Hamilton Waste & Recycling attains landmark carbon neutral status

Hamilton Waste & Recycling has become the first Scottish waste management company to attain a carbon neutral status, following a series of reduction and offsetting initiatives.

The East Lothian-based company has been implementing several strategies to cut its carbon production, including the installation of solar panels, which now account for 45 per cent of the company’s total energy usage, and the procurement of 100 per cent green energy for the remainder.

Electric vehicles are also being introduced into the company’s fleet, with software being used to optimise collection routes, minimising fuel use and emissions. Additionally, 98 per cent of the water used on site is captured and recycled.

Recognising that it cannot eliminate all carbon production at this time, Hamilton has now announced the sequestering of all its carbon through Trees for Life, a carbon offsetting project based in the Caledonian Forest.

This investment will see the company acquire 1300 Pending Issuance Units (PIUs), funding the planting and maintenance of approximately 5600 trees, enough to sequester 100 per cent of the carbon generated by its waste collection and recycling activities.

Used for newly planted trees which sequester more carbon as they grow, PIUs are converted to Woodland Carbon Units (WCUs) five years after planting, with the growth of trees checked every 10 years to ensure carbon offsetting stays on track.

WCUs represent one tonne of carbon dioxide sequestered and are verified against the standards of the Woodland Carbon Code, undertaken by a certification body accredited by the UK Accreditation Service to assess against the Woodland Carbon Code.

As well as offsetting carbon, the native trees being planted on the Dundreggan Estate at Allt Ruadh will benefit the wild forest in the Highlands of Scotland, creating a habitat for wildlife and a place for people to enjoy. Planted by over 500 volunteers, Allt Ruadh already provides enough oxygen to sustain an estimated 32,500 people.

Prior to the decision to sequester its carbon production with Trees for Life, Hamilton had already planted 24,000 trees at its recycling facility in East Lothian. These were not included in the offsetting calculations, and as such provide significant additional benefit.

Robin Stevenson, Hamilton’s Managing Director, said: “Whilst the net effect of our operations is hugely carbon positive, we must also take full responsibility for the carbon we produce as a direct result of our recycling activities.

“Our primary focus is always on reducing our emissions but we are also realistic and accept that, for the foreseeable future, there will be an amount of carbon that we are unable to eliminate. For that reason, we have decided to join the Trees for Life project which also delivers a host of other ecological and community benefits.”

DS Smith invests in robot workforce at Kent paper mill

The sustainable packaging company has invested in ten Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) at its Kemsley Paper Mill in Kent, creating a fully automated warehouse.

Supplied by Mitsubishi Logisnext Europe Oy, the all-electric Rocla vehicles operate 24/7 and perform a variety of tasks around the warehouse, such as collecting reels from the production conveyor, storing them, and picking them for orders.

When the AGVs aren’t tasked with work, they automatically switch to ‘housekeeping’ mode, rotating stocks in order of age to maximise warehouse capacity. Once their battery level drops below 30 per cent, the AGVs complete their current task and choose a charged battery from the Automated Battery Exchange Station, ready to begin another 10-hour shift.

The robots, which have an average lifespan of 12 years, can transport paper reels safely around the warehouse at speeds of up to 8mph, creating zero local emissions. As the largest mill for recycled papers in the UK, with an annual production capacity of over 840,000 tonnes, Kemsley is implementing robotic technology with the aim of improving safety, efficiency, and sustainability.

Ben Jennings, Mill Manager at Kemsley Paper Mill, said: “The recent boom in e-commerce has increased the demand for our papers and packaging. Every day, around 2,200-2,400 tonnes of paper leaves the Kemsley mill and so it’s critical that our talented team has the latest innovations to benefit our people, customers and the environment.”

Petri Petäys, Sales Director at Mitsubishi Logisnext Europe Oy, added: “There is an increasing demand for sustainable, safe, and efficient solutions in the paper and packaging segment, driving interest in our solutions which are optimised over almost 40 years of experience across various industries.

“What sets apart this project with DS Smith, seamlessly realised with the local support of Logisnext UK, is the dedication and can-do attitude embraced by the Kemsley Mill team. This allowed us to create one of the most efficient implementations even during these challenging times.”

Caerphilly residents stage mass clean-up

Over 20 residents of the Lansbury Park estate have approached Caerphilly Council in order to coordinate a mass clean-up of the area.

Locals have spent the past 10 days picking litter around the neighbourhood, after being provided with equipment funded by the council.

The Caerphilly Cares Team is partnering Keep Wales Tidy and the Council’s waste management service in order to drive forward the volunteering effort towards future clean-ups and uniform recycling events amongst other future planned activities.

Local resident, Wayne George, commented: “The children of Lansbury deserve the praise for this effort. It is testament to the parents who have raised these responsible youngsters. As a community we are really proud of our young residents who are leading the way and taking pride in their place.”

He continued: “I met with Sean and the Caerphilly Cares Team who have shown us so much support to carry out our volunteering efforts, I cannot sing their praises enough. I hope this successful partnership continues.”

Cabinet Member for Waste, Public Protection and Street Scene, Cllr Nigel George, said: “I am pleased that we have been able to support residents to take part in the community clean up. The effort of the volunteers involved really demonstrates their commitment to making a difference in their community. We will be meeting with residents in Lansbury Park this Friday to discuss the support we can offer moving forward.”