News round

Feb 29, 2024

Veolia goes electric at MRF; South Gloucestershire strike suspended; Belfast and Hubbub instal 'bright' bins; Birmingham defends HWRC closures

Veolia has introduced its first electric materials handler in the UK at its waste management facility in Southwark, where the machine will be used to load the recyclable waste into bag splitters.

It said making the switch to electric power would create a 65% saving in CO₂ emissions per year compared to a diesel powered alternative model, equivalent to 66 tonnes of CO₂ emissions avoided annually.

Veolia said reduced wear also meant the equipment was expected to have a longer lifespan, going beyond 20,000 hours of run time.

Press release

Strikes by 150 refuse workers employed by Suez in South Gloucestershire council have been suspended for three days following an improved offer from the company, the Unite union has said.

Workers will be balloted on the new offer but strikes will resume on 3 August if it is rejected.

Unite regional officer Ken Fish said: “As an act of goodwill our members have agreed to suspend strike action while they are balloted on the new offer.”

Press release

Belfast City Council has joined environmental charity, Hubbub to launch Belfast #CircleCity, an on-the-go recycling initiative funded by the Coca-Cola Foundation.

They have installed 25 bright colourful bins in a three-month trial to make it as easier to recycle plastic bottles and cans.

Hubbub said this followed successful pilot projects in Dublin, Leeds and Lambeth, in which more than 2.5m plastic and glass bottles and cans were collected and recycled.

Belfast will work with Hubbub to measure the impact and effectiveness of the new bins, with the results contributing to renewed insight in the Hubbub #InTheLoop toolkit.

Press release

A waste centre at Kings Norton, Birmingham is to shut for two years even though another nearby tip at Perry Barr has already been shut for that amount of time, the BBC has reported. Residents said the closure makes it more difficult to recycle waste,

In a tweet, Majid Mahmood, cabinet member for the environment said the Perry Barr site should reopen by the end of the year. "Then we will move to modernise Lifford Lane [Kings Norton] waste infrastructure," he said.

The nearest facility for some residents who normally use Perry Barr is the one at Tyseley.

BBC

A pathway made from a resin derived from plastic straws, food packaging and old fishing gear has been installed at Ilfracombe Harbour.

The council says it will address the issue of plastic waste while providing a hard-wearing, anti-slip walkway to guide people away from the unfenced edge of the harbour.

“The project showcases the power of collective action and highlights how sustainable solutions can positively impact individuals’ daily lives while promoting eco-friendly practices,” said the council.

Funding for the path was largely provided by the Marine Management Organisation.

Press release

Waste management firm 99P Recycling will reportedly create 30 new jobs in Cheshire after a £7m plant was announced.

The Manchester-based plastic waste exporter has committed to a 43,000 sq ft low density polyethylene film recycling plant on a local industrial estate.

“Winsford Industrial Estate is the UK's first green business park and is therefore the perfect home for an environmentally conscious business, such as 99P,” said Paul Nolan, director at Nolan Redshaw, who advised 99P on the deal.

Northwich & Winsford Guardian

South Gloucestershire Council appears to have ruled out prospective partnerships with Bristol Waste as it considers new contractors for kerbside collections.

While the current deal with Suez expires in 2025, council leader Claire Young reportedly told colleagues the authority would not team up with a company that is being investigated for fraud.

When pressed on the situation regarding Bristol Waste by opposition Conservative councillors, Young said she was unaware of the specific allegations.

It was reported in March that police were investigating alleged fraud at the Bristol City Council-owned company, involving payments to staff to misreport the waste being brought in.

Bristol Post

MVV Environment will open the doors of its Devonport energy-from-waste plant next month for an ‘unforgettable day of excitement and entertainment’.

"Our team at MVV Environment Devonport is eager to showcase our facility and provide insights into our environmentally sustainable practices,” said a company spokesperson.

“You'll have the opportunity to learn about our commitment to protecting the environment and fostering a greener future for our community.”

The free open day will take place on 3 August from 2pm to 6pm.

Plymouth Live

A partnership between the University of Manchester and the Raeburn Design fashion studio is working to turn surplus football clothing into tote bags.

They said football was a huge contributor to discarded textiles with 2.45m Liverpool shirts and 1.95m for Manchester United among those sold worldwide in 2021 alone. Surplus football shirts will be recycled into reusable tote bags,

Lindsay Pressdee, senior lecturer in sustainable fashion marketing and branding communication, said: “This project focuses on the overlooked area of sportswear; how we can extend the life of these polyester garments and avoid them going into landfill or incineration, through the key principle of community education.”

Press release

Fire has hit the Lathallan recycling site in Falkirk but the company said there had been little damage it was “business was usual”.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said six appliances were sent to the town's Avondale Road, “where firefighters were met by a fire involving a large quantity of mattresses”. Crews extinguished the fire and there were no casualties.

Lathallan said: “We are currently looking into the cause of the fire and a full investigation will take place. We are working hard to minimise any disruption to our customers at Lathallan. All other facilities remain open and it is very much business as usual.”

Meanwhile the Coventry Telegraph has reported that residents were forced to close their windows and doors as 20 tonnes of waste burnt in Welford-on-Avon.

Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service said: "Two fire engines will be on scene through the night and into tomorrow. There is still considerable smoke in the area, so the advice to local residents to keep doors and windows shut is still in place.”

Press release and Coventry Telegraph

Scientists from Impact Solutions, biotechnology researchers from the University of Edinburgh, packaging manufacturer API Foilmakers, and the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre are exploring a process that could see plastic waste from industrial processes used to manufacture pharmaceuticals for neurological conditions.

Scottish Business News has reported this concerns the feasibility of recycling PET using genetically modified bacteria and enzymes to break down the plastic waste, so the core chemical components can be converted into pharmaceuticals.

Simon Rathbone, development manager at Impact Solutions, said: “By exploring the use of PET as part of the manufacturing method, we are not only addressing the environmental challenges posed by plastic waste but also creating a sustainable approach for producing essential medicines.”

Scottish Business News

Coventry-based waste management firm Tom White has launched a visual booking system for both skip hire and its ‘click and clear’ service, as part of a wider website upgrade.

The new system operates for customers within the Coventry and Warwick area and requires a postcode to get started.

Managing director Julian Tranter said: “We wanted to ensure that [the website] delivered a smooth booking experience that enables customers to access what they needed quickly and effectively, while also showcasing the diverse range of sectors we support.”

Press release

Coffee pod recycling scheme Podback has partnered with supermarket Morrisons to introduce recycling points for coffee machine pods.

Twenty-nine stores will trial the recycling points where customers can collect their free Podback recycling bags and drop off their empty aluminium and plastic pods.

“Morrisons was the first supermarket to become a supporter of Podback and we’re thrilled that they’re now set to become a member,” said Natasha Cook, sustainable packaging and plastics manager at Morrisons.

It is estimated that over 800 million coffee pods were bought in the UK last year.

Press release

Babycare brand Pura has released details of its nappy recycling trial, launched last summer, revealing that 6.3 tonnes of waste have been saved from landfill.

The trial – in partnership with NappiCycle - saw nappies and other hygiene product waste collected in Bristol and taken for processing in South Wales where they were turned into engineered fibre for uses like road surfacing, notice boards, panelling and insulation.

“Every year, three billion disposable nappies are thrown into landfill in the UK, each one taking hundreds of years to break down,” said Pura’s founder, Guy Fennell.

“The success of this phase of the trial is just the start – we want to bring this nappy recycling service to households throughout the UK. This requires investment and government backing which as a business we will continue to lobby for, for the sake of our children’s futures.”

Pura and NappiCycle have now agreed a five-year extension to the arrangement.

Press release

Waste management company GAP Group has launched a national service to refurbish and recycle white goods, called ‘GAP Renew’.

The group aims to provide a complete ‘360 recycle and renew’ service for electronic and white goods, providing the service in-house with ambitions to become the UK’s leading rework and reuse partner.

“GAP Renew is the next stage in the company’s long term vision for an environmentally sustainable future, is fully operational now and aiming to reuse and recycle at least 500,000 electrical and electronic units in the first year,” said Steve Lineton managing director of GAP Renew.

Press release

Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council has agreed to apologize to a resident after repeatedly failing to collect her recycling, as well as paying a symbolic sum.

The Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman investigated service failure with collections for a resident – known as ‘Mrs X’ – who is on assisted bin collections.

After complaining that the contractors assigned to assist with her collections were not doing so, eventually forcing her to put all her recycling into her general waste bin.

The ombudsman upheld the complaint, recommending the council apologise to ‘Mrs X’, make a payment of £150 for her “distress, uncertainty and inconvenience” and monitor future collections.

Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman

Essex County Council and the Plume Academy school in Maldon have hosted a Let’s Talk Trash festival for more than 300 students aged 11-13, who participated in activities designed to promote behavioural change around littering and awareness of the environmental impacts.

Students took part in seven interactive zones and learnt about how Maldon is home to one of the world’s most advanced AI-led recycling plants at which Big Green Recycling’s robots sort more than 1,000 pieces of rubbish per minute.

Press release

Pact Coffee is to use new packaging that helps pay for collection of ocean-bound bottles from Asian rivers. The roaster said its new single-material bags are 100% recyclable and made from 70% recycled materials.

Chief executive Paul Turton said his company had an option to choose ‘compostable’ packaging, but did not pursue this as “around 90% of people don’t have the means to compost at home, and the growing data shows that lots of this packaging is ending up in landfill or blocking the food recycling process”.

Press release

Blackburn-based CSG Recovery has reminded the public that hand sanitiser is classed as hazardous waste and must be disposed of responsibly, due to its flammable nature. Sales rocketed by 600% in 2020 as the pandemic took hold and most will be soon to expire.

Greg Smith, its technical manager, said. “Due to the complexity of the mixed materials involved, it absolutely cannot be thrown in the bin or poured down the sink. It must be dealt with by specialists – and we have received thousands of bottles over the last year.”

CSG Recovery said it uses a machine that removes the gel from the packaging. Smith warned that storing industrial quantities of hand sanitiser, which is a class 3 flammable liquid, creates a fire risk because pure alcohol can ignite at just 13°C.

Press release

Bristol Live has reported that residents in South Gloucestershire have resorted to bonfires during the strike by refuse workers employed by contractor Suez.

Opposition Conservative councillor Sanjay Shambhu told a council meeting that some householders have “started incinerating waste at home” and were recommending it to others as a “suitable way of disposing of rubbish”.

The council said it had maintained a fortnightly black bin collection and continued to collect waste and recycling from communal bin stores for flats and had collected clinical and medical waste.

Bristol Live

London waste management firm Powerday has ordered two of Volvo Trucks’ fully electric skip loaders after a successful trial.

It said it was among the first UK companies to use the vehicles, which will come into service in September and are expected to save more than 30 tonnes in CO2 emissions per year.

They are driven by a two-speed transmission, with electric power handled by a traction control system developed to master even slippery surfaces.

Each is equipped with four batteries, offers a range of approximately 190km and can be recharged in just 2.3 hours using a 150kW DC charger such as that installed at Powerday’s Willesden Junction site.

Press release

The owner of Blackburn’s V10 Polymers site has been ordered to clear up the land or be charged for doing so by Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, Lancashire Live has reported.

Fire hit the former plastic factory in February for the fifth time in as many years during which time various landowners have promised to clear the rubbish and make good the land.

Now the council has served a formal notice under Section 215 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, which requires the land owner to remove the waste that “is spilling from their site onto neighbouring roads and pathways, and to repair all of their perimeter fences, walls and gates to ensure the site is fully secure”.

Failure to comply could see the council undertake the works and recover the costs from the land owner.”

Lancashire Live

Derbyshire County Council may spend up to £200,000 to put automatic number plate recognition technology in place at its nine household waste and recycling centres.

Under plans put to the council’s cabinet, the system would be used to identify anyone from outside Derbyshire trying to use the sites.

The council will also consider whether to let local businesses and sole traders dispose of commercial waste at some centres for a charge, and reductions in opening hours.

Carolyn Renwick, cabinet member for infrastructure and environment, said: “With rising costs and increasing demands on council budgets, we need to make sure we’re spending every penny wisely and by introducing number plate recognition technology we can ensure we limit access to Derbyshire residents only which will help to reduce the cost to Derbyshire council tax payers, which help to fund the service.”

Press release

Environmental group Jersey in Transition wants to use part of the island’s household reuse and recycling centre at La Collette as a facility for preparing goods for reuse, the BBC has reported.

The group said it had "identified a clear need and an open opportunity to greatly increase the reuse of material possessions in the island".

People arriving to dump or recycle goods would have the option of putting them up for reuse instead and taking them to a separate building.

BBC

Campaigner Merjin Tinga windsurfed from the coast of Norway to the River Thames to return plastic bottles he’d found in Sweden.

The campaigner took five weeks to complete the journey, surfing to France before taking a ferry across the channel, bringing with him a petition for the environment minister Rebecca Pow urging a nationwide deposit return scheme (DRS).

Tinga called for a DRS “that leaves no room for subversion by the packaging industry", he told the BBC.

"Plastic pollution is a multi-headed monster. It is part of our society, but there are concrete actions we can take, and a deposit return scheme is one of those and we should implement it as soon as possible."

BBC

Food waste recycler Keenan Recycling is investing £1m into additional services in south Wales ahead of mandatory recycling of food waste over 5kg.

“With the upcoming legislation, it is imperative that we play our part in providing suitable services to ensure we can meet the growing demand for sustainable recycling collections,” said managing director Grant Keenan.

The company works with local authorities and businesses to deliver food waste to anaerobic digestion plants and will create 10 new jobs in the region as well as ordering ten new trucks, powered by natural gas.

“We are eager to bring more of our expertise, innovation, and dedication to food waste recycling services in the country, and we look forward to bringing more businesses along with us in this sustainable journey,” said Keenan.

Herald Wales

The Furniture Recycling Group (TFRG) has launched a service using bespoke machinery to refurbish used mattresses for resale.

“By rejuvenating lightly used mattresses, we are turning the tide on landfill waste, making strides towards a circular economy, and setting new standards for product responsibility,” said TFRG chief executive Nick Oettinger.

The in-house service takes returned mattresses and those under Comfort Night guarantees before sanitising and restoring them to a near-new condition.

TFRG says such measures are vital as research suggests more than 200 brand new mattresses are sent to landfill every day.

Press release

Heinz will introduce fully recyclable caps for its range of squeezy ketchup bottles next month.

While the old caps contained a silicon valve, the new ones will mean the entire cap can be recycled with kerbside collections.

Heinz aims to make all its packaging recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025 and to reduce its global use of virgin plastics by 20% by 2030.

The Catere

PSH Environmental has installed an UNTHA XR3000C mobile shredder which runs from solar energy generated by the company on site.

It said a 90mm screen processes grade C wood down to a homogenous biomass product for a local energy plant, while a 130mm screen can be interchanged in as little as 15 minutes, to reduce the density of other skip, bulky and commercial and industrial wastes for RDF.

The plant is now capable of throughputs of 40 tonnes of material per hour, which equates to 80,000 tonnes a year.

PSH Environmental’s director Daniel Parker said: “There will always be waste, and it’s up to us to process it in the most efficient and sustainable way — that is what we are aiming to achieve. Running a 38 tonne shredder entirely off solar power may seem far fetched, but we’ve proven it’s possible.”

Press release

Breckland Council has approved a new recycling centre despite an objection from the Environment Agency and “grave concerns” from local residents, Norfolk Live has reported.

SunSkips plans to create the facility to recycle building materials at a site in Thetford. The final decision on it lies with Norfolk County Council.

The Environment Agency feared pollution from the site could affect a principal aquifer while some residents said dust and debris could cause harm and nuisance. But Breckland said the change of use “would not be at odds” with the current use and character of the site or surrounding area.

Norfolk Live

Greater Manchester elected mayor Andy Burnham has visited a new construction and demolition wash plant run by NRE Aggregates, part of Peel L&P.

The facility processes demolition waste which would normally enter landfill to create sustainable aggregate products, with up to 99% of material received recycled while rainwater harvesting recovers water for reuse in the process.

Burnham said: “Four years ago, I announced my vision to make the Greater Manchester City Region carbon neutral by 2038, a task that can only be achieved by embracing the circular economy. This project is at the forefront of that change.”

John Peaker, associate director of asset and materials management at Peel NRE, said: “Against a backdrop of high inflation and economic pressures, enhancing recycling in this sector will not only promote sustainability, but also reduce local construction costs for the long term.”

Press release

Caerphilly County Borough has awarded a monthly £500 prize for recycling food waste to a couple as part of the borough’s Mash for Cash campaign.

The initiative aims to increase food waste recycling participation and sees houses monitored with one food recycling participant chosen at random each month to win £500. Caerphilly offers a weekly food waste collection service to all 80,000 households.

Chris Morgan, cabinet member for waste, leisure and green spaces said: “We are continuously looking for new and exciting ways to boost our recycling rates, and ensure we are meeting and exceeding the statutory targets set by Welsh Government and are honoured to be able to do this using initiatives like Mash for Cash, which reward our participating residents.”

Press release

Norwegian recycling firm Tomra has taken some services offline following an “extensive cyberattack” on its data systems.

The attack was discovered on Sunday morning, prompting the immediate disconnection of some systems to contain it.

“A team of internal and external resources is working around the clock to establish temporary solutions and to reestablish normal operations,” explained the latest company statement on the attack. “Affected systems will remain offline until it is safe to operate them.”

The company said no new hostile activity has been detected in the past 24 hours. Some of the company’s older model reverse vending machines are unable to operate while offline. Remote sorting has been replaced with manual services.

Press release

Conservative councillors in Cornwall have been accused of wasting taxpayers money to store wheelie bins and seagull-proof sacks.

Liberal Democrats have said that the items, due for distribution to every household in the county, have been in storage at a secret location since 2021. An FOI request revealed the storage had cost £303,511.18 so far.

A council spokesman said that the bins and sacks were purchased early to ensure the lowest price possible, while upgrades to the county’s new waste and recycling services continue.

BBC

Dr Adam Read has called for less consumption and greater refill, reuse and repair if the UK is to achieve its net zero ambitions.

Contributing to All Party Parliamentary Group for Net Zero’s ‘Myth Busting Report’, Suez UK’s chief sustainability and external affairs officer said that recycling alone was no longer the best way for people to ‘do their bit’ for the planet.

“Even if 90% of people, recycle 90% of the time with 90% accuracy and then our sorting and recycling systems operate at 90% efficiency, recycling can only capture just under 60% of materials to be put back into use,” he said.

“We need to go beyond recycling and address over-consumption of goods. We need products and packing to be designed with end of life in mind, and everyone needs to rethink their relationship with ‘stuff’ and reuse and repair where possible.”

Net Zero APPG

Plans to increase the amount of hazardous waste dumped at the Welbeck landfill site in West Yorkshire has been approved by councillors.

The site, operated by FCC Environment, can now accept 49,999 tonnes of waste each year. Local environmental campaigners have complained they were told two years ago that the site would close in 2023, fearing further expansion.

Selina Gaskgarth, speaking for the FCC, said that market conditions had meant that the anticipated supply of non-hazardous materials had not emerged.

Councillor for the Altofts and Whitwood ward, Jacquie Speight, told the BBC: "For 25 years now, local residents have had to live in close proximity to this business, suffering the consequences of noise, odour and dust pollution.

"The council has a climate change action plan. I cannot help but think that this approach is contrary, to some extent, to the aims and ambitions of this plan."

BBC

‘Redesign’ should take its place alongside reduce, reuse, recycle and recover, EMR director David Holdcroft has said.

He said having goods designed for recycling meant it was “crucial that the vehicle manufacturers and recyclers work together from the outset - at the design stage - to ensure a sustainable way that materials can be turned into something new at their end of life”.

Holdcroft said it was possible to recycle up to 98% of vehicles, but vehicles were generally not designed and built in a way that encouraged this .

Press release

OCO has secured a three-year contract under which it will recycle more than 30,000 tonnes of air pollution control residues from FCC’s Allington energy-from-waste plant and divert it from landfill.

It treats the residues with carbon dioxide and mixes carbonated material with other binders and fillers to manufacture a carbon sustainable aggregate named Manufacture Limestone.

Press release

Eastleigh Borough Council has warned residents not to discard vapes in kerbside bins following a fire in a bin lorry caused by one.

It said two fire engines attended the incident that resulted in the waste load being emptied onto the road to allow for dampening. No one was injured.

The council said batteries cannot be recycled through local facilities and users should check manufacturers recommendations for disposal.

Press release

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fore & Rescue Service fought a blaze in 1,500 tonnes of scrap metal and other waste at Southampton docks last weekend.

The service said 13 fire crews were mobilised along with the port authority tug boat and an onsite crane to combat the fire using compressed air foams solution and six jets. It was extinguished within a few hours.

Press release

Major works to tackle historical pollution on the coast at Lynemouth are set to get underway this winter, Northumberland County Council has said.

It has allocated £5m to stop historic waste deposits from washing into the sea, with site set-up works due to start in January 2024.

From April 2024, excavations will see the waste materials separated for safe and reinstatement of the landscape,

Council leader Glen Sanderson said: “Not only are we tackling the contaminated land, we also know how unsightly these historic waste deposits washing onto the beach are.”

Press release

Recycling technology company Polytag, Ocado Retail and recycling app Bower are testing the viability of digital deposit return schemes through what they claim is a world-first recycling reward initiative.

Ocado customers will receive a 20p refund for scanning and recycling their packaging using their smartphones.

They can scan a QR code printed onto Ocado’s own-brand two and four-pint milk bottles, and the first 20,000 codes scanned will see consumers receive the 20p reward in their digital wallet in the Bower app.

The QR serialised codes are designed to only be scanned once, preventing consumers from repeatedly claiming back a deposit from the same pack.

Alice Rackley, chief executive of Polytag, said: “Our partnership with Bower and Ocado Retail is the next step in demonstrating the viability of a digital DRS in the UK.”

Press release

Axil Integrated Services and Ecobat have partnered to repair and reuse electric vehicle batteries, which they said would reduce the need to manufacture new batteries, saving natural resources such as lithium and cobalt

The two companies aim to bring the batteries up the waste hierarchy via diagnostics, repair, recertification and reuse, eventually extending the life of batteries and keeping them in service for longer before they are eventually recycled.

Axil’s head of sustainability and zero waste, Gina Rudkin said: “Axil works with leading car manufacturers, and this partnership with Ecobat means that we remain ahead of the curve, providing our clients with flexible, innovative and sustainable options for batteries and components once they are no longer required.”

Press release

Two councils are disputing who can use recycling centres located near to their mutual boundary, the BBC has reported.

Cambridgeshire County Council wants its residents to be able to use Royston recycling centre just over the border in Hertfordshire, which has stopped people from outside the county from using its recycling centres in a move it said could save about £433,000 a year.

Cambridgeshire is now looking into the principle of reciprocal access and cost sharing arrangements with its neighbour.

A report said 52.8% of people who used Hertfordshire’s Royston site were from Cambridgeshire, compared with 12.2% of Hertfordshire residents who used the Thriplow site in Cambridgeshire. Cambridgeshire is hoping to reach agreement to pay for its residents to use the Royston and those in Hertfordshire to use Thriplow

BBC

Biffa has begun a UK-wide collection, recycling and disposal scheme for single-use vapes, including takeback at retail outlets.

The waste management company will provide return bins at vape retailers as well as dozens of other locations, including airports, motorway service areas, NHS sites, railway stations and shopping centres.

From there, Biffa will take the devices to an approved authorised treatment facility (AATF) for dismantling and recycling.

“Until now, there have been limited options for businesses looking for a compliant solution to this problem, with only a handful of small scale regional and national options available,” said Biffa reactive services team member, Daniel Barrett.

“Our comprehensive Vape Takeback scheme represents another important initiative from Biffa aimed not only at supporting our customers to better address and increase their recycling efforts but demonstrating our own commitment to playing a key role in contributing to the UK’s Net Zero targets by reducing landfill and emissions.”

Press release

Reconomy Group achieved a turnover of £1bn in 2022, more than doubling revenues in two years, shows its annual sustainability report.

“Our second group-wide Annual Sustainability Report demonstrates strong progress against our stated objectives and we are pleased to announce the successful completion of many of these goals,” said Reconomy chief executive Guy Wakeley.

The report notes that Reconomy spent £123m procuring from small and medium enterprises during the period, saying that this contributed to the total of £509m in local, social and economic value created since 2018.

“This report demonstrates that we continue to strive for the very highest standards in our own business,” Wakeley. “We are making substantive headway against our sustainability targets and I look forward to another year of progress toward our vision of a waste-free world.”

Press release

Retailer Currys is partnering with electronics producer Samsung to offer discounts for customers when they trade in old products.

Those purchasing a range of over 390 Samsung products this July can get between 10-15% off when they trade-in any old electrical item.

“Many of us have pre-loved tech that often accumulates at home,” said James Kitto, vice president of mobile experience at Samsung UK & Ireland. “Through this scheme we are helping households take steps to recycle responsibly, whilst offering great savings across our industry-leading product portfolio.”

Customers can take any item with a battery or mains electricity supply to any Curry’s store in the UK to receive a Samsung discount code.

Press release

Researchers at Cardiff University have received £6m in funding from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) for the ONESTEP project, which breaks down plastics using microwaves.

Dr Daniel Slocombe, a reader at Cardiff University’s School of Engineering says the project addresses the need to break down plastic waste to a molecular level in a cheaper way that produces less carbon emissions.

"ONESTEP aims to achieve this by harnessing our recent advances in catalysis using microwave- electromagnetic fields to process plastics more efficiently, in fewer steps and with better quality products, leading to a fully circular plastic economy," he explained.

The funding comes from the UKRI’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.

Press release

S Norton Group is to invest £20m in equipment to increase its shredding capacity by more than 50%.

It said the new metals shredder facility at its Manchester site would allow a much greater throughput of ferrous and non-ferrous scrap metals and significantly increase WEEE processing capacity.

The new 3000 hp Lindemann shredder includes a bespoke and fully automated fire detection and suppression system, and its Venti Oelde downstream system has been designed to give improved dust abatement, reduced emissions and lower energy consumption.

Managing director Tony Hayer said: “Our engineering team has done an excellent job of designing and managing this major capital expenditure project, maintaining focus on optimising efficiency and improving the process.”

Press release

Norwegian waste tyre recycling company Wastefront has formed a strategic partnership with energy storage infrastructure provider VTTI for investment of up to USD $43m (£33m) in eight global sites within five years.

The partnership will initially see investment from VTTI for construction of the first phase of Wastefront’s plant in Sunderland, followed by site selection surveys to determine where the eight jointly owned plants will be implemented.

Wastefront said it uses pyrolysis to break down a tyre’s materials, producing carbon black, combustible gas, liquid hydrocarbon and heat.

Chief executive Vianney Vales said: “Our mission to solve the end-of-life tyre problem requires buy-in from major industrial companies. VTTI is a leading infrastructure company with a clear mission to grow in the energy transition and I am delighted to announce our partnership.”

Press release

King Charles III has launched the Coronation Food Project, the Daily Express has reported, which will work with his other charities to reduce food waste and instead redistribute it.

Sir Ian Cheshire, chair of trustees at the Prince of Wales’s Charitable Fund, said: “I think it’s going to be a significant initiative around the country. The King has been a champion of the circular economy, farming communities and increasing our food security as a nation for many decades and is keen to support a step-change in this.”

The project will work with supermarkets and farmers to ensure waste food and excess produce is not thrown away.

Daily Express

Precious Plastic has started a project in Conwy and Rhondda Cynon Taf to recycle plastics into objects that help reduce waste, the BBC has reported. It said varied goods could be made from waste plastic, including prosthetic legs from oil bottles, cabins and chess boards from bottle caps, and tote bags from plastic bags.

Precious Plastic hopes it will help ensure that Wales reaches its target to achieve zero waste by 2050.

Eifion Williams, of conservation group Circular Communities Cymru, said: ”There are seven different types of plastic and if they get compounded and made into a mixed compound it's very difficult to untangle that..

"It's very expensive too, so if we can keep those polymers separate in the same way as we keep our paper, tins and glass separate then we will be making steps towards the circular economy."

BBC

Unilever will trial new paper packaging for its chicken and mushroom Pot Noodles in Tesco stores.

Five hundred thousand pots will be made with FSC certified paper, with feedback and insights from the trial aiding the eventual scale up of the new design.

“We are committed to reducing the plastic in our packaging and to a paper-based future for our pots, without compromising on the Pot Noodle experience our shoppers know and love,” said Unilever UK & Ireland general foods (nutrition) manager Andre Burger.

A successful trial could result in moving the full range to paper, saving 4,000 tonnes of virgin plastic a year, says the company. They can be recycled at home with other paper and cardboard and include OPRL recycling labels.

Press release

The date on which the UK’s plastic waste will overtake its ability to manage it will fall on 17 November, says Swiss sustainability group Environmental Action.

The organisation ‘Plastic Overshoot Day’ report seeks to highlight the extend of the plastic crisis by calculating when the world’s plastic waste surpasses the capacity of waste management systems. This year, 28 July is the date on which the world as a whole will pass this marker.

“By tracking Plastic Overshoot Day, we can identify the magnitude of the plastic waste problem and hold governments, businesses, and individuals accountable for their contribution to the problem,” said the report.

It predicted that, of the 157 days of plastic overshoot the world will experience this year, the UK will be responsible for 14.1 hours of it, consuming 31.1kg of plastic per capita.

Press release

Fengate household waste and recycling centre was cordoned off yesterday after staff found what they considered to be a suspicious container.

Cambridgeshire police confirmed that they were called at 12:52pm following reports of the container before closing the centre as a precaution.

The explosive ordinance disposal team has since removed the device and the centre has now reopened.

Peterborough Telegraph

Nine libraries in Scotland are becoming ‘lend and mend hubs’, teaching community members how to repair everyday items to assuage the cost-of-living crisis.

The Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) will operate the scheme with funding from the John Lewis Partnership’s £1 million Circular Future Fund.

Pamela Tulloch, chief executive of SLIC told the Sunday Times that, while their libraries received 40 million visits a year, the public don’t always have the chance to extend this kind of circular thinking to other parts of their lives.

“We hope this pilot will help develop a long-term model for libraries to be a hub of circular economy activities,” said Tulloch.

There will be hubs in Perth, Aberdeen, Forfar, Girvan, Gorebridge, Kilbirnie, Kirkwall, Inverclyde and Wester Hailes in Edinburgh.

Sunday Times

The latest report on the ill-fated Sinfin gasification plant in Derby contains information so sensitive that only a handful of councillors are allowed to see it, the Derby Telegraph has reported.

Sinfin was developed by a consortium of Renewi and Interserve but the contract was terminated in 2019 after a series of technical problems and the High Court is now due to rule on compensation to Derby City council and Derbyshire County Council

Derby leader Baggy Shanker said: “I have received strong advice from the council's monitoring officer, chief executive and deputy chief executive, that to report in public on this matter, would potentially expose the council to significant legal and financial risk.”

Derby Telegraph

Altilium Metals has signed an agreement with Marubeni Corporation to explore the development of electric vehicle battery recycling businesses in the UK. This will include the joint development of a UK supply chain of end-of-life lithium-ion batteries for recycling. Marubeni will also explore synergies with its trading of battery materials, renewable energy supply and energy management.

Altilium said it is the only company in the UK recovering lithium, nickel and cobalt in a battery-ready cathode active materials from waste batteries at its Devon plant.

It has completed a feasibility study for the development of the UK’s only planned electric vehicle battery recycling facility creating low carbon and sustainable cathode active materials in Teesside, which it said would process scrap from more than 150,000 vehicles per year

Press release

Cardiff council is considering buying 41 diesel vehicles for £9.7m to help it improve recycling, the BBC has reported.

Limited grid capacity, price and lack of availability of electric bin lorries had forced the council to look at diesel vehicles. Some of the new vehicles will be purchased and some leased to allow the council to move away from diesel engines when conditions allow.

A recycling trial, which has involved 10,000 households separating their recycling for collection at the kerbside, could be rolled out to another 40,000 homes from November.

BBC

More than 10 tonnes of food has been saved from wastage by volunteers from a food bank working at the Silverstone grand prix circuit

Volunteers from Towcester and Roade Community Larders collected the food and distributed it to the local community. Hospitality venues and outlets at the track agreed to send unused food to the volunteers in the third year that the project has run.

Facebook

Grundon Waste Management has unveiled its first electric waste collection vehicle powered by electricity generated from customer waste.

It said this was part of a £5m investment in a greener collection fleet, and the first of the vehicles is now operating from Colnbrook, serving London and the Thames Valley.

Collected waste goes to Grundon’s Lakeside energy-from-waste (EfW) facility, creating more than enough electricity to recharge the vehicle.

Chairman Neil Grundon said: “It is a perfect example of the circular economy in action and we believe it is the first time any waste company has delivered such an innovative and forward-thinking programme.”

He said for every tonne of non-recyclable waste deposited, the EfW generates around 620kW of power.

Press release

Four kittens have been saved from a recycling site crusher with seconds to spare after they got trapped in a skip filled with cardboard, the Daily Mail has reported.

They were spotted just in time by workers at B&E Transport and Recycling Centre in Witney, Oxfordshire.

The kittens were rescued, taken to a vet then placed in the care of the RSPCA, which is now seeking homes for them.

Sharon Chrisp, operations manager for the Oxfordshire RSPCA branch, said: ''A very lucky rescue indeed! We are immensely grateful to B&E Transport and Recycling Centre staff who made the discovery and took the kittens to safety.”

Daily Mail

Reconomy has donated an estimated £22,000 of redundant IT equipment to The Turing Trust, including laptops, computers, monitors, mobile phones and tablets, which it said would enable 2,016 students to learn vital skills. It said reusing the equipment would also save 31 tonnes of CO2 emissions.

The Turing Trust is a charity that supports education of children in Africa, Asia and disadvantaged communities across the UK through reused and recycled software and electronic devices.

Diane Crowe, head of group sustainability, at Reconomy, said: “We’re delighted to donate equipment that was no longer in use to the Turing Trust so that thousands more children will benefit from the opportunity to learn vital IT skills that are so crucial to their learning and development.

“Minimising waste is a core component to the circular economy and the positive environmental impact from this donation is evidence of why this transition is so important.”

Press release

The Welsh Government has issued the results of a study by consultancy Eunomia of the impact of the landfill disposals tax, which was devolved in 2017.

It said the tax was well aligned with other Welsh Government environmental policies and priorities and has made a positive contribution towards waste management priorities, but other policy interventions played a greater role.

Stakeholders’ suggested improvements included introducing multiple tax rates, changing rates based on the desired treatment of materials, reducing administrative burdens on landfill operators and assigning tax revenue to improve its regulation.

Press release

Hounslow Council’s Lampton Services has said it has diverted 360 tonnes of waste from landfill in its first year of trading.

Its commercial recycling and waste collection service has changed its collection truck from diesel to HVO fuel produced from waste cooking oils and fats, which Lampton said achieves 90% carbon savings.

Martin Cresswell, chair of the Lampton Group said: “From surpassing 100 collection points to the recent introduction of HVO fuel, it’s been a busy and successful first year.”

Press release

Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council has awarded social enterprise group Bryson the waste and recycling contract for Newtownabbey

It has a one year contract to continue to provide a weekly recycling collection service and a five year contract to collect residual waste fortnightly.

Katy Fulton, acting director of Bryson Recycling, said: “We have been working in partnership with the council since 2005, when we launched our kerbside collection system and we are pleased to have the opportunity to continue our working relationship with them.

Press release

Jersey’s only hazardous waste site could close in September, the BBC has reported.

In March the island’s planning department refused an application for waste to be piled higher at La Collette. Island government deputy Tom Binet warned there could be more piles of rubbish and fly-tipping unless plans for new and higher piles of waste were approved, and a ban could be imposed on activities that create hazardous materials.

BBC

North Devon hospital charity Over and Above has had a £12,000 donation from North Devon Crematorium through its role in a scheme run by the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management.

The scheme enables metals from cremated remains to be safely recycled. The money will go towards a refurbishment of the hospital's bereavement suite.

Helen Walker, chair of the North Devon Crematorium Joint Committee, said: “It is a brilliant amount of money and it will help support families going through what can be a very difficult and upsetting time.”

Devon Live

Supermarket chain Sainsbury’s says it will save over 249 tonnes of plastic each year by packaging its steaks in cardboard.

Beginning this week, the new packaging will appear across 10 products, following on from similar moves for whole chickens in April and bananas earlier in the year.

“We’re pleased to save another 10 million pieces of plastic a year by swapping our by Sainsbury’s steak trays to cardboard following the changes we have already made on So Organic and Taste the Difference packaging,” said Claire Hughes, director of product and innovation at Sainsburys.

“While we are making good progress, we know there is more to do and we are committed to making bold changes that help us achieve our plastic reduction targets.”

Press release

Less green waste and wood being deposited is causing recycling centres under threat of closure to miss recycling targets.

Household waste recycling centres at Maidstone, Faversham, Dartford and Richborough are reportedly being targeted for closure by Kent County Council as it seeks to save £1m from its waste budget.

A council report said that a dry summer had caused organic waste targets to be missed, while regulations that require wood to be sent to energy recovery have also caused municipal waste collection targets to be missed.

Liberal Democrat council member Antony Hook opposes the plans, arguing other recycling targets would be hit if the sites were to close.

Kent Online

A £10m industrial scale car battery recycling plant has opened in Wolverhampton, expecting to process 8,300 tonnes of lithium-ion batteries in the first year.

Recyclus says it has a permit to process 20,00, while it has previously said the facility could grow to more than double the capacity. This growth is contingent on emissions.

End-of-life batteries will be processed into black mass to be sold back into the battery supply chain. The firm said it aimed to open four more factories in the UK.

"With the ongoing global shift towards electrification, the accumulation of discarded batteries poses a significant challenge, underscoring the need for recycling initiatives such as our Wolverhampton plant," said Recyclus co-founder and director Robin Brundle.

BBC

Solar powered bins, with five times the capacity of regular bins, have been installed in Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate.

The new bins which compact rubbish, reducing the number of collections required, are being trialled at seafront and town centre locations ahead of the busy summer season.

“We want residents and visitors to experience Thanet at its best, and we all have a part to play,” said councillor Steve Albon. By working together and using the waste and recycling facilities that are in place, we can help to make sure that the district is at its very best, all year round.”

Other measures to better manage waste and recycling in the area includes60 purple wheelie bins on the busiest coastal areas, 50 large waste bins on the main promenades and beaches and 30 recycling bins at major bathing areas.

There are also collection points for unwanted buckets, spades and beach items.

Press release

CSG Recovery wants to save discarded solar panels from going to landfill by launching a service that it said will recycle 96% of every unit.

Technical manager Greg Smith said with millions of first-generation photovoltaic solar panels coming to the end of their useful life, there was an urgent need for more recycling facilities.

About 13,000 panels are fitted in the UK every month and the International Renewable Energy Agency has warned if growth trends continue, the amount of scrap solar panels could be 4m tonnes by 2023, the company said.

Aluminium fames, silicon glass sheets and precious metals could all be easily recycled, although the film coating on panels contains plastic.

Press release

KEW Technology has secured more than £4.4m of funding for research into waste-to-hydrogen technology at its sustainable energy centre facility in Wednesbury, The Business Desk has reported.

The award from the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero will see it retrofit an advanced gasification plant with technology to separate hydrogen and carbon dioxide.

The firm said an independent assessment of its greenhouse gas emissions showed it could produce more than 1,000 tonnes a year of transport-grade hydrogen at fuel cell vehicle purity of 99.7%.

Chief operating officer Kevin Chown said: “[We] strongly believe that the proposed solution with its innovative separation technology that reduces energy consumption and avoids the use of chemicals will achieve very effective energy performances.”

The Business Desk

American materials science firm Avery Dennison has joined forces with Europe’s Texaid, which specialises in the collection, sorting, repair, reselling and recycling of used textiles.

The companies said they would explore how technology can enable traceability of garments through the sorting and recycling process.

Digital identifiers, tracked via Avery Dennison’s atma.io cloud platform, carry fibre information to help Texaid process apparel into relevant resale or recycling streams, they said.

Texaid chief executive Martin Böschen said: "Existing textile recycling facilities will be woefully inadequate if they remain small scale. We are showing today how technology can scale up processing so that we can generate the volumes of high-quality feedstock the industry is going to need.”

Press release

Energy-from-waste operator Enfinium has issued its environmental, social and governance report for 2022 entitled New Horizons.

It said highlights included avoided carbon emissions of 498,382 tonnes achieved through diversion of waste from landfill, electricity generation, industrial heat offtake, metals recovery and materials recycling.

Enfinium also more than doubled steam supply to 432,413 tonnes, from 201,735 in 2021, reducing the natural gas usage of its offtake partner paper mill operator, DS Smith.

Press release

Newark & Sherwood Council is working with Veolia and Nottinghamshire County Council to provide small traders with a cost-effective way to dispose of waste and increase the number of available outlets.

The pilot will run until March 2024 at Veolia’s Newark waste transfer station, where small traders will be able to dispose of residual waste for what the council said was “a competitive fee with no minimum load charge - something which is currently viewed as one of the main barriers to traders responsibly disposing of their waste”.

Steve Newman, general manager at Veolia Nottinghamshire, said: “We know that the vast majority of traders operate responsibly. We are making the disposal of waste as simple and sustainable as possible as ultimately this is better for the local environment and the communities we serve.”

Press release

Sheffield City Council is working with universities to encourage students to dispose of their waste appropriately at the end of the summer term.

Until 9 July they can use the ‘student sack collection service’ to get rid of any waste that won’t fit inside normal bins.

The council said it will collect up to two bin bags per student of 50 litres maximum, which can be put our for collection. Students were warned that failure to dispose of waste correctly may result in it being treated as fly-tipping for which they may be fined.

Press release

Discussions between Serco and GMB have led to an agreement to postpone industrial action at Sandwell

The council said it now hoped bin collections would return to normal as quickly as possible after the GMB union called 12 days of strikes.

Sandwell said crews were catching up on refuse collections focussing on continuing to deal with the backlog of domestic waste and collecting garden waste bins. Food waste collections have resumed, and recycling collections are expected to be restored later this week.

Press release

Scotland’s first free book recycling vending machine has been installed in Livingston to give the public the chance to swap old books for reused ones and keep them in circulation rather than going to landfill.

The ‘Read Swap Repeat’ vending machine stocks 200 books from all genres, and is regularly restocked.

Katie Gallacher, marketing manager at Livingston’s The Centre, where the machine is installed, said: “Our Read Swap Repeat free book vending machine is a great way for book lovers to share their favourite reads and help the environment at the same time.”

Edinburgh Evening News