Bournemouth council endorses Reaclear
Innovative Safety Systems Ltd (ISS) has announced that its reversing safety device Reaclear is ready to go into full production this summer, following a trial by Bournemouth council.
The vehicle safety technology company said it designed Reaclear specifically for the waste management sector, to eliminate accidents caused during reversing manoeuvres.
The company said it works by ensuring that every reverse manoeuvre is ‘authorised’ before it occurs.
ISS said a reversing assistant carries a hand-help device which transmits a signal to the driver when it is safe to manoeuvre. If the vehicle is reversed without first receiving a signal, an alarm sounds in the cab and LED warning lights start to flash. A message is also sent to transport office to determine if further action is required.
According to ISS, for the past 12 months Bournemouth Council has been trailing Reaclear on its largest 32 tonne Refuse Collection Vehicle.
Paul Hancock, principal fleet engineering and depot services manager, Bournemouth council said: “Having used Reaclear for nearly a year our crews agree that it has definitely enhanced our safety procedures. Essentially Reaclear ensures that the reversing assistant is doing what they are trained to do.”
Ecogen invests in Presona baler
Hampshire-based recycling company, Ecogen, has invested in a Presona LP 65 VH K2 cross tie baler.
According to Presona, the baler has increased Ecogen’s processing capacity from 8 tonnes to 22 tonnes an hour, an improvement which the company says “will enable them to become even more competitive when it comes to commercial waste purchasing.”
Persona said, based on an average 500 kg plastic bale, Ecogen has increased its container rate from 18-20 tonnes up to 24 tonnes, reducing logistics costs and making the company’s process more profitable.
Ecogen managing director Will Nicholls said: “We had a Presona previously and we knew they performed well. We looked at the other options such as a twin ram or a shear baler, but the Presona prepress was the best machine to provide the level of compaction required.”
“The new baler will facilitate our ongoing rapid growth, giving us the capacity to increase tonnage further.
“We also know that the Presona team will work hard for us, ensuring that everything is working as it should be week in, week out.”
Riverside Waste Machinery celebrates 20-year ‘milestone’
Baler specialist Riverside Waste Machinery, based in North Yorkshire, is celebrating its 20-year anniversary.
The company – originally founded by Chris Oldfield in 1997 – is now run by his son Jonathan Oldfield.
Commenting on the milestone, Jonathon Oldfield said: “We’ve installed more than 2,000 balers throughout the UK.
“Our balers have proven they’re built to last too, which means that whilst we sometimes replace clients’ machines with newer models that offer greater capacity, we’re usually able to refurbish and re-sell the older kit. In fact, our engineers are so talented, the balers often look – and run – like new.”
Mr Oldfield added: “20 years is certainly an achievement to be proud of, but now it’s a case of what’s next.”
To mark the achievement, Riverside said it has produced an infographic of its journey since 1997, which features notable moments in time including the evolution of packaging waste regulations, key staffing changes and an award win from TV ‘Dragon’ Theo Paphitis.
According to Riverside, it has more than 20 waste baler models within its range, 10 types of baler consumables, a suite of service and maintenance options, a used baler marketplace and a certified operator training scheme.
Bakers Waste donates refuse truck to college
Leicestershire-based Bakers Waste has announced the donation of a refuse truck to students at Stephenson College, Coalville, to develop skills and enhance future job prospects.
Bakers Waste said it also has two apprentices from the college’s HGV Maintenance & Repair course working at the company’s head office in Beaumont Leys.
The company said the refuse truck – which was formally out on the roads around Leicestershire collecting trade waste – will now get a second lease of life as a training vehicle for students to get hands-on mechanical experience.
Commenting on the donation, Dr Nigel Leigh, principal of Stephenson College said: “We are very grateful for the donation Bakers Waste has made to support the delivery of our apprenticeship programme.
“The apprentices will have the opportunity to work on vehicles that they will experience in their work environments, and this supports the quality of their experience and its relevance to their employers.”
Fleet manager at Bakers Waste, Craig Kimberlin, presented the refuse truck.
He said: “As a former Motor Vehicle City & Guilds student at Stephenson College, I am extremely excited by the opportunity to present the college with a vehicle that is relevant to the industry and one that the students can familiarise themselves with.”
ALBA puts RDF production line into service
Following a construction period of four months, German waste firm ALBA Nordbaden GmbH has put a new production line for refuse-derived fuel (RDF) from mixed construction and commercial waste into service.
Chief executive Robert Kassel welcomed various representatives from the political scene and the business community at the Werk II factory.
Guests included Thomas Strobl, Deputy Minister-President of Baden-Württemberg, Klaus Stapf, Mayor of Karlsruhe, and Dr Eric Schweitzer, Chairman of ALBA Group plc & Co. KG.
ALBA Chairman, Dr Eric Schweitzer, said: “Waste prevention and raw-material efficiency are key tasks. It is our duty to bequeath to future generations a world worth living in.”
The new RDF plant in Karlsruhe makes primary shredding possible and will produce up to 33,000 tonnes of refuse-derived fuel for power and cement plants in a year.
The plant automatically separates and discharges recyclable plastic, ferrous and non-ferrous metals as well as components containing chlorine using an overbelt magnet and near-infrared technology. The detection rate for ferrous and non-ferrous metals stands at 90%.
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