1. Recycle Cycle competition winners

Nineteen children from primary schools across Buxton have been awarded prizes for their efforts in promoting recycling.

The ‘Recycle Cycle’ competition – organised by Buxton Natural Mineral Water (owned by Nestlé Waters) and Recoup, a national recycling awareness organisation – invited students to produce some form of media that would encourage recycling and spread the message that waste should be seen as a resource.

The overall winner, Charlotte Howard from St Anne’s Primary School received £150 of high street vouchers. Her poster will now be used to encourage more recycling in the Buxton community.

Siân Chapman, Corporate Communications Manager at Nestlé Waters said: “It was great to see so many entries from the schools. It has been very motivating and encouraging to see how much importance this generation place on recycling and reducing our waste. We hope that Charlotte’s poster will help everyone in Buxton to recycle as much as possible.”

Read more about ­the work of Recoup or Nestle Waters.

2. Compostable ready-meal trays developed

Commercial production of a new biodegradeable form of ready meal packaging is being piloted by food packaging firm, KCC Packaging.

KCC uses a byproduct of sugar cane production (bagasse) as the basis for its new food tray before applying a waterproof barrier. The company was led to develop the product following ‘significant interest’ in a waterproof and biodegradable packaging tray from UK and continental supermarket chains.

KCC claims that its own invention ‘can be microwaved, used in an oven, frozen and then either recycled as paper fibre or put on the compost’.

KCC Packaging’s Developer, Kevin Clarke, said: “With ever more ready meals being sold, and subsequently trays going to landfill, I’m confident that our plant-based, low-carbon trays can help supermarkets reduce their carbon footprints, as these trays are the most natural green alternative for supermarkets and food manufacturers.”

Find out more about KCC Packaging.

3. Retirement at Veolia

Waste management company Veolia Environmental Services has announced the retirement of its Executive Director for External Affairs, Tom Spaul.

Spaul had been with the waste management company for 24 years. The firm, which employs around 77,000 staff across 33 countries, underwent a reshuffle earlier this year and saw Spaul move from his previous role of Chief Operating Officer to Executive Director for External Affairs.

A Veolia Environmental Services’ spokesperson said: “We can confirm that after 24 years with the group, Tom Spaul is retiring. During this period he has been a major contributor in building Veolia Environmental Services into the leading recycling and waste management company in the UK.

“Tom remains a director of the company and will continue to give us the benefit of his knowledge and experience whilst working for us on a consultancy basis.”

Visit the website of Veolia Environmental Services.

4. ‘No ifs, No butts’ campaign wins award

A campaign to reduce littering by London’s smokers has won Keep Britain Tidy’s ‘Innovation Award’. The City of London introduced its ‘No ifs, No butts’ campaign to address the 123,000 cigarette butts that are dropped in the City each day.

The initiative employed a number of strategies to deliver the campaign, including the issuing of ‘red cards’ to those caught dropping litter, the installation of 780 ‘smart bins’ across the square mile, and working with national chemist chain Boots and the NHS to provide advice on quitting smoking.

Chief Executive of Keep Britain Tidy, Phil Barton, said: “Through the collaborative approach of the campaign, it makes provision for well-thought out disposal facilities for smokers, it educates, engages and enforces where necessary but also recognises and rewards those who support City’s efforts to deliver a cleaner environment. A reduction of almost 43 per cent in the level of smoking-related litter on the streets is testament to the success of this campaign.”

Read more about the work of Keep Britain Tidy.

5. Accreditation for Axion

Polymer manufacturer Axion Polymers has received accreditation for its operations in recycling end of life vehicles (ELV). The accreditation relates to the firm’s Shredder Waste Advanced Processing Plant (SWAPP) in Salford that separates non-metallic materials from around 600,000 cars every year.

The OHSAS 18001:2007 accreditation has been issued in recognition of the health and safety standards employed at the plant and follows the quality assurance accreditation that was given to the company’s Trafford Park facility in March 2013.

Adam Joyce, Axion’s Business Improvement Manager who led the process, commented: “The SWAPP plant now has two of the most recognised International Standards for its operations. These accreditations show we mean business when it comes to product quality, continuous improvement and health and safety.”

Outputs from SWAPP include ‘recycled plastics, aggregates for the construction industry and fuel to substitute coal’.

Read more about the facilities at Axion Polymers.

6. SLR Consulting appoints new Communications Manager

Environmental consultancy firm, SLR Consulting, has appointed a new Communications Manager to be responsible for the company’s ‘continued plans for expansion’.

Amanda Woollaston will be based in SLR’s head office where she will focus on the ‘the management of internal and external communications, marketing and bid development’. Woollaston has moved from Nash Partnership, an architecture firm in Bath, and was previously Head of Marketing at Stride Treglown in Bristol.

Commenting on the appointment, SLR Director Alban Forster said: “This appointment reflects our continued investment to ensure we retain our competitive advantage as we extend the services we offer. Our aim is to continue to grow, retaining a strong and diverse client base while building new relationships with clients, consultants and other colleagues within the industry.”

Read more about SLR Consulting.