Latest figures released by the Wood Recyclers’ Association (WRA) showed that waste wood exports increased by six times the 2009 figure during 2010. WRA members exported 540,000 tonnes of waste wood in 2010 compared to 83,000 tonnes in 2009. 377,000 tonnes of this was sent to biomass plants on the continent, compared with only 71,000…
From Defra to ESA for Hathaway
Roy Hathaway has joined the Environmental Services Association (ESA) as an adviser. This follows his retirement from the post of head of waste regulation at Defra at the end of March. Mr Hathaway had been at Defra since 2006 and was responsible for policy on waste regulation and commercial and industrial waste. He recently played…
It’s Compost Awareness Week
This week (1st- 7th May) is Compost Awareness Week, up and down the country councils, retailers and community groups are promoting the benefits of home composting. Now in it’s 11th year, this international awareness week aims to encourage more householders to have a go at composting. As part of the week, Worcestershire county council are…
Consequences of reduced tip opening hours?
Concerns have been raised that reduced tip opening hours brought on by council cuts may lead to more fly tipping. In particular, residents of Sedgemoor in Somerset (which has seen the opening hours of several local tips reduced) have reported a new surge in piles of discarded rubbish. James Lye, owner of Burnham Removals, said:…
New standard launched to reduce illegal WEEE exports
The British Standards Institute (BSI) has launched a new specification (PAS 141:2011) to help reduce illegal exports of WEEE. The new standard will make it easier to identify whether electrical equipment can legally be sent overseas by establishing whether it really is fit for reuse. It is hoped this will also encourage growth in the…
Kerbside carton recycling on the increase
One third of UK councils now collect drinks cartons at the kerbside according to the Alliance for Beveridge Cans and Environment UK. According to the trade body this is following a ‘significant investment’ from its members into the recycling infrastructure. The trade body, which represents packaging manufacturers Tetra Pak, Elopak and SIG Combibloc, has reported…
Isle of Wight failing to recycle
New figures released today have exposed the Isle of Wight as one of the worst recyclers in the country. Islanders are currently only recycling around a third of their domestic rubbish. The Isle of Wight Council has plans to boost recycling and is launching a consultation process. Failure to increase recycling rates could lead to…
North Lincolnshire launches kerbside electricals recycling
Following a successful pilot scheme parts of North Lincolnshire will soon gain kerbside recycling for small electrical items such as toasters, kettles and hairdryers. This follows a pilot in which more than 3,000 residents took part in a two-month pilot to recycle Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). Prior to the pilot about 27 types…
Solar bins rolled out in Bournemouth
Bournemouth Council has installed 25 solar-powered bins along the seafront. These special bins self compact the waste to ensure that they can be used to maximum capacity and send a signal back to the Council team when they are full. These bins form part of the council’s £1m Smart Streets campaign which it hopes will…
Silver Lining acquires SAM Transport
Recycling and waste management group Silver Lining Industries (SLI) has acquired the assets of Normanton based haulage business SAM Transport & Distribution. Peter Hunt, managing director of SLI, says the Normanton facility had been under-utilised since the merger of two of SAM’s major customers, Scottish & Newcastle and Heineken, in 2009. “When we looked at…