Lambeth to consult on fortnightly waste collections
Lambeth council has launched a consultation on plans to switch from weekly to fortnightly residual waste collections.
Through its collections provider Serco, Lambeth current collects both residual and recycling on a weekly basis.
It is consulting on switching kerbside properties to fortnightly collections but maintaining the weekly collection of recycling.
If adopted, Lambeth said the move could allow a reduction in the number of vehicles required to carry out the council’s waste collection services, thus cutting emissions. It also said it could help increase recycling rates.
Cllr Rezina Chowdhury, cabinet member for sustainable lambeth and clean air, said: “I’d encourage residents to have their say. The consultation gives residents a chance to tell us how they think the proposal might affect them. We’re keen to hear from as many people as possible so our services continue to meet the needs of residents while improving the local environment.”
Labour-run Lambeth serves around 318,000 residents.
Aldi partners with Polytag on ‘invisible UV tags’
Aldi has partnered with recycling technology company Polytag to install invisible UV tags on part of its packaging in Teesside, which will then enable the company to know if it has been recycled.
Aldi will trial the deployment of Polytag’s invisible UV tags onto its packaging, starting from July 2023.
Polytag’s readers will installed at Biffa’s Teesside sorting facility, where item-level recycling data will be captured in real time, providing Aldi with insights on the quantity of its packaging that is actually recycled and allowing the retailer to track an item’s journey through the recycling process.
Alice Rackley, CEO of Polytag, said: “Leading retailers in the UK are awake to the fact that the only way we will truly tackle the waste problem in this country is by using data. Gaining access to real-time packaging lifecycle information will be a game-changer, enabling retailers to develop a greater understanding of their products’ journey and make meaningful progress towards their sustainability pledges.
Norse takes delivery of JCB handlers
Norfolk Environmental Waste Services (NEWS) has taken delivery of four new JCB waste handling machines at two transfer stations in Norfolk.
The million-pound investment from the council-owned Norse will assist its two NEWS sites in delivering domestic waste contract for Norfolk county council and dry mixed recyclable contract for district councils.
Its sites at Caister and Kings Lynn each received a JCB 437 HT Loading shovel and a JS20 Materials Handler. These sites handle over 100,000 tonnes of waste within their contracts, including black bag domestic, dry mixed recyclables, food waste, garden waste collection, street sweepings and recycling centre material.
The machines can move and stockpile materials before loading them for onward transport to treatment facilities across the UK. The end destinations include the NEWS material recycling facility at Costessey and energy from waste facilities in the Midlands.
These will replace the JCBs, which have served NEWS for seven years. The new machines will allow NEWS to “deliver a quality service for its partnering councils”.
Powys issues food waste reminder
Powys county council has issued a reminder to residents to recycle food waste after finding that more than 25% of residual waste volumes are food waste.
The council said on 30 May that its waste awareness and enforcement team will be joining recycling crews across the county to see how many of us are recycling our food waste correctly each week.
While out on the collection rounds, the council said its team “will be leaving a reminder to keep food waste out of the general rubbish bin and offering residents advice on how to make the most of the weekly food waste recycling collections”.
The council explained to those put off using food waste bins due to the ‘yuck factor’ that food waste bins are collected every week, as opposed to three weeks for residual bins.
Cllr Jackie Charlton, cabinet member for a Greener Powys, said: “The content of our food waste caddies here in Powys is collected every week.This means that it is far less likely to start to smell and go yucky than if you put your waste food out with the rubbish in the wheeled bin that is collected every three weeks.
“Powys people are already doing a great job at recycling, which is why we have any impressive recycling rate of over 68%, and food waste is where we can all easily do our bit and directly help combat the effects of climate change.”
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