Welsh recycling rate confirmed at 56.2 per cent

The average rate of local authority (LA) reuse, recycling and composting in Wales hit 56.2 per cent during 2014/15, figures released by the Welsh Government yesterday (8 October) have confirmed.

The final results confirm what was suggested in the provisional statistics released in August. The figures have now been given decimals, making results more precise.

The 56.2 per cent rate represents an increase of 1.9 per cent from 2013/14.

Denbighshire (65.9), Pembrokeshire (65.4) and Monmouthshire (63.2) had the three highest LA rates, while Blaenau Gwent (50.3) and Merthyr Tydfil (51.2) are the only two councils that have yet to hit the Welsh Government’s 52 per cent target for 2012/13, set as part of the Towards Zero Waste strategy.

It does, however, mark the first time that all 22 Welsh LAs have recorded recycling rates above 50 per cent.

The government’s target of 70 per cent recycling by 2024/25 comes with statutory interim targets, the next of which is 58 per cent by the end of this financial year (2015/16).

Commenting on the new figures, Natural Resources Minister Carl Sargeant said: “I congratulate householders and local authorities of Wales for this fantastic achievement, and I thank them for their commitment to recycling more and sending less waste to landfill than ever, maintaining our position as the best recyclers in the UK. This has been made possible by the strong partnership between the Welsh Government and local authorities across Wales.”

Read an analysis of the provisional data, released in August or an analysis of how England can follow Wales’s example to hit recycling targets.

Lord’s saves cardboard waste from ashes with partnership

Cardboard waste at Lord’s Cricket Ground will be recycled through a partnership with Bunzl Catering Supplies.

According to Lord’s, cricket matches and corporate events held at the ground attract over 400,000 visitors each year. Through its work with Closed Loop Environmental Services and Simply Waste Solutions, Bunzl will change how cardboard waste is segregated at the ground to ensure it is properly recovered.

Through the partnership, a baler has been installed at the ground and members of staff have been given training on its use and the importance of waste management. Cardboard waste will now be segregated during disposal and a separate collection method has been introduced.

Lord’s reports that an initial six-week trial saw an 18 per cent net saving on waste collection and complete visibility of how much material was collected and where it was sent, which it says will help support its sustainability goals.

Russell Seymour, Sustainability Manager for Lord’s, said: “The trial met and exceeded all of our goals from an operational and performance perspective. An additional benefit has been that our staff have embraced the added waste stream and have understood more clearly the importance of segregation and recycling of waste. This has had a knock on effect for our mixed recyclables waste stream across the board.”

Glasgow puts on Big Freeze event

Hundreds of families received tips on using their freezers to prevent food waste at a Love Food Hate Waste Big Freeze event in Glasgow last weekend.

The event provided practical advice to locals about food that can be frozen, as well as putting on interactive games and competitions to encourage people to use their freezers at home. Residents were given tips on how to use their frozen food and ideas for new recipes using a mixture of frozen and fresh food.

Glasgow is one of ten stops on the Big Freeze tour. Still to come on the tour are:

• Sheffield: Saturday, 10 October – Fargate Square;
• Birmingham: Friday, 16 October – Victoria Square;
• Leeds: Saturday, 17 October – Briggate;
• Liverpool: Friday, 23 October – Church Street;
• Newcastle: Thursday, 29 October – Grainger Street; and
• Cardiff: Friday, 6 November –Churchill Way

Find out more about the Big Freeze.

Reconomy acquires Network Waste

Outsourced waste management company Reconomy has confirmed the acquisition of Just Hire UK Ltd, which trades as Network Waste.

The acquisition is Reconomy’s second this year following the purchase of Countrywide Waste Management Ltd in January.

Reconomy offers recycling and waste management services to commercial clients nationwide. Network Waste, formed in 2002, is based in King’s Lynn and provides a national service through a network of operators.

Paul Cox, Managing Director of Reconomy, said: “[Network Waste] is an excellent business and like Reconomy it has a strong team that is performing well. It has been very successful in recent years with an excellent customer base that complements that of Reconomy. ”

Find out more about Reconomy.

EuPC announces new Division Manager and launches three new Taskforces

The European Plastics Converters association (EuPC) Plastic Division has launched three new taskforces and appointed the division’s new manager.

The new Packaging Division Manager, Padraig Nolan, will coordinate the new taskforces. He will take over the responsibilities while continuing his work as EuPC’s Regulatory Affairs Manager. He will also steer the policy taskforce and advocacy of the Packaging Division, including positioning plastics packaging within the frame of the circular economy.

The new taskforces are: Sustainability & Vision; Communications; and Policy Coordination.

Chairman for the Sustainability & Vision Taskforce, Dr Jorgen Brooder, is responsible for the strategy and vision of the plastic packaging industry, including the protection of goods and consumers and ambitions for the circular economy. Dr Brooder is General Manager of the industry association IK, which represents the interests of manufacturers of plastics packaging in Germany.

Leading the Communications Taskforce is Chairwoman Françoise Gerardi, Managing Director of ELIPSO, a French manufacturer representing plastics and flexible packaging. This taskforce will initiate actions and tools in order to better communicate on plastic packaging, with several events being organised in 2016 by the taskforce, under its new name: Plastics for Packaging.

The Policy Coordination Taskforce will be led by EuPC with advisory support from Francisco Morcillo, the Senior Industrial Issues Executive at the British Plastics Federation. This taskforce will coordinate the responses to legislative initiatives set by EU institutions and can be linked to any regulatory issues proposed at EU level.

Bjørn Hoem, Chairman of the EuPC Packaging Division, stated: “It’s encouraging to see that we are all working together in being proactive. The plastics packaging industry is facing many challenges today and we plan to tackle these issues head on.”

Learn more about the EuPC.

Sellers launches new WasteSafe container

Skip and container manufacturer Sellers, which is part of the Taylor Group, has launched a new product designed to store hazardous waste. The 800-litre WasteSafe has been UN approved and claims to withstand impacts when dropped from 1.5 metres with a weight load of 1,200 kilogrammes.

The product is targeted at the hazardous waste sector in the UK, with hopes of reaching European markets.

Mark Jenkins, Sales Director at the Taylor Group, commented: “Not only does the launch of the WasteSafe mark the first step in Sellers’ diversification programme, but it also makes the Taylor Group the only UK company to design, engineer and manufacture a UN-approved product of this nature.

“This is the first in a series of innovative products that will use the core skills that Sellers has become renowned for.”

Learn more about Sellers Containers.