CEO of Closed Loop Recycling outlines Budget wishes

Chris Dow (pictured above), CEO of plastic bottle recycling company Closed Loop Recycling, has outlines his wishes for the upcoming Budget.

Dow said: “From a recycling industry perspective, we would like to see the Chancellor announce an increase in Landfill Tax and indeed a commitment to a longer term strategy on Landfill Tax levels, in order to create some stability in the industry and confidence among investors.

He added that the packaging recovery note (PRN) system should also be reformed as the current system ‘encourages exports of precious waste resource rather than supporting the domestic market’.

He concluded by saying that funding remains an issue for many ‘small to medium sized businesses’ and they are ‘calling out’ the government to continue to ‘push the banks’ to lend more.

Find out more about Closed Loop Recycling.

Novelis announces new Global Commercial and Strategy Leader

Aluminium rolling and recycling company Novelis has appointed Manfred Stanek to the position of Vice President, Strategy, and Chief Commercial Officer, it was announced yesterday (13 March).

Effective from 1 April 2014, this role will see Stanek relocate from Sao Paulo to Atlanta, and be responsible for ‘developing Novelis’ global strategy and leading the commercial organizations for the company's automotive, can and specialty products’.

Novelis President and Chief Executive Officer, Phil Martens said: "Manfred brings a wealth of experience to his new role and I am confident he will lead our global strategy and commercial teams to accelerate Novelis' growth and further develop our global business strategy."

Stanek joined Novelis as Director of Specialty Products for South America, in 2012, and has most recently served as Vice President, commercial and strategy, in the region.

Read more about Novelis.

Ecotricity launch anti-fracking campaign with premier of short film

British green energy company Ecotricity has premiered a short animated film online as part of its new ‘Don’t squeeze the last gas out of Britain’ anti-fracking campaign.

This new campaign aims to ‘lend support’ to local communities opposed to shale gas fracking and to highlight the fact that ‘many British households are inadvertently supporting shale gas’ through their energy bills.

Ecotricity has been in contact with ’90 local anti-fracking groups’ in a bid to ‘better support’ their efforts.

Company founder, Dale Vince, commented: “The government appears hell-bent on imposing shale gas fracking on Britain, and we think the risks to local communities and the local environment are simply not worth taking.”

In September 2013 Ecotricity ‘promised’ to ‘never to invest in or buy shale gas from fracking to supply to their customers’.

Watch Ecotricity’s short anti-fracking film.

M&S receives ‘Carbon Trust Triple Award’

Marks & Spencer (M&S) has become the ‘first’ retailer to receivethe ‘triple award of certification for achievements in carbon, water and waste reduction’ from the Carbon Trust.

The Carbon Trust certifications recognise organisations that successfully reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, water use, and waste, while making ‘real year-on-year progress’.

“There’s a clear business case for managing and reducing our own impact on the environment,” said Director of Property at M&S, Clem Constantine.

“It saves money, helps us become more efficient and better prepares M&S for the future.”

Since the launch of if its ‘eco and ethical’ programme, ‘Plan A’ M&S claims to have: become a carbon neutral company; ‘tackled water-use in its stores and supply chain’; and used ‘two billion fewer single-use carrier bags in its food halls’.

Find out more about the M&S Plan A.

SAICA Natur supports children’s charity

Newlife's warehouse of goods

Recycling company SAICA Natur has helped raise ‘in excess of’ £4,800 for Newlife Foundation, a charity supporting terminally ill and disabled children, by donating ‘non-standard’ recyclables to the foundation’s trading team.

Instead of processing materials collected from its waste management and recycling clients, over the last two years SAICA Natur has been donating them to Newlife Trading, which either recycles or resells them for funds towards the Newlife Foundation.

Recently donated items have included: staff uniforms, furniture, cushions and clothing (which have been ‘de-branded’ and sold through Newlife Trading stores).

Newlife Foundation Head of Operations, Stephen Morgan said: “Donations of unwanted stock like these are vital. They help the charity to support thousands of families across the UK.”

Find out more about SAICA Natur’s services.

Forbo’s ‘Back to the Floor’ scheme announces lower bag threshold

The ‘Back to the Floor’ recycling scheme, which recycles Forbo’s ‘clean installation off-cuts’ back into new flooring products, has lowered its collection threshold from two ‘bulk bags’ to one, it has been announced.

Aiming to give ‘greater flexibility’ on collections of installation off-cuts from its flooring products, the new one-70m²-bag threshold has been introduced in response to feedback and requests from participants in the scheme.

Scheme Co-ordinator, Matt Charlton, said: "The lower threshold has been warmly welcomed by collectors, particularly by those with limited storage space at their premises and who may have struggled to store more bags.”

UK floor manufacturer Forbo claims that, since its launch in November 2012, ‘virtually the whole’ flooring portfolio supplied by Forbo can now be collected through its recycling initiative.

Read more about the ‘Back to the Floor’ scheme.