Resource Efficient Scotland encourages businesses to monitor resources

Resource Efficient Scotland (RES), a programme from Zero Waste Scotland, is launching a series of complimentary training events across June to educate small and medium-sized businesses in the use of tools to measure and monitor their costs.

RES believes there are ‘many things organisations can do to reduce energy, water and waste costs and improve environmental performance’, such as installing new equipment, upgrading building fabric and lighting and improving processes, but claims it’s critical that organisations know how to monitor their resource use.

An interactive workshop scheduled for 1 June will use presentations, exercises and case studies to provide the skills required to monitor resources. As the workshop will take place at Edinburgh Zoo, attendees will also receive free zoo tickets and an opportunity for panda viewing.

Webinars covering the monitoring of water, energy and waste, will take place throughout June. The workshops and webinars are designed to cater to people of all experience levels.

Marissa Lippiatt, Head of RES, said: “Measuring and monitoring is a key skill that all organisations should master, regardless of size or sector. By regularly measuring and monitoring your use of energy, water and raw materials, you’ll start to identify opportunities to reduce resource use, improve environmental performance and save your organisation money.”

More information about the workshop and webinars can be found on the RES website.

Controlled explosions carried out at Mone Brothers’ quarry

Blackhill Quarry in Bramhope, North Leeds, became the site of six controlled explosions this week as a cache of unexploded World War II artefacts were moved there to be destroyed.

The artefacts, which were found during a routine inspection of Leeds University, were destroyed by an Army Bomb Disposal Team at the quarry, owned by Mone Brothers, which provides recycling and waste management services.

The recycling of explosive waste, previously investigated by Resource, is a complex area as very little legislation or guidance is in place for its disposal. Unexploded ordnance or UXOs, include bombs, shells, grenades and landmines. Up to 60 per cent of the total weight of these can be metals, such as steel, brass or aluminium, and will be recycled after diffusion.

According to The National Archive, there are more than 60,000 mines from World War II still in the North Sea and many in the Thames Estuary and in Beaufort’s Dyke between Scotland and Ireland.

Blackhill Quarry Manager Craig Morrell commented: “The artefacts were deemed too unsafe to be kept at the university and were transported to the quarry where bomb disposal experts were on hand to carry out six explosions with varying degree of intensity. There’s never a dull day here at Blackhill!”

To learn more about how explosives are disposed of, see Resource’s feature article.

Smurfit Kappa completes recycling depot network redevelopment

Smurfit Kappa has completed a programme of investment in its national recycling depot network, designed to save energy, increase the efficiency of its operations, improve worker safety and enhance customer experience.

Work on the network has included the development of a new depot in Snodland in Kent, the installation of new balers at its Snodland, Blackburn and Glasgow depots and an additional weighbridge in Nottingham to ease traffic flow into and out of the depot there.

The new Snodland depot in Kent is processing locally-sourced paper and cardboard for recycling at the group’s new Smurfit Kappa Townsend Hook mill on the same site, which operates a state-of-the-art five-metre lightweight paper machine producing approximately 250,000 tonnes of containerboard material per year. The depot will also supply recycled paper grades not used at Townsend Hook to other mills.

Paul Clarke, the company’s managing director, said “At Smurfit Kappa Recycling we are committed to sustainable development as we strive to enhance environmental performance, safety and customer service. This round of investment in the facilities at our Snodland, Glasgow, Blackburn, Nottingham, Birmingham and Tamworth depots is further evidence of this commitment.”

More information about Smurfit Kappa’s recycling division can be found at the group’s website.

TV presenter leads Devon environmental workshop

Television presenter and naturalist Nick Baker led children from several Devonshire primary schools in environmental learning experiences as part of an ‘eco-summit’ designed to inspire them to be ‘thinkers of the future’.

The summit consisted of ‘active learning’ workshops and presentations at Hannah’s (Dame Hannah Roger’s Trust) in the grounds of former Seale Hayne agricultural college and was opened by Baker, who talked about his experiences and motivations.

The school children, aged 7-11, then gave creative presentations on activities they had undertaken to benefit the environment. They will receive future support after taking their ideas and what they have learned back to their communities.

The event is the creation of Devon County Council’s waste education programme, which organises workshops and other activities to encourage schools and families to reduce, reuse, recycle and compost their waste.

The summit received funding from the Ernest Cook Trust, an outdoor learning charity for children and young people and was delivered by Resource Futures, an environmental consultancy who specialise in behavioural change programmes.

Demelza Annision, Team Leader for the project at Resource Futures, said: “We are all very excited about the summit as it is has been a great opportunity for both children and adults to work collaboratively on environmental issues.”

More information about recycle for Devon can be found on its website.