Many companies have multiple sites that require frequent small collections of hazardous waste, however, regulations dictate that each of these waste streams needs to be stored in separate containers which can take up unnecessary space and incur avoidable fees. Thankfully, there is an exception to the EA regulations which states that smaller volumes of hazardous…
All posts by Stephen Millband
BIS to review WEEE evidence trading
Some electrical reprocessors have warned that a new evidence note trading system for waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) will significantly add to their administrative costs. The changes involve the transferring of evidence between compliance schemes via operators of Approved Authorised Treatment Facilities (AATFs) and came into force on January 1 2014. The operators of…
Organised crime increasing threat to waste industry
Organised crime is infiltrating the waste sector and becoming an increasing cause for concern, according to major voices in the industry. Last year the independent Mills report revealed that the Northern Ireland waste sector was vulnerable to crime, and claimed that the whole of the UK was at risk. Christopher Mills, former director of the Welsh Environment…
Scotland introduces separating waste rules for businesses
All businesses in Scotland now have a legal responsibility to separate recyclables including paper, plastic, card, metal and glass. The Waste (Scotland) Regulations, which came into force on 1 January, also require food businesses in urban areas producing more than 50kg per week of food waste to implement food recycling schemes. The move will support…
Retailers Pledge To Send Less Than 1% Of Waste To Landfill By 2020
The UK retail industry has signed up to a range of ambitious targets for reducing its impact on the environment, including pledging to send less than one percent of waste to landfill by 2020. Commitments announced at a recent launch event also include a collective pledge to reduce absolute carbon emissions by 25 percent by…
Defra scraps TEEP Guidance
Legal fears are believed to have been behind Defra’s decision to abandon guidance for councils over municipal waste collections, commingling and TEEP. This is despite the government reassuring councils that guidance was being drawn up by the government last summer Last June resource minister Lord de Mauley had reassured councils that guidance was being drawn…
A successful 2013
We would like to take this opportunity to wish all our customers and suppliers a happy Christmas and prosperous New Year. Against the cloudy backdrop of recession, the waste management industry has been making slow but noticeable progress over the past 12 months. As well as showing signs of recovery, the industry is also channelling…
Investment warning over Autumn Statement
Concerns have been raised that the lack of certainty on landfill tax after 2015/16 in the December 5 Autumn Statement may jeopardise future green growth and investment in the waste sector. George Osborne’s Statement was met with disappointment in the waste management industry as it included no mention of landfill tax, which is set to…
Export is no solution
Almost as worrying as the practice of illegally exporting WEEE is a feeling that we are starting to become desensitised to it. Maybe we feel it is inevitable – just another inconvenient truth? I hope and still believe that this isn’t the case. This belief is based on the sound environmental, economic and commercial reasons…
Consumers Willing To Trade In Unwanted Electronics
New research from WRAP shows that there is considerable consumer interest in resource efficient business models, which contribute to a circular economy by keeping products in circulation for longer. Consumers have a strong preference for buying and owning new products. However, research from WRAP found that there is a “strong appetite” for repair and rental…