DS Smith partnership converts used Rugby World Cup hoardings

Packaging producer DS Smith has partnered with the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff to recycle and repurpose the plastic advertising hoardings and signage used at the recent Rugby World Cup.

Under the partnership, hoardings made from Correx polypropylene (PP) sheets were collected and taken to the nearest DS Smith Plastics site in Gloucester for recycling. This site also produces corrugated PP sheets for the advertising and printing industries, enabling a closed-loop solution. Used signs were granulated and the recycled plastics was extruded and used to produce new Correx sheets, reclaiming 98 per cent of the total waste signage.

This is the latest rugby-related recycling at DS Smith, after former Cardiff Blues, Wales and British and Irish Lions player Tom Shanklin was converted into the Commercial Manager at the company’s Recycling Division.

Iain Hannam, Site Director of DS Smith Plastics’ Gloucester location, said: “Recycling and repurposing used Correx sheets is one key goal of our site… It is also an important element of DS Smith Plastics’ overall product offering that demonstrate our commitment to protecting our environment by managing the recycling and [repurposing] of used plastics that otherwise would end up on waste fields.”

More information on DS Smith’s recycling projects can be found at the company’s website.

Hackney Council reiterates business duties after restaurant fly-tipping fines

Hackney Council is reminding businesses of their responsibilities to keep their exteriors tidy after two restaurant owners were fined almost £5,000 for dumping bags of waste on the street outside their shops.

The owner of Griller 66 in Stamford Hill was fined £1,810, while the owner of Cheri on Stoke Newington High Street was fined £2,870 after being prosecuted at Thames Magistrates Court last week. The two were found guilty of fly-tipping under the Environmental Protection Act.

Businesses must have arrangements in place to deal with their waste and be able to prove that such a deal exists when asked by council officers. If they do not take reasonable steps to dispose of their waste safely they can face unlimited fines. The two owners refused to sign cautions or pay fixed penalty notices of £180 each, leading to the prosecutions and fines.

Cllr Feryal Dermici, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Sustainability at Hackney Council, said: “Dumping rubbish on the street damages Hackney’s environment and is unfair on the thousands of residents and visitors who shop or work on our high streets.

“We need businesses to take responsibility for their waste. That means making arrangements for the disposal of their waste by an authorised waste carrier instead of dumping it on the street and expecting taxpayers to foot the bill to clean it up.”

A summary of the responsibilities of residents and businesses can be found on the Hackney Council website.

Drinks can pilot seeks to increase forecourt sector recycling

The Chartman Group, which operates filling stations and convenience stores in the South West of England, has introduced drinks can recycling facilities to its flagship petrol forecourt as part of a pilot for the forecourt sector.

With support from the industry-backed Every Can Counts campaign, the pilot has been designed to uncover the best ways to implement and communicate drinks can recycling in forecourts.

Around three per cent of all drinks cans purchased in the UK are bought from petrol and service stations, equating to over 18 million cans a week. Approximately 33 per cent of these are sent to landfill instead of recycled.

Jonathan Easthope, Every Can Counts Brand Manager, explained: “Recent research has shown that 44 per cent of all drinks cans purchased in the UK are consumed outside of the home, so petrol forecourts are in a strong position to help customers to easily recycle these empty cans on the go and do their bit. This is the first pilot scheme of its kind for the sector, so we are delighted to be working with the Chartman Group and hope to encourage other forecourts to get on-board as a result of this activity.

“From these statistics alone, it is easy to see the potential for can recycling at locations such as petrol forecourts and equally why it’s important that we encourage other operators like Chartman to get involved too.”

Clive Sheppard, Chartman Director, added: “We hope to scale this up to all eight Chartman sites after Christmas, and then in turn, through the Petrol Retailers Association, the whole forecourt industry, thereby making a significant contribution to recycling activity.”

More information about Every Can Counts can be found on the campaign’s website.

MyLahore restaurants deliver zero waste strategy with FCC partnership

British Asian restaurant chain MyLahore has partnered with FCC Environment to prevent its waste from going to landfill.

The chain, which has restaurants in Bradford, Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham, has implemented new zero-waste-to-landfill systems and working practices to maximise resource efficiency. Under the new systems, staff separate waste into a number of recyclable streams. FCC also harvests and recycles the restaurants’ used cooking oil.

Prior to the partnership, the company’s flagship Bradford restaurant had been creating around 39 tonnes of waste each year with only 6.24 tonnes being recycled and the rest sent to landfill. This year, the chain expects that 24.96 tonnes will be recycled, while 6.24 tonnes of food waste will be sent to generate electricity.

Vicky Hemdev, Social Media and Marketing Manager at MyLahore, explained: “We started working with FCC Environment and they came up with a great plan, giving us the training, skills and working practices to recycle or reuse virtually everything.

“The financial savings we’ve created are important but it’s just [as] important to think about the future, the environment and show the world and our customers that we’re a responsible business.”

Kristian Dales, Sales, Marketing and Communications Director for FCC Environment, added: “Our partnership with MyLahore is a prime example of the benefits that a change in recycling culture can bring to SMEs. The company has truly embraced the changing working culture not just for profitability reasons but also because it is a responsible business which cares about the community.”

More information is available on FCC’s website.

Innovation drawing students to recycling and resource sectors

Innovative research projects using emerging technologies are attracting more talented students to careers in the recycling and resource recovery sectors, according to Axion Consulting.

The circular economy specialist takes six placement students annually, and says that, with current recycling research projects focused on areas including flexible plastic packaging, automotive battery packs and medical imaging systems, new scientists and engineers are keen to get involved.

Over 140 chemical engineering undergraduates from Manchester and Birmingham Universities attended recent Axion presentations and Principal Engineer Simon Wilkinson said: “From practical field work to equipment and process trials, our work encompasses a broad variety of tasks that appeals to skilled young people. The skills that chemical engineers bring fit well with our business and we value their contribution.

“It works both ways, of course, and they enjoy developing their skills within our friendly teams, while also gaining valuable work experience.”

More information is available at Axion Consulting's website.