Grundon in UK wide inhaler return scheme
Grundon Waste management has launched a nationwide inhaler return and recycling scheme which aims to reduce carbon emissions for the NHS.
Inhalers are estimated to be responsible for 4% of the NHS’s CO2 emissions, and with approximately 73 million inhalers distributed annually, capturing these greenhouse gases is a crucial step in achieving carbon reduction goals, Grundon said.
Chris Edwards, Grundon’s general manager – technical said: “Currently, most inhalers are disposed of in household waste or returned to pharmacies for incineration as clinical waste. NHS Trusts, pharmacies, and chemists participating in the program will have dedicated recycling containers for inhalers placed in their healthcare facilities, making it convenient for the public to participate. These collected inhalers will be processed at Grundon’s specialized recycling facility in Ewelme, Oxfordshire, with a capacity to handle over 200,000 inhalers daily.”
Levenseat launches educational initiative
Levenseat, a waste management company, and Scottish Borders Council have launched an initiative to educate primary school students about the importance of waste reduction and recycling.
The initiative has been developed jointly by Levenseat and SBC’s Waste and Education Departments, with further contributions from the wider waste management industry.
Jenny Linehan, executive member for environment & transport at Scottish Borders Council said: “It has been a pleasure to work alongside Levenseat to launch this new online learning resource which is benefitting school children across the Borders region.
“This is an excellent educational initiative that engages young people on the subject of managing waste and starts a positive conversation around the importance of recycling, sustainability, and eco-friendly practices in everyday life. Through this young people will become more informed about the affect waste has on the world around them and develop a wide range of practical skills that are underpinned by the Curriculum for Excellence.
“Our recycling rate across the region has grown significantly in recent years thanks to developments in waste treatment processes, but we are motivated to increase that further and make the Scottish Borders statistically the best recyclers in Scotland. Our work in schools to educate future generations plays a major part in that and this project is the perfect example of how we can engage with younger audiences around recycling.
Riverridge wins Safety Award at Export and Transport Logistics Awards 2023
Riverridge, a Northern Irish waste management company, has won the top Safety Award at the Export and Freight Transport Logistics Awards 2023.
The award was presented to the company at the ceremony held in Crowne Plaza Hotel in Belfast.
The Safety Award was awarded to the company that could successfully demonstrate how it manages, controls, and monitors the quality aspects of its business.
Alan Featherstone, RiverRidge’s Group Health and Safety Manager said; “We are delighted to have been awarded the top Safety Award at this year’s Export and Freight Awards. Safety is at the core of all our working practices within RiverRidge and has many complexities given the nature of the waste and resource management sector. It is testament to the continued work and dedication we put in to developing enhanced and relevant procedures, and continually assessing what’s in place to ensure we are at the fore of health and safety within the sector.
“We are incredibly proud of our team and this award acknowledges everyone’s hard work. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the team at Export and Freight for putting on such a successful and enjoyable event.”
Reconomy launch food and drink service in the UK
Reconomy is launching a new food and drink service for takeout containers in the UK.
In the UK alone, 10.7 billion single-use food and drink take-out containers are discarded each year after just one use.
Nathan Gray, Head of Sustainability at Reconomy, commented: “This is a completely new service offering for Reconomy and one that will help our customers divert from single use, as well as demonstrating our own commitment to eradicating single-use plastics.
“Our aim at Reconomy has always been to lead the way in the reuse revolution, bringing our customers on board to deliver significant carbon efficiency increases across a variety of the many sectors we work with. We are excited that this initiative will help more businesses drive forward a positive environmental impact as well as achieving commercial benefits.”
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