PyroPure donates system to West Africa to help contain Ebola outbreak

Clinical waste pyrolysis provider PyroPure is to donate one of its systems to West Africa to help stem the spread of the deadly Ebola virus.

Last week, Executive Chairman Peter Selkirk called on UK hospitals to rethink their approach to hazardous waste disposal in the wake of the outbreak of the disease, which causes vomiting, diarrhoea, kidney and liver failure and, in severe cases, internal and external bleeding and death.

Following on from this, Selkirk has now announced that the company will be sending one of its pyrolysis systems (which facilitates the on-site destruction of waste, such as clinical waste) to support health professionals in the field.

He said: “As the creators of a technology that can restrict the spread of Ebola in West Africa, we cannot simply sit back and make bold statements whilst the outbreak continues to destroy lives. It’s time to put our money where our mouth is and deploy PyroPure® technology in an environment that needs all the help it can get in containing one of the world’s most dangerous diseases.

“Whilst our gesture only represents a small part of a huge operation, we hope that the contribution goes some way to halt the outbreak.”

PyroPure is currently assembling an in-house team who will travel out to West Africa to install the system and train health practitioners responsible for handling hazardous and potentially infectious medical waste.

Find out more about PyroPure.

Powerday begins construction on RDF plant in Enfield

Waste and recycling company Powerday has begun construction on a new materials recovery facility (MRF) in Enfield, North London.

The £10-million facility, which will be located on Jeffrey Road, Brimsdown in Enfield, will sort 330,000 tonnes of construction and commercial waste from the London area to extract recyclables, and produce refuse-derived fuels (RDF) from the residual waste for energy supply.

It is expected that the facility will come online by April 2015.

Powerday’s Managing Director Mark Bensted said: “The plant will provide an environmental solution which supports industry in the capital and avoids the additional transport distances and environmental impact involved in landfill.”

Chris Bond, Cabinet Member for Environment, and Councillor Alan Sitkin, Cabinet Member for Economic Development at Enfield Council, said that the construction of Powerday’s facility is a “real boost for Enfield’s green economy” and is “great for local jobs, great for the environment and great for Enfield”.

Find out more about the Powerday RDF facility in Enfield.

Bolton Community Transport & Furniture Services awarded bulky waste contract

Bolton Community Transport & Furniture Services (BCTFS), a member of the Furniture Re-use Network (FRN), has been awarded a contract to collect and manage bulky household waste from Bolton Council residents.

The contract, which commenced on 1 August, sees BCTFS collect all bulky household waste from residential properties in the Bolton area for repair and reuse (where appropriate).

The refurbished items will then be made available to low-income households from BCTFS’s outlets in Bolton and Farnworth.

Diane Firth, BCTFS’s Chief Executive, said: “We’re delighted to win this contract with our local council. We need access to the reusable waste in order to pass it on to low-income households and people in crisis; and we think Bolton Council sees the benefit of this, and of the social value we bring by providing workplace and training opportunities to disadvantaged adults.”

Bolton Council’s Executive Cabinet Member for Environmental Services, Councillor Nick Peel, added that the new contract will allow residents to dispose of more items (such as cookers, washers, dryers and dishwashers) and, as BCTFS can collect items from inside properties, will “assist residents that may struggle to move the items and will increase the amount of items that can be reused for the benefit of Bolton residents”.

The contract will run for two years with a possible two-year extension.

Discover more about BCTFS and the Furniture Re-use Network.

CIWM's Waste Smart training course reaches new milestone

Tanya Peshkur (pictured left) from the Scottish Environment Technology Network (SETN) has become the 1,000th student to successfully complete the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management's (CIWM) Waste Smart industry standard training programme.

The course is designed to provide a concise introduction to waste and resources management for those new to or not directly involved in the industry.

Charlie Devine, Head of Resource Management at Zero Waste Scotland and CIWM Committee Member (pictured right), said: "CIWM's Waste Smart training is an essential introduction to the industry, and helps to encourage a move towards a more sustainable and resource-efficient culture. There are, however, differences in how the industry operates in Scotland, particularly following the introduction of new regulations earlier this year, and so it was great to work in partnership with CIWM to offer a course specifically tailored to delegates working in Scotland.

"I'm delighted to see Tanya become the 1,000th student to complete the course, and I hope that we'll see many more delegates in Scotland enrolling and getting 'Waste Smart'."

Peshkur added that the course helped her “relate what I do day-to-day with the real world of waste management”.

Find out more information about CIWM's Waste Smart training course.

Forum for the Future appoints new trustees

Sustainability enterprise Forum for the Future has appointed five new members to its Board of Trustees.

The new board members are: environmental journalist Lucy Siegle (pictured far left); former Group CEO at RWE npower Volker Beckers (left); Chartered Accountant Fiona Thompson (centre); Deputy Executive Director for UNICEF UK Anita Tiessen (right); and former Chief Executive of Hamworthy plc Kelvyn Derrick OBE (far right). As board members, they will be ‘responsible for ensuring that forum abides by its charitable aims, works within the law and delivers its mission effectively’.

The new trustees take up their posts alongside six existing members, including chair Keith Clarke CBE, and Forum for the Future founders Jonathon Porritt CBE and Sara Parkin OBE.

The Chief Executive of Forum for the Future, Sally Uren, said: “Forum has two main challenges going forward: one, to implement an ambitious strategy around system innovation; and two, to build successful operations in the US, Asia Pacific and India. Our new trustees will help on both counts.”

Read more about Forum for the Future.