ACE UK appoints Printwaste Recycling as new bring bank contractor

Beverage carton manufacturer ACE UK has awarded the collection contracts for its beverage carton bring-bank services in England, Scotland and Wales to Cheltenham-based recycling company Printwaste Recycling & Shredding (Printwaste).

Printwaste will collect used beverage cartons from ACE UK’s bring banks using the same bins and vehicles already used by local authorities to ‘ensure a smooth transition’. Cartons will then be taken to ACE UK’s carton facility in Stainland, West Yorkshire to be recycled.

Fay Dashper, Senior Recycling Manager at ACE UK, commented: “We have been working with Printwaste on other areas of our business for nearly a decade and have built up an excellent working relationship with the company. When our existing contractor decided to discontinue this service following changes to its core business model, Printwaste seemed like the obvious choice. We are very pleased to have them on board.”

Don Robins, Managing Director of Printwaste Recycling & Shredding, said that the company was “delighted” to have been awarded the contracts.

For more information about carton recycling, visit the ACE UK website.

Viridor and Glasgow City Council host career programme

Waste management company Viridor and Glasgow City Council have launched their annual science and technology educational programme, designed to encourage secondary school pupils at 13 secondary schools across Glasgow to consider career opportunities in the green economy.

Run as part of the Engineering Development Trust’s (EDT) Go4SET programme, the scheme offers teams of second-year pupils with 10-week experience placements in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) sectors. Students taking part will work on green solutions to specific problems, and will have their outcomes assessed by a panel of assessors at an event in April.

The aim of the programme is to change pupils’ perceptions of these subjects in order to increase the number of people seeking further education and potential careers in STEM areas.

Martin Grey, Communications Manager for Viridor, commented: “[This] marks the continuation of our commitment to work with the young people of Glasgow to bring the waste and recycling industry to life and to promote the importance of establishing a cleaner, greener Glasgow in line with… Scotland’s zero waste ambitions.”

Duncan McSporran, EDT Scotland Director, added: “The valuable involvement of high-profile businesses such as Viridor plays a vital role supporting our work in encouraging young people to explore career opportunities within subject areas which can often be overlooked.”

Find out more about the Go4SET programme.

Recycling competition raises £2,475 for charity

Winners of the ‘Portsmouth BIG Recycle’ competition have donated a total of £2,475 to the Lord Mayor's Appeal (LMA) after choosing the charity to receive their winnings.

The money was collected over 15 months, following the campaign’s launch in September 2013.

The ‘BIG Recycle’ rewards residents for being ‘good recyclers’ through a monthly prize draw. By registering online, residents are automatically entered into a ‘random prize draw’ in which they could win the top prize of £250 cash, one of 20 £75 cash prizes or one of 60 £25 Love2choose vouchers (redeemable at selected high-street stores).

Alternatively households can choose to donate the prize to the Lord Mayor’s Appeal, which for 2014/15 is raising money for four charities: Pompey in the Community; Portsmouth Play and Youth Association; Salvation Army's Haven Community Centre; and the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity. To date, 1,675 residents have opted to donate their winnings to the appeal.

One such resident, Claire Beadnell, said that she donated her winnings as it is “nice to know that by recycling I have helped some charities in need, as well as the environment”.

Speaking of the money raised, the Lord Mayor of Portsmouth, Councillor Steven Wylie, said: “Portsmouth residents’ generosity continues to astound me! For people to be choosing to donate any prize money to the Lord Mayor's Appeal just makes me so proud of the people in our city.”

Find out more about the BIG Recycle or the Lord Mayor’s Appeal.

Croydon calls on public to help catch fly-tippers

Croydon Council is seeking public assistance in finding and prosecuting two men who dumped two tonnes of building waste in a Waddon cul-de-sac last Wednesday (21 January).

The men were spotted tipping floor materials, windows, wood and other building waste at Lysander Road on the Imperial Way trading estate before fleeing the scene on foot.

Croydon’s environmental enforcement officers have seized the vehicle used for the crime, which is a specially-adapted Ford Transit van with a black storage area. They are now consulting neighbouring companies’ CCTV footage and are calling on the public to contact the council if they have any information regarding the identify of the offendors.

Councillor Stuart Collins, the council’s cabinet member for Clean and Green Croydon, said: “Fly-tipping is a crime, and we urge anyone with information to help us find the cowards who chucked this waste and fled.

“You might not have seen them dump the waste, but the chances are that someone saw this distinctive van being loaded for an illegal cash-in-hand house clearance.

“From littering to tips like this, dumped waste looks ugly and costs Croydon taxpayers a lot of money for us to clear – that’s why our campaign to make the borough cleaner and greener is so important.”

Anyone with information can contact the dedicated fly-tipping hotline on 0208 604 7000 or email flytip@croydon.gov.uk

For more information, visit the Don’t Mess With Croydon website.