WRAP shortlisted for global circular economy award

The Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has been named as a finalist for the Circulars Awards, an initiative of the World Economic Forum and the Forum of Young Global Leaders and is the world’s premier circular economy award program.

Recognised for its work towards delivering a circular economy, WRAP has been shortlisted in the Government, Cities and Regions category, and is up against competition from organisations around the world, including entrants from Canada, China and South Africa.

The awards are designed to recognise individuals and organisations from commerce and civil society from across the globe that have made notable contributions to the circular economy in the private sector, public sector and society.

WRAP’s submission was focussed on its Products and Services programme of work, including its collaborative voluntary agreements such as the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan (SCAP) and the Electrical and Electronics sustainability action plan (esap). Its work leading the Resource Efficient Business Model (REBus) project was also highlighted as an example of value creation through providing tailored support to a range of organisations to achieve business transformation.

Steve Creed, Director of Business Programmes at WRAP, said: "WRAP has been working closely with the textiles and electricals sectors in the UK, and in Europe, through our action plans – esap, SCAP and ECAP - and the REBus project, to drive behaviour change and move us toward more innovation in business. Of course we’d really like to bring home the award in January, but being a finalist is a fantastic achievement and testament to the hard work of all those involved here at WRAP.”

The awards will be presented in a ceremony at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos in January 2017.

More information about The Circulars can be found on the awards’ website.

New conveyor at Biffa Polymers

A second bespoke conveyor has been installed by recycling machinery specialist Middleton Engineering at Biffa Polymers’s food grade High Density Polyethylene (rHDPE) recycling plant in Redcar in Cleveland.

The new conveyor, which joins the first installed in 2015, is 9.3 metres long and transfers material from a shredder to the feed-in conveyor for the granulator.

The machine is made up of a 600mm wide cross-stabilized 3-ply rubber belt, carrying material at a rate of 1.5 tonnes per hour along a rising section angled at 25 degrees. The belt is kept on track by sprung castor wheels and 50mm high cleats across the belt and 275mm high valances either side of the belt keep material from slipping back.

A magnetic head drum is used to separate ferrous contamination, trapping metal debris as the drum rotates and discharging clean product, ensuring waste stream purity. The unwanted material is diverted into a collection bin below. The installation is completed by emergency stop switches, safety pull gantries and SCADA controls which integrate the conveyor with other machines processes.

Middleton Engineering has been supplying equipment to Biffa at sites across the UK for over 15 years. Commenting on the new installation, Alan Edwards, project and improvement engineer for Biffa Polymers said: “Running the Poly Prop processing line 24/7, as with all our production processes, requires robust and reliable equipment. Selecting Middleton Engineering for this new conveyor was the obvious choice. The company takes the time to understand our requirements, is quick to resolve issues and support has been excellent.”

For more information on the installation visit Middleton Engineering’s website.

Hunt for 100-metre fly-tipper

Croydon Council ha released an appeal for help in the search for the fly-tipper who dumped two tonnes of household and building waste along 100 metres of a quiet road in Purley around 2.30pm on Friday, 9 December.

General waste included pipes and paint pots, beds and toilet bowls, along with specific items like a food waste caddy with the number five painted on it and a pair of leopard print scuitcases. The items were found at the start of a bridleway in a wooded area favoured by local residents, dog walkers and horse riders.

The council has successfully brought 125 litterers and fly-tippers to court following the launch of the Don’t Mess With Croydon – Take Pride campaign, as well as one conviction for six months in prison. The campaign also enlists the help of 3000 locals to get involved in community clear-ups.

A neighbour, who wishes to remain anonymous and heard the noise of banging doors and a van driving off at the time of the incident, said that such an incident has “has happened before, but at night, and now they seem to be getting bolder and bolder. It has a terrible impact on the neighbourhood and everything else. It’s going to keep happening unless the people are caught and it’ll keep costing money to clear; it isn’t good for the environment and it isn’t good for the whole area.”

Councillor Stuart Collins, the council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Clean & Green Croydon, said: “This disgusting fly-tip in broad daylight is another example of why our Don’t Mess With Croydon campaign is so important. Witness statements have been crucial to the success of some of our most serious fly-tipping prosecutions, so we would urge anyone with information about this incident to come forward so we can find those responsible and stop them blighting our local environment.”

More information about Don’t Mess With Croydon can be found on the council’s website.