Novelis marks the commercial debut of ‘evercan’
Aluminium rolling and recycling company Novelis has revealed the ‘world's first’ commercial use of ‘evercan’, the company's aluminum sheet made of ‘a guaranteed minimum 90 percent’ recycled content.
It was announced this week (9 April) at the 2014 Craft Brewers Conference in Denver that Red Hare Brewing Company will start exclusively using ‘evercan’ to package its beer, with the product expected to hit shelves in May 2014 in markets throughout the southeastern U.S.
"Novelis's evercan’ is a perfect fit for Red Hare", commented Roger Davis, founder and CEO of Red Hare Brewing Company.
"The independent certification of the closed-loop recycling process behind ‘evercan’ strengthens our commitment to employing the best in sustainable business practices, making ‘evercan’ a natural extension of the Red Hare brand."
Red Hare added that this choice was a part of the company’s commitment to reduce its environmental footprint, while ‘preserving the freshness and enhancing the taste’ of its beer.
Find out more about Novelis’s ‘evercan’.
FCC signs waste contract with Tata Steel
Recycling and waste management company FCC Environment has signed a contract providing a waste management solution for steel manufacturer Tata Steel, it has been announced.
Tata has appointed FCC to collect and treat all waste streams from its South Yorkshire sites for a period of two years, requiring FCC to roll out ‘multiple recycling services’ across the sites.
The contract, which started in the beginning of 2014, includes the introduction of source-segregated non-hazardous and hazardous waste, in a bid to improve recycling rates.
Richard Jeffery, National Sales Manager at FCC Environment, said: “At FCC Environment, we work with businesses and organisations of all sizes to promote waste as a resource.
“We strive to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill by providing integrated solutions for environmental services, delivering savings and added value to all our customers. ”
Read more about FCC Environment.
Annual Cambridge ‘spring clean’ collects 21.5 tonnes of e-waste for recycling
An electronic recycling event held at the University of Cambridge’s Sidgwick Site on 6 and 7 March saw businesses, colleges, schools and residents bring 21.5 tonnes of electronic waste for recycling.
The event, hosted for the third time by Cambridge Business Improvement District, Cambridge City Council, European Recycling Platform (ERP), and the University of Cambridge, was part of a drive to encourage local people to ‘clear out their unwanted or broken electrical items and recycle them rather than throwing them in the bin’.
As an incentive, those who contributed an item of e-waste for recycling were entered into a prize draw to win £250 worth of vouchers from a local bicycle store. The winner of this draw was Janine Marcantonio from Hardwick.
Jas Lally, Head of Refuse and Environment at Cambridge City Council, said: “[The event] highlights just how much electrical waste we produce. It is important to remember that small electrical items can always be recycled at points across the city or larger items at the recycling centres near Milton or Thriplow."
Find out more about UK e-waste recycling.
Environmental Resource Group acquires two waste firms
Midlands-based hazardous waste company Environmental Resource Group (ERG) has acquired two Hampshire waste companies, Hazchem Waste Disposal (HWD) and its sister firm, The Lamp Recycling Company (TLRC).
In a bid to ‘expand through strategic acquisitions and organic growth’, the group now includes the companies: Chemtech, a waste solutions and logistics provider; Envirosol, the group’s permitted facility operator; Chemclear, which offers industrial cleaning and environmental services; as well asHampshire-basedHWD and TLRC.
Chief Executive Officer of ERG, Aaron James, said: “The Board is delighted with the acquisitions. We already have two EA permitted facilities in the Midlands and this additional site based in the South East enables ERG to further support our clients in the more densely populated areas of the UK.”
Find out more about ERG.
Three-quarters of Unilever factories no longer send non-hazardous to landfill
Consumer goods company Unilever has revealed that ‘over three quarters’ of its global factory network no longer sends non-hazardous waste to landfill.
The company announced this week (9 April) that all of its factories across Europe, and ‘countries from Indonesia to Argentina’ have now stopped sending hazardous waste to landfill, an increase from 20 per cent three years ago.
According to Unilever, this has been achieved with ‘minimal need for capital expenditure’ and has avoided cumulative disposal costs of more than €17 million (roughly £14 million).
Pier Luigi Sigismondi, Unilever Chief Supply Chain Officer, said: “We have seen a rapid acceleration in converting the network to zero waste. In 2010, 52 sites were there. We have now reached 200 sites. We are on track to hit our revised target of 100 per cent of sites by 2015, five years ahead of the original 2020 target.”
Read more about Unilever.
NBA supports Green Week
Jon Leuer of the Memphis Grizzlies helping plant tress at one of the NBA green week initiatives. Credit: NBAE/Getty Images
The National Basketball Association (NBA) this week (3-10 April) took part in various ‘greening’ programs and events toraise awareness of the imporatance of ‘protecting the environment’.
NBA teams and players took part in the NBA’s annual Green Week, which included recycling programs, community service projects and sustainability education programs, to encourage participants to ‘share the small steps they take each day to make a difference.’
Presented by telecommunications company Sprint, the week also saw the NBA partner with the Arbor Day Foundation to plant one tree each time the hashtag #NBAGreen was used on Twitter between 3-10 April.
Sprint also hosted local Sprint Store events in Los Angeles and Boston during the week, giving fans the chance to win tickets to an upcoming NBA game and meet the squad’s current players.
The NBA is the only professional sports league to dedicate an entire week to educating fans about responsible environmental stewardship.
Read more about NBA Green Week.
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How will the government and DMOs address the challenges of including glass in DRS while ensuring a level playing field across the UK?
There's no easy solution to include glass in the DRS while maintaining a level playing field. Potential approaches include a phased introduction of glass, potentially with higher deposits to reflect its logistical challenges. The government and DMOs could incentivise innovation in glass packaging design and subsidise dedicated return points for glass-handling. Exemptions for smaller businesses unable to handle glass might also be necessary. Any successful solution will likely blend several approaches. It must address the differing priorities of devolved administrations, balance environmental benefits with logistical and cost implications, and be supported by robust consumer education campaigns emphasizing the importance of glass recycling.