News in brief

Shanks selects firm to provide South Kirkby technology

According to Machinex, the firm will design, manufacture and install two custom-made sorting systems, which are due to be completed in 2015.

Shanks Group signed a 25-year, 750 million PFI contract with Wakefield council in January to build the South Kirkby facility, which will process up to 230,000 tonnes a year of residual waste from homes in the area (see letsrecycle.com story).

The first system being built by Machinex is a mixed dry recyclates sorting plant that will annually segregate around 36,000 tonnes of plastic, glass, metal containers, paper and cardboard. It will use Machinex screens, optical sorting and a glass clean up system, an air capture system for plastic film, ferrous magnets and non-ferrous eddy-current to sort the material, achieving a 95% purity rate, according to Machinex.

The second system will segregate a variety of materials from residual waste at 30 tonnes per hour in order to produce refuse derived fuel (RDF).The organic waste fraction will sorted by a trommel and then treated using an autoclave before it is sent to an anaerobic digestion (AD) plant.

Pierre Par, chief executive of Machinex Group, said: It is an honour to have been selected and we are more than happy to work with Shanks Waste Management on this innovative waste treatment facility.

Food waste scheme launched in Windsor and Maidenhead

Windsor and Maidenhead, in partnership with rewards scheme Recyclebank, has launched an initiative which will see residents rewarded for recycling their food waste after the council received 566,000 from the governments weekly collection support scheme.

From April 22 2013, residents are able to earn points for putting out food waste in caddies for collection by visiting their Recyclebank account online once a month and pledging to recycle their food waste. The points can contribute to discounts and offers in shops, businesses and leisure centres across the UK.

The scheme, which the council claims is the first of its kind in the UK, will see residents earn 25 reward points for each month and potentially 300 points a year. Also, additional points will be awarded every three months based on the total amount of domestic food waste recycled within the borough over that period. The council first started working with Recyclebank in 2009 (see letsrecycle.com story).

Councillor Carwyn Cox, cabinet member for environmental services, said: This is a great opportunity to expand the rewards scheme so that residents can reap even more benefits for their good green habits. We currently recycle and compost 49% of our waste. The extension of the rewards scheme made possible by the grant is sure to be a huge help in raising that figure even higher, and that is good news for our residents, local businesses and the environment alike.

Shanks sells stake in Leeds landfill site

Waste management firm Shanks Group Plc has completed the sale of its joint venture interest in Leeds-based landfill site, Caird Bardon, marking its exit from landfill operation in the UK.

Hartlepool-based renewable energy company Seneca Global Energy, which also operates the Peckfield landfill facility in Leeds, has acquired the Caird Bardon site from joint owners Shanks and Aggregate Industries.

Peter Dilnot, chief executive of Shanks Group, said: We are delighted to announce the sale of our interest in landfill operator Caird Bardon, which marks the disposal of the Groups last remaining interest in UK landfill. This is in line with our stated strategy of managing our portfolio to maximise returns on our assets and to make more from waste.

The group said that the disposal would result in a non-cash asset impairment charge of 4 million for Shanks, which it said had been disclosed within its recent trading update on April 9 2013.

Love Food Hate Waste launches phone app

The Love Food Hate Waste (LFHW) campaign has today (April 24) launched a phone app to assist with food budget planning, shopping and making the most of left-overs and recipes while on the go.

The free app is available for both iPhone and Android devices, and includes features such as a portion planner and meal planning diary; hundreds of recipes; and a My kitchen section, which enables users to store details of all the foods stored at home.

The app also offers a My profile area where users can record what they have cooked, culinary achievements, and, the chance to opt for connecting via Facebook or Twitter with friends and family who also use the app.

LFHWs Emma Marsh said: Wasting less food is not only good for our pockets, but its also good for the environment, helping to save energy and water, and reducing our carbon footprint. By making all this information available via the new free app, we want to make it even easier for people to get the most from the food they buy.

The LFHW campaign is funded by the non-profit Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP).

Recycling charity shares waste depot with Chorley council

Charity Recycling Lives UK has taken up residence at Chorley borough councils town centre recycling depot on Bengal Street.

The charity, which provides accommodation and employment opportunities to homeless people, is renting 60% of the depot from the council for the next 15 years. It will provide metal buying, scrap car buying, and waste recycling facilities alongside services that Chorley council runs from the site. There are also plans to develop the complex further by improving the yard surface with fresh concrete and erecting a new building for metal and WEEE recycling.

Planning permission is currently being awaited for these, as well as conversion of the existing offices into living accommodation for the charitys residents and business incubators, in which local start-ups are provided with office space, extensive facilities, and advice and guidance.

Recycling Lives founder and chief executive, Steve Jackson OBE, said: Since the introduction of the Social Value Act, councils have been striving to provide the communities they work in with even better value for their money. People want to see their local authorities working with organisations that offer more and Recycling Lives strives to do that in every project we undertake.