inquiry, evidence presented by examiners from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency showed the company repeatedly ran vehicles with known defects, and had allowed two vehicles on the road with insecure loads.

One heavy-goods vehicle was found to be running a HGV with 44 defects and another was operating with 20 defects.

Mr Denton also disqualified the firms director, Joseph Esqulant, from operating goods vehicles for a year.

Mr Denton said: The operator has put safety at risk for a lengthy period which still continues today, and has competed unfairly against operators in the sector who comply with the rules.

William Tracey Group joins clean-up campaign

William Tracey has pledged its support to the Clean Up Scotland campaign, organised by Keep Scotland Beautiful.

The Linwood-based firm has decorated over 130 of its lorry cabs with Clean Up Scotland campaign stickers to demonstrate its support of the local environment, while continuing its commitment to zero waste.

Robin Stevenson, managing director of William Tracey said: William Tracey Group is committed to delivering a zero waste Scotland and works with Scottish businesses and local authorities to recycle as much of the waste we produce as possible.

Our mind-set of regarding waste as a valuable resource helps our customers control their waste costs and improve their environmental performance. We believe Scotland has the opportunity to be both the cleanest and most sustainable country in Europe.