Last night we had a small fire at our Normanton WEEE treatment facility. Our safety systems detected the blaze immediately, and the fire service was on hand to bring it under control. Most importantly, no injuries or casualties were reported, and all staff are safe.  Damage was limited to our inbound storage bunker.

Following our initial investigation, the source of ignition looks to be a Lithium battery within an electrical appliance that was delivered to site earlier in the day.  Unfortunately, this is yet another reminder of the dangers of the ubiquitous portable Lithium batteries. Lithium battery related fires are becoming increasingly frequent, both in homes and across the waste management sector.  Lithium batteries, especially when hidden in electrical appliances, deposited at civic amenity sites, are the leading source of fires in the UK today.  

Industry research has shown that batteries are now responsible for hundreds of fires in waste facilities across the UK each year. The Environmental Services Association has previously estimated that lithium batteries are the cause of more than 200 fires annually in recycling and waste management sites, while the charity Material Focus reported that fires linked to batteries cost the UK tens of millions of pounds every year.

This incident highlights the need for everyone, businesses and consumers alike, to take extra care when disposing of batteries. Batteries should never go into general waste or recycling bins. Instead, they should always be segregated and placed into the correct recycling containers to ensure they are handled safely.

By recycling batteries responsibly, we can prevent dangerous fires, protect waste sector personnel, while helping the environment and recovering valuable metals for reuse.

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Wakefield, 12th August – Wastecare Ltd is pleased to announce the acquisition of Cleaneco Group Ltd, further strengthening its position as a leading provider of sustainable waste management and environmental services across the UK. This strategic purchase enhances Wastecare’s capacity to deliver innovative, efficient, and eco-friendly solutions to a broader customer base nationwide.

The acquisition brings together two highly complementary businesses. Wastecare’s established expertise in hazardous waste management, high-temperature incineration, industrial packaging, plastic recycling, and waste processing will now be combined with Cleaneco’s specialist services in aerosol recycling, industrial packaging reconditioning, secure destruction, and plastic recovery. Together, the integrated organisation will set new standards in waste processing, circular economy solutions, and carbon footprint reduction.

“This acquisition marks an exciting new chapter for Wastecare,” said Peter Hunt, Chairman of Wastecare Ltd. “Cleaneco has built an excellent reputation for innovation and service in the waste sector. By bringing them into the Wastecare Group, we will strengthen our national network and broaden the range of services we offer, all while continuing our shared commitment to environmental responsibility.”

David Cuckney, Managing Director of Cleaneco Group Ltd, commented: “Becoming part of the Wastecare Group is a fantastic opportunity for Cleaneco’s team, customers, and partners. We’re proud of what we’ve built, and this move enables us to scale our impact, access new resources, and continue delivering industry-leading sustainable solutions.”

The acquisition will see Cleaneco operate under the Wastecare Group umbrella, with further details on integration and branding to follow in the coming months. Customers of both companies can expect continuity of service, a seamless transition, and an expanded service offering as operations are aligned.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Finlay Whitaker

Marketing Coordinator – Wastecare Ltd

0113 385 4343

finlay.whitaker@wastecare.co.uk

Simpler Recycling is a reform to household and business bin collections and a crackdown on unscrupulous waste carriers which will boost recycling rates and protect the environment.

A new simpler approach to recycling means people across England will be able to recycle the same materials, whether at home, work or school, putting an end to confusion over what can and can’t be recycled in different parts of the country. Weekly collections for food waste will also be introduced for most households across England by 2026.

Simpler Recycling will enable consistent, more streamlined collections from all households, businesses and relevant non-domestic premises (such as schools and hospitals)

What does it mean for businesses?

Simpler Recycling means businesses, schools, hospitals and other ‘non-household municipal premises’ in England will be required to separate dry recycling (including paper, card, plastic packaging, glass and metal) from general waste for collection. In addition to dry recycling, if a business generates food waste, no matter how small the quantity, this will also need to be separated for collection.

When will it be implemented?

• By 31 March 2025, all workplaces in England with 10 or more employees must recycle the relevant waste streams
• By 31 March 2026, all local authorities must collect the core recyclable waste streams from all households in England, including weekly food waste collections, expect in areas with transitional arrangements.
• By 31 March 2027, all micro-firms (workplaces with fewer than 10 employees must comply, and plastic film collections from all households and workplaces will also be required by then.

The new default requirements for most households and workplaces will be 4 containers for:

• Residual (non-recyclable) waste
• Food waste (mixed with garden waste if appropriate)
• Paper and card
• All other dry recyclable materials (plastic, metal and glass)

There may be various container types, including bags, bins or stackable boxes.

This is the governments maximum default requirement and is not expected to increase in the future. However, councils and other waste collectors will still have the flexibility to make the best choices to suit local needs. This is a sensible, pragmatic approach to the collection of materials for every household and business in England.

Through Simpler Recycling, all householders will receive a comprehensive and consistent set of waste and recycling services. This will enable householders to recycle as much waste as possible and to frequently dispose of bad-smelling food waste, which will be collected from households at least weekly.

The government sees the Simpler Recycling reform as a key part of supporting their circular economy strategy.

“The government is committed to moving towards a zero waste, circular economy. This will create a future where:

• We keep our resources in use for longer and reduce waste
• We accelerate the path to net zero
• We see investment in critical infrastructure and green jobs
• Our economy prospers
• Nature thrives

To do this we are building a circular economy strategy and a series of sector-based roadmaps for reform”

Simpler Recycling will make a significant step towards meeting the ambition to recycle 65% of municipal waste by 2035, and deliver greenhouse gas emissions savings equivalent to £11.8 billion.

These reforms will reduce confusion, ending the ‘postcode lottery’ of bin collections, which will help ensure the correct materials are captured for recycling.

This will improve recycling rates – household recycling rates in England have flatlined at around 44% to 45% since 2015. This policy will play a critical role in delivering emissions savings for the waste sector in Carbon Budgets 4 to 6.

E-waste is a term to describe electrical or electronic equipment that are old, end-of-life or discarded. It is commonly known as Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)

Why is it important we talk about e-waste?

• E-waste is the fastest growing solid waste stream in the world
• In 2019 an estimated 53.6 million tonnes of e-waste was produced globally, but only 17.4% was documented as formally collected and recycled
• Lead is one of the most common substances released into the environment if e-waste is recycled, stored, or dumped using inferior activities, such as open burning
• Exposure to harmful chemicals can cause neurodevelopment, learning and behavioural outcomes in children

What measures are taken to prevent e-waste?

• Development and implementation of national e-waste management legislations that protect public health
• Producer and Distributor obligations
• Takeback schemes

How can I prevent e-waste?

• Acting to increase the life expectancy of existing hardware and devices. Regularly completing software updates and clearing out old files will help to improve the performance of electronics.
• Ensuring devices have extended warranty in place will not only help to resolve issues quickly when they do happen, but also help to keep WEEE functioning longer.
• If you’re a producer, join a WEEE compliance scheme. If you place more than 5 tonnes of EEE on the UK market in a compliance year, you must join a producer compliance scheme.

As the amount of e-waste produced continues to grow, we must change the way in which we manage and prevent e-waste from causing irreversible damage to the environment and communities. A collective action is required for said change to be effective. Consumers can be of aid by prolonging upgrading devices that still function, whilst producers can join compliance schemes to compile their evidence of recycled WEEE and EEE that you place on the market to ensure that their legal obligations are met in accordance with the UK legislation.

As one of the largest collectors and recyclers of WEEE in the UK, this enables us to provide sustainable low prices. With 17 service and recycling centres, we can meet a large proportion of our members obligations from the WEEE material we process.

If you’re unsure about your obligation or what your best option may be, you can contact our recycling team to discuss our collection service recycling@wastecare.co.uk

Compliance Website

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Wastecare Environmental Trust worked with Yorkshire Children’s Charity and Battrecycle to build an outdoor learning space for Sherburn Hungate Primary School.

The children of SHP had limited access to safe green spaces in their personal lives due to the deprived area around them. The addition of the Forest School will allow the children to have access to a suitable outdoor space which the teachers will use for lessons and activities.

The Wakefield Top 100 is an initiative that aims to help shine a light on the businesses of Wakefield, promoting the district as a place to do business with unrivalled investment and growth opportunities.

The initiative is a joint project between Wakefield First as a part of Wakefield council, The University of Huddersfield and 3M Buckley innovation Centre, and is designed to celebrate and measure business growth across the region.

The Wakefield Top 100 will be published every spring, the list is compiled by Huddersfield Business School, using a set of consistent measures that include a combination of turnover, profit, employee numbers and growth.

Wastecare are a waste management provider that specialise in hazardous and challenging waste. Since 1980 Wastecare have offered a unique recycling and waste management service that enables them to service waste producers from all sectors and industries, from collection to recovery.

We are very proud as a company to have been recognised by the Wakefield District, and listed among some fantastic businesses who are helping to innovate industries within the area.

Read about all the companies that made it into The Wakefield Top 100 here

For any media enquires contact marketing@wastecare.co.uk