News in Brief

Oxfordshire-based Agrivert has become the 60th company to join the PAS 100 composting certification standard.

The PAS 100, recently criticised from the Environment Agency (see letsrecycle.com story), has been developed by WRAP and the Composting Association to give confidence to end-users of compost.

WRAP said PAS 100 now covers one million tonnes of composting capacity. Anne O&#39B;rien, head of organics at WRAP, said: “This demonstrates the high level of commitment to manufacturing quality assured products.”

The Reverse Vending Corporation is offering schools free trials of its machines

Peterborough school first for “reverse vending”

Peterborough's Orton Longueville School will be the first school in the UK to install “reverse vending” machines, to allow pupils to recycle packaging waste.

The German-made “Revend” machine is being installed by Surrey-based Reverse Vending Corporation to sort cans, plastic bottles and vending cups, which will be passed on to local reprocessors.

There are now plans to introduce a “Smart Card” facility at the school, so students that use the reverse vending machine can be rewarded with money off future purchases.

One of the companies helping to run the London Underground is expanding its recycling programme.

Tube Lines, which recently achieved ISO14001 certification for its Go Green environmental management system for the Tube, recycles newspapers left behind by passengers using reinforced plastic sacks.

Recycling bins are also being introduced for Tube staff at larger stations, while a paper recycling programme has begun at the Tube Lines head office.

Peter Tomlinson of Birmingham Children's Hospital and George Bond, Past President of BMRA

Charity boost from BMRA

The British Metal Recycling Association has raised 65,000 over the last 12 months for two children's hospitals.

The metal recyclers' trade association more than doubled its aim of raising 25,000 through a sponsored climb of Mount Kilimanjaro by eight members including past president George Bond.

Most of the funds raised will go towards a new burns specialist care centre at the Birmingham Children’s Hospital, while 8,500 will be donated to the Yorkhill Children’s Foundation in Glasgow.

Aluminium can reprocessors Novelis Recycling has awarded a Certificate of Excellence to Penrith-based Eden Community Recycling Ltd.

The award recognizes the not-for-profit group's “consistently high quality” of aluminium used beverage cans is supplies to the Novelis reprocessing plant in Warrington. Eden also provides work experience for adults with special needs at its Eddington Centre.

Novelis Recycling business development executive, Robbie Davies, said: “Across the industry, levels of contamination in can bank material have traditionally been an issue for the recycling chain. We are delighted to be working with such an esteemed organisation as Eden.”