CIWM commissions circular economy research project

The Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) has announced the commission of an ‘important’ piece of research entitled: ‘The Circular Economy: what is it and what does it mean for the waste and resource management sector?’

Set to launch in October 2014 by the incoming CIWM President, John Quinn, the research project is said to cover all parts of the waste and resource management sector in each of the five countries of the UK and Ireland.

CIWM Technical Manager Tracy Moffatt, said the research aims to: “determine how best to support the sector in delivering the circular economy, understand how attitudes and opinions vary across the sector and between countries, and identify any additional infrastructure, policy or awareness that is required to move forward”.

The tender for the research has been won by a consortium bid from Ray Georgeson Resources Ltd, Beasley Associates Ltd and Green Gain Ltd.

Read more about CIWM.

FSC UK receives donation from Christmas card recycling scheme

Forest preservation charity, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC UK) were this week (18 March), presented with a cheque for more than £9,000 – the proceeds from a Christmas card recycling scheme run by retailer chain Sainsbury’s.

Collection points in Sainsbury’s stores as well as those in the Cabinet Office, and the Deparment for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), contributed to the total of ‘over two million’ Christmas cards recycled by the supermarket this year.

Minister for Civil Society Nick Hurd said: “I’m pleased we were able to participate in this scheme, giving civil servants the chance to make a contribution to a worthwhile cause and raising awareness of wider environmental issues.”

Find out more about FSC UK.

Recycle for Wales launches ‘say NO to junk mail’ campaign

Recycle for Wales (RfW) has launched a campaign aiming to raise awareness of unwanted junk mail and encourage members to take action to stop receiving it.

According to RfW, 12 billion pieces of junk mail are distributed to UK households and business annually, with a third discarded unopened, and often sent to landfill.

RfW outlines that the two main ways to stop junk mail are:

· for addressed junk mail: de-register details for free with the Mailing Preference Service (MPS) online. This should take effect within 3-6 months; and

· for unaddressed regional junk mail which is usually labeled to the ‘occupier’ or ‘householder’: can contact the ‘door to door opt out service’or send your name and address via email or by calling 0845 703 4599.

Dan Finch, National Campaigns Officer for Recycle for Wales, explained: “There are a number of other ways to reduce junk mail. Return to sender using the prepaid envelope that was sent with the mail asking to be removed from the mailing list. Go paper free. Many companies now offer this service.

“However, if you do enjoying receiving junk mail don’t forget to recycle it after use, using your local recycling collection service, or by visiting your local recycling centre.”

Read more about Recycle for Wales.

High Sheriff of Norfolk goes on waste collection round

High Sheriff of Norfolk at Kier's Aylsham depot for North Norfolk District Council

The Countess of Leicester and High Sheriff of Norfolk, Lady Leicester, joined a waste collection round on Tuesday (18 March) in North Norfolk District Council (NNDC).

After receiving a safety briefing and protective equipment, the High Sherriff was taken on a collection round with employees of waste management firm Kier, as part of her duty to ‘learn about different aspects of Norfolk life’.

Lady Leicester said: “I wanted to find out how Norfolk works. I particularly wanted to come out with refuse collectors; it was at the top of my list. They go out in all weathers but they are seldom thanked.”

Her shift to pick up household waste from 1,294 homes started at 10am, rather than the usual 6am.

Kier has been providing waste and recycling collections, street cleansing, grounds maintenance and the cleansing of public conveniences and buildings to NNDC since April 2011.

Find out more about Kier.

Recycling ‘blunder’ costs Stockport Council ‘nearly £2000’

A recycling mistake made by a resident has cost Stockport Council ‘nearly £2000’ and undone the ‘good recycling work of other residents’.

Last week a sharps box containing used syringes was put in a green recycling bin and because of its hazardous nature, contaminated the entire ten-tonne load of food and garden waste, which will now have to be sent to landfill.

The council is now reminding residents to return sharps containers to their GP or pharmacy for safe disposal.

Councillor Stuart Bodsworth, Stockport Council’s Executive Member for Communities and Sustainability, said: “Anybody who thinks that it doesn’t matter which bin you put things in can clearly see from this incident that it does. This has had an impact on the environment and wasted resident’s recycling efforts.”

He added that the ‘vast majority’ of residents are ‘green-minded’, attributing to Stockport’s 61 per cent recycling rate, and the avoidance of ‘over £12 million’ in disposal costs.

Find more information on Stockport waste and recycling.

200 recycled prosthetic limbs donated to Legs4Africa

‘Over 200’ recycled prosthetic limbs are being sent to African amputee charity Legs4Africa, courtesy of UK charity, Limbcare.

This Saturday (22 March) Legs4Africa, who reuse redundant prosthetic limbs from the UK, will collect the limbs from the ‘Big Yellow Self Storage’ in Camberley, Surrey.

From then they will be driven to Gambia and be given to amputees who would otherwise have no access to prosthetic limbs.

Limbcare has collected the limbs as part of its aim to see prosthetics recycled rather than thrown away in the UK, and Big Yellow Storage donated the space to help them store their donations.

“We’re delighted that these limbs will be put to good use. It seems such a shame that here in the UK they end up in landfill, when they could be used to help people”, remarked Dennis Outridge of Limbcare.

Read more about recycling from Limbcare.