Biffa deploys separate-sort vehicles in Wales

Municipal contractor Biffa has deployed a new fleet of specialist collection vehicles worth nearly £2 million to support Isle of Anglesey County Council’s plans to increase recycling on the Welsh island and to reduce costs.

Biffa currently collects food and dry recyclables one week (through a one-pass system), alternating with collections of refuse and green waste the next. The new vehicles, allow one vehicle to collect food waste and dry recyclables (which are then sorted) at the same time, meaning that 10 vehicles are needed in place of 15.

It is estimated that operational mileage will be reduced by around 80,000 kilometres annually, saving some 15,000 litres of diesel and reducing exhaust and CO2 emissions by nearly 50 tonnes as a result.

Pete Dickson, Development Director of Biffa’s municipal division, said that the new vehicles will enable crews to work faster, adding: “Anglesey is already one of the best recycling authorities in Wales, and Biffa wants to do all it can to help residents and council get to the 60 per cent mark.”

Find out more about the Romaquip Kerbsort vehicles.

Milton Keynes WEEE event collects 5.4 tonnes of e-waste

Attendees of a waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) event that was held in Milton Keynes on 6 June donated 5.4 tonnes of e-waste for recycling.

The event, held at the National Bowl, was hosted by the European Recycling Platform (ERP) with support from Milton Keynes Council and Milton Keynes Chamber of Commerce. (Nationwide Metal Recycling (NMR) provided the logistics for the event, and supported the public by unloading equipment from vehicles.)

Organised to encourage local people and businesses to clear out and recycled their unwanted or broken electrical items, the event saw businesses, colleges, schools and residents bring an assortment of items for recycling, including fridges and turntables.

All items will be treated in the UK to recover the metals and plastics which they contain, and the recovered materials will be sent on to manufacturers and used to make new products.

Scott Butler, Managing Director at ERP UK, said: “Thanks to the residents and businesses of Milton Keynes 5.44 tonnes of e-waste has been sent for recycling. Valuable materials can now be recovered and used to make new products, which is great for the environment. I hope this event has done a lot to raise awareness that all electrical waste can and should be recycled.”

Find out more about ERP.

DS Smith helps Cardiff Blues rugby team with green goals

right: Ex-Cardiff Blues, Wales and British & Irish Lions player Tom Shanklin (now Commercial Manager at DS Smith, Recycling Division) with the new ‘Turning The Blues Green’ jersey

Waste management company DS Smith has helped Cardiff Blues rugby team develop six green commitments as part of its ‘Turning the Blues Green’ sustainability push.

A short film detailing the club’s six green commitments shows Cardiff Blues players, including Josh Navidi, Gareth Davies and Kristan Dacey, at a DS Smith recycling depot. The team has also launched a green jersey to promote the commitments.

The commitments are:

• players pledging to take a total of six-minute showers post match;
• encouraging fans to use public transport on match days and take a 'selfie' on public transport (train, bus, walking or cycling) and tweet Cardiff Blues at
• @cardiff_blues with the #bluesgogreen to be entered into a prize draw at the end of the 14/15 season;
• reducing energy consumption around the ground;
• increasing recycling facilities at the BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park;
• selling all drinks in recyclable cups; and
• donating a percentage of green jersey sales to Keep Wales Tidy.

Tim Price, Marketing Director at DS Smith’s Recycling Division, said: "The 'Turning The Blues Green' initiative is a real step forward as everyone at the region makes a real commitment to help make sure that sport plays its part in creating sustainable living.

"The launch of the new green jersey is a great statement of intent, but is backed up with a series of green pledges that will make a real difference.”

Find out more about the Cardiff Blues initiative.

Deputy Premier of the British Virgin Islands visits GREEC

The Deputy Premier of the British Virgin Islands, Dr. Kedrick Pickering (pictured above, centre), has visited the £154 million Glasgow Recycling and Renewable Energy Centre (GRREC), currently under development at Polmadie.

Once operational (scheduled for 2016), Viridor’s £154 million Glasgow Recycling and Renewable Energy Centre (GRREC) will have the capacity to handle 200,000 tonnes of residual waste every year through its material recovery facility (MRF), anaerobic digester, and gasification technology. It is expected to be capable of generating 15 megawatts of electricity per year - enough to power the equivalent of 22,000 households.

Pickering was met at the site by Councillor Alistair Watson, Glasgow City Council Executive Member for Sustainability and Transport and Mark Wilson, Project Director, Viridor.

After the tour, Pickering said: “Sustainability and green energy are key remits of my portfolio and the chance to visit such a significant sustainable development was an opportunity I could not pass up.

“The impressive facility will not only produce enough heat for over 100,000 homes, but will create an ongoing legacy by creating local apprenticeship and other job opportunities. I was impressed at the vision shown.”

Read more about the GRREC.

Barry Crowley appointed CFO of MBA Polymers

Plastics recycling and technology company MBA Polymers has appointed Barry Crowley (pictured right) as its new Chief Financial Officer.

Crowley previously held the position of Group Financial Controller of the vacuum equipment services company, Edwards Group.

During his time at the company, Edwards Group wasacquired by private equity investors in 2007, listed on NASDAQ in 2012, and acquired byAtlas Copco a Swedish based global industrial company in January 2014.

Crowley has also been in financial business change management at RWE npower, and held positions as Director of Business Development (UK Financial Services), Corporate Accounting Manager, and Accounting Development Manager at GlaxoSmithKline.

He trained as an accountant with KPMG in Ireland, and is member of the Irish Institute of Chartered Accountants.

Speaking of the appointment, Nigel Hunton, MBA's Chief Executive commented, “Barry brings exactly the right financial experience to MBA Polymers at this important stage of our development. He has a record of leading financial transformation in Edwards from the carve-out from The BOC Group, acquisition by private equity, an IPO and finally a trade sale.

“Importantly for us, this experience has has also been coupled with delivering organisational change within major blue-chip companies arising from organic growth, acquisitions and mergers and implementing the necessary financial reporting, systems and processes. We welcome Barry to a fast-growing business starting to make a real impact in the world of recycled plastics.”

Find out more about MBA Polymers.