Biffa to partake in Ride for Freedom anti-slavery campaign
Biffa is highlighting a known human trafficking route from Africa to the UK through taking part in the Ride for Freedom campaign.
The waste management company has lent its support to Guinness World Record Holder, Gordon Miller, who is leading the event. He will cycle the entire 1,068 mile route, starting in Cadiz and finishing in London on Anti-Slavery Day, with a group of seven Biffa employees joining for the last leg of the ‘El Gordo’ ride. The team’s jerseys will be created from recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic made by Presca Sportswear.
Biffa states that it is working towards combating modern day slavery within the resource sector through implementing extensive guidelines, procedures and training to prevent the issue, including specific training for all new employees to spot exploitation and the assessment of all new suppliers for the risk of slave labour.
Biffa is also a founding member of Hope for Justice’s Slave Free Alliance and the Waste and Recycling MS Working Group.
Michael Topham, CEO of Biffa, said: “Our work against slavery is of the utmost importance. At Biffa we’re committed to stamping out this appalling crime and one of the ways to achieve this is through raising awareness of the issue.
“The Ride for Freedom event highlights a known route slaves have travelled along to reach the UK and we hope awareness of this will help us in our fight against the crime.”
FCC Environment opens reuse pop-up shop in Reading
FCC Environment is opening a pop-up reuse shop in Reading from within the premises of its re3 Recycling Centre, operating on 23 and 24 October.
Located in Smallmead Recycling Centre’s car park, the shop will present local residents with the opportunity to purchase pre-loved items that have been previously donated to the site for reuse. Profits will be donated to the Sue Ryder charity, as well as being reinvested into improving recycling facilities in the area.
FCC Environment states that there is no need to book a slot; however, for residents who already have a Recycling Centre booking over the weekend, the centre encourages them to drop off items they wish to donate for reuse in the usual re3 Reuse Area.
Visitors can expect to find kids toys and games; books; sporting equipment; garden tools; furniture; and other donated household items at the event.
Rory Brien, FCC Environment General Manager, commented: “Every day at both the Recycling Centres, we receive amazing items that have lots of life left in them. We understand that it’s easy to bring everything to us in one go for recycling or disposal, but we wanted to provide residents with an alternative, so we are trialling a pop-up reuse shop this weekend to see what people think of the concept.
“We have been putting great items from bikes and golf clubs to books and electronic devices to one side for some time and these will be available for sale to residents who can put them to good use.”
DS Smith promotes cardboard Halloween costumes to combat plastic waste
DS Smith has published a guide for how to turn cardboard boxes into Halloween costumes in an effort to reduce the amount of seasonal outfits that are sent to landfill. Annually, the volume of discarded Halloween costumes equates to approximately 83 million plastic bottles worth of plastic waste.
The ‘DS Smith Cardstumes Halloween Guide’ provides tips and tricks to create costumes from materials found within the home which, unlike shop bought garments made from polyester and other lightweight plastics, can be more easily recycled after use.
Tim Price, Divisional Communications Director, at DS Smith, commented: “With more than 135m cardboard boxes stowed in homes across the country, it’s about time we had a little fun with them!
“At DS Smith, we’re always on the lookout for ways to reduce plastic use and we’re excited to share these easy-to-follow guides to help families reuse cardboard boxes at home, before ensuring they’re properly recycled. Our ‘cardstumes’ not only look great, they also help in the effort to reduce the amount of hard to recycle material used – and the subsequent waste – while providing a fun and educational activity for children on the importance of reuse and recycling.”
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How will the government and DMOs address the challenges of including glass in DRS while ensuring a level playing field across the UK?
There's no easy solution to include glass in the DRS while maintaining a level playing field. Potential approaches include a phased introduction of glass, potentially with higher deposits to reflect its logistical challenges. The government and DMOs could incentivise innovation in glass packaging design and subsidise dedicated return points for glass-handling. Exemptions for smaller businesses unable to handle glass might also be necessary. Any successful solution will likely blend several approaches. It must address the differing priorities of devolved administrations, balance environmental benefits with logistical and cost implications, and be supported by robust consumer education campaigns emphasizing the importance of glass recycling.