Food waste tips at BBC Good Food Show

Love Food Hate Waste (LFHW) will be on hand at the annual BBC Good Food Show in Glasgow this weekend (18 – 20 October), to offer tips on reducing food waste.

According to Zero Waste Scotland (which manages the Scottish branch of LFHW) around 2.1 million tonnes of food is wasted in Scotland every year, but households could save up to £35 a month through better food management. Tips include better planning of meals such as making a shopping list, and how to understand date labels.

The Love Food Hate Waste Cookery Theatre will also be demonstrating recipes where leftover ingredients can be used.

Ylva Haglund from Love Food Hate Waste, said: “Visitors to the show are passionate about food, so it makes sense to try to make the best possible use of it, and throw away as little as we can… Taking steps to reduce this can really help the environment and help Scotland move towards becoming a zero waste society.”

Find out more about tackling food waste in Scotland or discover more about the BBC Good Food Show.

New Camarthenshire recycling sites

Twelve new recycling sites have been set up across Carmarthenshire following a European cash injection.

The 12 new sites have been part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Government.It forms part of the South West Wales Materials Efficiency project with Pembrokeshire County Council.

The new recycling sites are at:

· Pantyffynnon Social Club, Ammanford· Llys y Drindod, Morfa, Llanelli· St David’s Close, Llanelli· Llangynog (near the old school)· Shoreline Caravan Park, Burry Port· Gorsfach, Dafen· Salem Road, Felinfoel· Bro Ryan, Glanamman· Whitland Cricket Club· Llandeilo RFC· Llangain Primary School· Park Hall, Carmarthen

Executive Board Member for Street Scene, Councillor Colin Evans said: “We are continually looking to provide more recycling facilities for the public and the ERDF grant has helped us to provide an additional 12 recycling sites across the county.

“We want to make it as easy as possible for residents to recycle by providing recycling banks in their communities. It is important we recycle as much as we can and reduce the amount of rubbish which goes to landfill. I would like to thank householders for all their efforts and urge them to use these new recycling banks.”

Last year the council recycled around 54 per cent of its rubbish, but must reach 70 per cent recycling by 2025 to be in line with targets and avoid large financial penalties.

Pennon Group commended for climate change disclosure

Pennon Group PLC, the parent company of waste management company Viridor, has been commended for its ‘approach to the disclosure of climate change information by the Carbon Disclosure’ (CDP).

CDP listed Pennon in its ‘Climate Disclosure Leadership Index’, which highlights companies within the FTSE 350 Index which have displayed a ‘strong approach’ to information disclosure regarding climate change. Companies are scored on their climate change disclosure and high scores indicate good internal data management and understanding of climate change-related issues affecting the company.

Paul Simpson, Chief Executive Officer of the CDP, said: “Companies that make the Climate Disclosure Leadership Index have demonstrated strong internal data management practices for the measurement of greenhouse gas emissions and energy use. They are also giving clear consideration to the business issues related to climate change and their exposure to climate-related risks and opportunities. This is vital to realising greater efficiencies, protecting the business from risk and capitalising on opportunities.”

Gill Rider, Chair of Pennon Group Plc’s Sustainability Committee, commented: "We're very proud that this commendation puts us top amongst the listed water companies for both transparency and carbon reduction, but that is only half the story. Viridor, a complex national business, has made great strides in measuring, reporting and reducing its carbon use."

Find out more about the Climate Disclosure Leadership Index.

Oxfordshire Waste Partnership recycling pledge winner

Oxfordshire Waste Partnership has announced that ‘Mrs McBain’ from Witney has become the second winner of Oxfordshire Waste Partnership's recycling pledge promotion, and has been awarded an annual family pass to Blenheim Palace.

Mrs McBain (pictured left with Councillor Reg Waite) was chosen as the August winner of the partnership’s recycling pledge, which asks residents to recycle ‘one more thing’. It is hoped the pledge will improve recycling participation.

Mrs McBain said: “I’m so pleased to have won the prize, councils in Oxfordshire collect such a number of different materials and I try to recycle as much as I can, including new things like batteries.”

Oxfordshire Waste Partnership Vice-Chair Councillor Reg Waite presented Mrs McBain with her prize and said “I'm delighted to be able to present the prize to Mrs McBain, she has clearly made a fantastic effort to recycle as much as possible. As well as being better for the environment, recycling costs on average less than half as much as sending waste to landfill so Oxfordshire residents can make a big difference by making sure things go into the right bin.”

Residents pleding to recycle more will be entered into a montly prize draw until January 2014.

Read out more about the recycling pledge.

Lambeth schools kick off WEEE Free Week

Lambeth schools have been competing to recycle the largest amount of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) per head, as part of the National Curriculum-linked project WEEE Free Week (running on a weekly basis from October 2013 until July 2014).

Funded by waste management companies Veolia Environmental Services, DHL Envirosolutions and SWEEEP Kuusakoski, the competition sees schools try and fill a large pink skip with as much WEEE for recycling as possible. The three schools (in the competing area) that generate the most amount of WEEE will win prizes of £500, £300 and £200.

Clement Gaubert, WEEE Compliance Manager for Veolia Environmental Services, said: “Veolia and its WEEE Compliance Scheme is delighted to work with Lambeth Council on this initiative. We believe the competition will be a great success and help raise awareness amongst young people, their parents and teachers about the benefits of recycling their electrical waste."

Councillor Imogen Walker, Lambeth Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment and Sustainability, added: “I hope this programme educating school children about the importance of recycling will be a great success. I’m delighted Ashmole Primary is already involved and that school staff and pupils are so enthusiastic about taking part.”

Find out more about WEEE Free Week.

Biffa awarded MoD contract

Biffa has been awarded a three-year contract to manage the waste from several Ministry of Defence (MoD) sites on the south coast of England.

In partnership with Compass, Biffa has been serving the 10 Establishments since ‘spring 2013’ from its Southampton and Newton Abbott offices.

Commenting on the news, Biffa Business Development Manager Mick Fairless said: “Everyone at Biffa is thrilled to have been awarded top marks by the MOD to divert 100 per cent waste from landfill from all of the south coast bases. The MoD clearly takes its environmental responsibilities seriously, particularly as many of the sites have environmentally sensitive locations, and we are proud to be helping achieve excellent waste management practice.”

As well as MOD sites at Marchwood, Southwick Park, Poole and Gosport, Biffa is managing waste from the Institute of Naval Medicine and Royal Navy training establishments HMS Collingwood, HMS Raleigh, HMS Excellent, HMS Sultan and BRNC Dartmouth.

Managing all dry mixed recyclables, as well as source-separated food waste, clinical, glass, metal, wood and all general waste arising from the sites, Biffa is also converting any residual waste into refuse-derived fuel.

Read more about Biffa.