News in Brief

The acquisition includes this electronics recycling facility in California

Sims Recycling Solutions has acquired the end-of-life recycling assets of North American electronics recycling firm Noranda Recycling Inc from its parent company, mining and metals firm Falconbridge.

The sale has now been formalized, and includes an 82,000 square-foot electronics recycling site at Brampton, Ontario, a 200,000 square foot facility at Roseville, California and a 140,000 square-foot facility at Nashville, Tennessee. The enlarged organization is led by Steve Skurnac, president of Sims Recycling Solutions in North America. He will report to Graham Davy, managing director for Sims Recycling Solutions’ global operations, who is based at the company’s headquarters in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Mr Davy said: “Sims Recycling Solutions is committed to becoming the world’s most innovative electronic scrap recycler for the global business to business community. Rightly, this is an area of huge growth – and with our commitment to commercial development and pursuing end of life process excellence, Sims is placed ideally to play a leading role in the burgeoning sector across the world.”

A not-for-profit trade waste recycling service in Blackpool has been expanded to offer the town's businesses more opportunity to recycle their waste – and cut their disposal bills in the process.

Emprise, which has collected glass and metal waste from Blackpool businesses since mid-2006, has launched a new service that will also collect paper, cardboard and plastic bottles for recycling. The service is run by St Helens-based business support organisation Nimtech and backed by Blackpool council as well as EU funding.

Three extra staff have joined the 12-strong team this month as the expanded service begins. David Bowker, Nimtech managing director, said: “For a long time, businesses have been telling us that they would like to see more waste materials being collected and so we have been trying to find a viable way of collecting different waste streams without having to increase the price of the service and without asking clients to use lots of different bins.”

The new customer support vehicle will mean G&P; Batteries can offer more advice on battery collections

Battery recycling company G&P; Batteries has invested in a new customer support vehicle, to allow staff to advise customers on the best way to collect and store their old batteries.

The new Mitsubishi pickup can also be used for site surveys in the planning of new collection services for over-sized batteries or large collections. The idea came in response to dilemmas occasionally encountered by G & P drivers whilst making their collections.

Michael Green, managing director of G&P; explained: “Waste batteries are hazardous and they must be treated with extreme care in terms of storage, handling and transportation and all of these aspects must be executed in a compliant manner. Failure to do so can result in a hefty fine or, in extreme circumstances, even imprisonment. G & P are continually looking for ways to help our customers keep abreast of their legislative requirements and we hope that this latest service will prove helpful to customers with site concerns.”

Thames Valley computer refurbisher and recycler Chiltern IT has agreed a partnership with website development and IT support company Pentangle.

Under the partnership, Thame-based Pentangle's customers will be able to have redundant IT and electrical equipment taken away for responsible recycling and disposal. Equipment collected by Gerrards Cross firm Chiltern IT will be evaluated and separated into that which has a re-use value, and that which should be recycled. Equipment to be resold is cleansed of all data, refurbished and then sold.

Graham Nye, managing director of Chiltern IT, explained: “Organisations such as Pentangle are recognising the need to evolve beyond the haphazard strategies for IT and electrical waste disposal. By proactively embracing organisations that pledge to reuse and recycle 100% of equipment and themselves undertaking regular routine disposal, organisations can actually realise quantifiable asset value while supporting environmental goals.”

Costs were cut at the Grosvenor Hotel, London, with glass crushing equipment

Enfield-based ACM Waste Management has been named preferred waste management partner for Marriott International Hotels in the UK.

The waste firm said other companies had been unable to provide all the services needed by the hotel chain. ACM chairman, Barry Bolton said his company had already helped Marriott International save thousands by bringing in equipment crushers to reduce the space needed to store waste materials like glass.

“For example at The Grosvenor, Park Lane, we have saved them a staggering 25,000 per year,” he said. “The glass crushers, which are in almost constant use at the hotel, have reduced the volume so significantly that now the waste can be stored on three pallets rather than in 15 bins.”