Stella McCartney starts fibre-to-fibre project; WasteAid trains waste sector workers in Cameroon; Salvation Army opens ninth donation centre in 2022; Aldi joins podback scheme
Stella McCartney teams up with biological recycler
Fashion designer Stella McCartney is partnering with biological recycling start-up Protein Evolution Inc (PEI) in a fibre-to-fibre project.
PEI will use enzyme-based technology to process mixed nylon and polyester into material than can be made into new clothing, footwear and other items.
“Through our partnership with Protein Evolution Inc, we hope to pioneer a new type of polyester from old materials,” said McCartney.
Connecticut-based PEI used artificial intelligence to engineer enzymes that break down plastic.
“Stella’s brand is synonymous with sustainability, circularity and innovation,” said Connor Lynn, Protein Evolution co-founder and chief business officer. “Together we’re setting out to accomplish something that’s never been done at an industrial scale before, and we’re just getting started.”
WasteAid trains waste sector workers in Cameroon
Charity WasteAid has used UK Government funds and public donations to reduce plastic pollution and create jobs in Douala, Cameroon.
It said it had worked with local partner Red-Plast to train 165 unemployed people in waste recovery to help them enter the waste management workforce and so increase its capacity to recover recyclable plastic waste.
Chief executive Ceris Turner-Bailes said: “We’re proud to have delivered an impactful programme that has improved the lives of many within the communities where we work through training and economic opportunity, whilst at the same time reducing plastic pollution within the Douala estuary.”
WasteAid said implementing a more effective plastics collection and recycling system in the borough Douala III, had seen more than 17 tonnes of plastic prevented from entering the ocean.
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Salvation Army opens ninth donation centre in 2022
The Salvation Army has opened a donation centre this week in Dumfries, among nine opened this year with 10 more planned.
It said these followed its pattern of stores designed as open-format donation drop-off points with convenient parking.
Tony Hosking, operations director, said: “Each donation centre has a similar look and feel, all offer a large shopping area with furniture, homeware, fashion and electricals, as well as 24-7 clothing banks at each site. We reuse and repurpose locally, including larger items and white goods that smaller high street stores are not able to accommodate.”
Sales of donated used goods are now 35% higher than pre-pandemic levels and since the first shop opened at West Bromwich in 2016 the chain has served 1.5 million customers, the charity said.
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Aldi joins podback scheme
Aldi has said it will be the first supermarket member of the coffee industry-backed Podback recycling scheme for used coffee, tea and hot chocolate pods. It will introduce its own-label pods to Podback and promote the free recycling service in its 980 stores.
From early next year, Aldi customers will be able to order online recycling bags, which can be filled and taken to one of 6,500 Collect+ drop off points, or register for kerbside collections if they live in a participating local authority area.
“We hope other retailers will follow Aldi’s lead and offer their own-brand pod customers the opportunity to recycle through Podback,” said Rick Hindley executive director at Podback.
Press release
Spanish app saves 935 tonnes of food waste
Glovo, an app that connects businesses, has said it has delivered more than 2 million meals for voluntary bodies, councils, charitable foundations and social enterprises.
The organisation says this has saved more than 935 tonnes of food waste across 25 countries. It has launched two food redistribution centres in Madrid and Barcelona earlier this year.
“Through our social impact work, Glovo is playing an integral role in the food value chain in cities, and these centrally located distribution hubs allow us to fulfil our goal to help NGOs solve logistical challenges,” said Sébastien Pellion, head of impact and sustainability at Glovo.
“Our long-term vision is to remove ‘hunger lines’ by digitising food distribution – we gather the food surplus, create food boxes for the most vulnerable, and our couriers deliver them straight to their door.”
Glovo is working with Fundación Altius, which allocates food donations to those in need, with partners such as Amazon Fresh. Glovo wants to extend the initiative to other countries.
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Wood fibre bedding helped by avian flu alert
Wood fibre animal bedding manufacturer Easibedding says it has now made more than a third of a million tonnes of poultry bedding product Easichick.
The company, part of recycling firm Enva, said it had seen significantly increased demand driven by farmers trying to combat the spread of avian influenza, who wanted beddings made and transported in biosecure environments.
Since it is made from wood, spent bedding can be spread on farm and grassland as part of an organic system or used as a fuel at poultry litter approved power stations.
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ESA issues biodiversity guide
The Environmental Services Association has published a Best Practice Guide for Biodiversity in the resources and waste management sector.
It said the guide brought together policy, legislation and reporting/assessment tools, with a sample of case studies from ESA members.
Chair of the ESA Biodiversity Working Group, Leigh Broadhurst, said: “Protecting biodiversity is critical for companies across their operations and supply chains, and is particularly important for organisations with decarbonisation, sustainability and ESG strategies.
“Our shareholders and stakeholders increasingly expect the companies they deal with to play a proactive role in addressing the ecological crisis and this Best Practice Guide serves as a reference point for organisations to monitor, plan and deliver biodiversity impacts and interventions.”
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Gover to head plastics work at Minderoo
Former WRAP chief executive Marcus Gover has become director of Minderoo Foundation’s plastics initiative.
Minderoo, which is based in Australia, said this involved work across the plastics value chain, focusing on transparency, human health impacts, safe redesign and effective management of existing fossil-fuel plastic.
Gover, who will work from Minderoo’s Amsterdam office, said: “Plastic needs to be seen as a cause and a way to remedy [the climate crisis]. So it excites me to join Minderoo Foundation at this critical juncture as they embark on bringing transparency to the plastics supply chain, revealing the environmental and human risks associated with the harmful chemicals used in the production of plastics, and supporting the vital work of designing safe and sustainable alternative materials,”
Gover will begin his new role on 1 February when one of his first duties will be to launch the Plastics Waste Makers Index 2023.
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Builder counts Thames plastic pollution
A team from housebuilder Barratt London has investigated the most common plastic and lightweight items found on the foreshore of the River Thames.
Food wrappers were the most common, making up 20% of items followed by cotton bud sticks at 16% and disposable cups 9%.
Barratt said drink bottles came sixth with 97,019 bottles recorded and removed between 2016-19 of which recyclable water bottles accounted for almost half.
Piotr Prazych, commercial director at Barratt West London, said: “The study brought to light the items that should not be residing in the Thames – that could have very easily been recycled instead.
“We hope this new knowledge of how much waste is in the river will make a lot of people think twice about dumping rubbish into the Thames.”
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Military helicopter tracks fly-tipper
The Environment Agency revoked a trader’s licence to carry waste after he was convicted of fly-tipping, burning waste and false advertising on Facebook.
Melksham resident Corey Ross Carr of Somerset Crescent, who operated CC Waste Removal & Clearance, pleaded guilty to 4 environmental and one Trading Standards offence at Swindon Magistrates Court in June in a case brought by Wiltshire Council.
The court saw video footage shot by a passing Ministry of Defence helicopter taken on 17 November 2021 of Carr dumping waste and setting a mattress alight on land owned by Wilts & Berks Canal Trust in Melksham.
Press release
Jobs offered at end-of-life plastics plant
PX Group is recruiting for more than 30 new roles at the Teesside plastic recycling plant where it has a 10-year operations and maintenance contract.
The project is planned to deliver a commercial scale plastic recycling plant, utilising HydroPRS technology.
It said plant owner Mura Technology would recycle end-of-life plastic using supercritical water to break these down into liquid hydrocarbon products including naphtha, gas oils and heavy wax residue, with no limit to the number of times plastic can be recycled. The plant will initially process more than 20,000 tonnes of waste plastic each year.
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Council gets truck to trial food recycling
Northumberland County Council has acquired a Isuzu 7.5 tonnes Terberg Orus food waste vehicle through fleet manager NRG Riverside, which it said was particularly suited to collecting domestic food waste in densely populated areas.
It will serve a trial area of 4,800 properties with a weekly kerbside collection and data collected will help the council shape the food waste service for the whole county.
Colin Curtis, the council’s resources and waste contracts and commercial manager, said: “Northumberland already encourages households to reduce the amount of food waste they generate, and we are now looking to ensure that when we are required to do so, any food waste that is produced can be collected and treated in the most sustainable way possible to reduce carbon emissions and help protect the environment.”
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Rudkin to head sustainability at Axil
Axil Integrated Services has appointed Gina Rudkin head of sustainability and zero waste, responsible for leading the company’s efforts to reduce its environmental impact, to drive sustainability across its operations and support clients with their initiatives.
Rudkin has worked in waste management for 25 years including leading a waste training academy for ISS Facilities Services.
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Kent swoops nets eight waste offenders
The Environment Agency and Kent Police’s rural task force were out in Swale last week checking paperwork for vehicles carrying waste.
Eight vehicles were stopped and nine fixed penalty notices issued, totalling £2,300. Offences included insecure load, driving without insurance, driving without a licence, driving without a seat belt and defective tyres.
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Reconomy wins contract from highways firm
Highways construction and maintenance firm Colas has appointed Reconomy as its UK waste management partner.
This followed a trial of the two companies working together on a motorway and trunk roads maintenance programme in the midlands.
Reconomy will cover 19 depots and satellite sites for which Colas had previously used multiple contractors.
Reconomy’s sales director (managed services) Ben Angove said: “Reconomy has a proven track record of helping customers set and achieve ambitious sustainability goals and we can’t wait to support Colas on their journey. Plugging Colas into our data, insight and digital tools will play a key role in reducing and better managing waste to maximise environmental and commercial value.”
More than 9,000 Wokingham residents have taken part in a consultation on potential changes to waste and recycling collections.
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Residents back change to fortnightly collections
Wokingham Borough Council is analysing feedback but initial figures showed 67% of respondents liked or could accept fortnightly collections, but 70% opposed three-weekly residual collections and 69% liked or could accept wheeled bins.
Council leader Clive Jones said: “If we want to continue providing essential support to our residents who need it most, we need to redesign some of our services to be more efficient. Changing the way we collect rubbish and recycling can make a big difference to our budget.”
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Battery firm crowd funds for development
Altilium Metals has said it has completed its first successful crowdfunding campaign on Seedrs – raising £786,005 from 410 investors – and secured more than £3m in UK government backing for its proprietary recycling technology.
It said funds will be used to support the build-out of its electric vehicle battery recycling technology centre and a recycling facility in Teesside, which it said would handle battery waste from 150,000 end-of-life vehicles a year.
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CSG flushed with success for toilet charity
Waste management specialist CSG has donated £11,000 to Toilet Twinning, a charity that provides toilets and clean water to communities in developing countries. It donated 50p for every household septic tank that it emptied.
Treatment director Jen Cartmell said: “As a business that specialises in waste management, supporting the Toilet Twinning charity was a natural fit and we are pleased to have matched last year’s donation.
“It’s easy to forget how important it is to have safe sanitation facilities: according to the World Health Organisation, for every pound spent on water and sanitation, £5.50 is returned to the community through increased productivity and reduced health costs.”
Press release
Rail link cuts packaging firm’s carbon
Ball Beverage Packaging EMEA has reduced its inbound supply chain carbon emissions by 82% following a partnership with Woodland Group, which has initiated a new rail route for Ball at its Doncaster facility.
It said this had resulted in 4.35 times less emissions across its rail freight containers, which equated to 886 tonnes of carbon less than if all the containers travelled by road.
Jack Harrison, Ball’s logistics development manager, said: “This is a great step forward to ensure our supply chain offers a competitive advantage to our customer base by offering a smarter and greener supply chain.”
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Online activity thought to ‘increase food waste’
Food waste management company, Warrens, part of the Bio Capital Group has said there may be a significant connection between social media and an increase in unnecessary food waste.
It said; “From pumpkin patches at Halloween to flaming Christmas puddings destined for the bin, the public’s obsession with aesthetic is having a negative impact on landfills.”
Online searches for pumpkin patches have in the last decade increased from almost none to more than two million while television programmes such as Man vs Food “sparked a public interest in taking on meals of gargantuan proportions, usually with the aim of getting it for free if they manage to finish it but very few can, and the leftovers sadly end up in the bin”.
Richard Skelton, a food waste specialist at Warrens, said: “For restaurateurs, it’s important to adjust demands with the supplier, if possible, to account for fewer diners.
“If that’s not possible, apps to distribute edible surplus food have become increasingly popular amongst supermarkets, restaurants and cafes. It’s important that everyone understands that something positive can be done with food waste.”
Press release
Heroes sought for Global Recycling Day
‘Creative innovation’ will be the theme of Global Recycling Day’s search for Recycling Heroes 2023.
Nominations can come from individuals, businesses and local authorities.
The winning entrants will receive $1,000 (£813), and their ideas will be publicised on Global Recycling Day’s social media channels.
There will be an additional 10 prizes of $250 (£203) for those who produce the most innovative re-use of everyday items.
Entries for both competitions closes on 3 March 2023, and the winners will be announced on Global Recycling Day on 18 March.
Ranjit Baxi, president of the Global Recycling Foundation, said: “The whole world is going through difficult economic times and many countries are suffering the consequences of climate change. It is vital that everyone should play their part, and recycling is an important element in the struggle against global warming. In past years our Recycling Heroes have demonstrated that every individual and business great or small can have a positive impact.”
Entries to: info@globalrecyclingfoundation.org
Press release
Cuts force centre closure
Plans to close a recycling centre have been approved by North Somerset Council as part of measures to close a £17m budget gap.
Closing Backwell Recycling Centre would save £300,000 and councillors said alternatives were available within a reasonable distance.
Residents will not have to take their waste to Weston-super-Mare or Portishead, with council members telling the BBC the choice was between ‘five minutes extra in the car’ or having less people in social care.
“We don’t want to be doing it but there’s got to be some perspective that its not the end of the world,” council leader Steve Bridger told the BBC.
Consultations and final budget approval will be needed before the plans go into effect.
Norse tries out safety system
Norse Group has unveiled what it called a high-tech, ultra-safe and fully connected fleet as part of its new eight-year contract with Rochford District Council for waste and street cleansing.
There are 10 Dennis Eagle 26 tonnes rear steer refuse collection vehicles and one 18 tonnes vehicle all fitted with electric Terberg bin lifts and Fleetclear safety technology.
Norse is trying out Fleetclear Connect in Rochford, a web-based software platform that consolidates all the information from the fleet’s safety technologies onto one system.
Chris Davison, group fleet manager, Norse Group, said: “We don’t want to be operating multiple systems anymore. It’s inefficient and time-consuming. “Fleetclear Connect consolidates the huge amounts of information produced by our vehicle camera systems and safety technologies on one platform, which we can view live and see the whole picture.”
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Apple encourages repair to reduce WEEE
Apple has introduced self service repairs in a bid to cut electronic waste.
It will provide repair manuals, parts and tools for customers who wish to complete their own repairs on iPhone 12 and 13 and Mac notebooks.
Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer, said: “When a repair is needed, we want customers to have many options for safe, reliable, and secure repair.”
Customers can send replaced parts back to Apple for refurbishment and recycling, and in many cases receive a credit by doing so.
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FCC in solar park project
FCC Environment is working with Infinis, which generates power from captured methane, to develop a solar park at Winterton, Lincolnshire.
The 18 acre park is due to start working in April and to generate some 4,300 MWh of energy each year.
Chris Ellis, director of operations at FCC Environment, said: “We are delighted to be working with Infinis to repurpose the Winterton landfill site and excited about the pipeline of similar projects on our sites which are currently progressing through the planning process. These projects play an important role in supporting the UK achieving its net zero ambition.”
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Authority assesses London plastics problem
North London residents throw away more than 46m pieces of plastic a week, research for North London Waste Authority (NLWA).
NLWA worked with Everyday Plastic to gain a greater understanding of the scale of plastic packaging waste and found in one week, 191,710 pieces of plastic were discarded many of which could have been recycled.
Low value or composite materials like chocolate wrappers and plastic film covering fresh produce are difficult to recycle and accounted for 56% of pieces thrown away by participants, the authority said.
Its recycling working group chair Adam Harrison said: “Residents are forced to throw away a staggering amount of plastic waste each week, as much of it is flexible plastic. How can bananas in plastic bags still be on supermarket shelves?
“NLWA has been campaigning and undertaking a wide range of initiatives to reduce this blight for many years. However, many residents in north London rely on small ‘local’ branches of the big supermarkets, where it’s incredibly difficult to find loose produce. These companies must get rid of this packaging.”
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PepsiCo to increase reuse
Soft drinks and snacks manufacturer PepsiCo has said it intends to increase the proportion of drinks it sells through reusable models from 10 to 20% by 2030.
The company also plans to reduce virgin plastic per container by 50% by 2030 and to become net zero by 2040. It said it has more than 80 markets around the world offering reusable packaging.
Press release
Amcor in polyethylene deal
Switzerland-based packaging firm Amcor has struck a five-year deal with ExxonMobil to buy certified-circular polyethylene in support of its target to achieve 30% recycled material by 2030.
The volume will increase each year, and is expected to reach 100,000 metric tonnes annually at the end of the five-year period.
Amcor said it intended to use this material with a particular focus on the healthcare and food industries, as these must meet stringent safety requirements for recycled plastic.
Chief executive Ron Delia said: “We are committed to a future of more sustainable packaging and are excited to strengthen our ability to meet increasing customer demand for recycled content.”
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Glasgow depot ‘falling apart’
Workers at a Glasgow City Council recycling unit should be given temporary accommodation until a new depot can be built, as unions bosses have said the Queenslie Depot in Polmadie is “falling apart”. Staff have complained about holes in the roof letting in rain water, which trips the electrics.
GMB trade union convenor Chris Mitchell said: “It’s 40 years old, the toilets are vile and there are holes in the roof which means the water pees in through the roof when it rains in the winter. Food waste buckets are being used to try and catch the water but the electricity continues to trip all the time which means it is constantly freezing.”
Glasgow City Council said it was committed to developing a new facility at Queenslie.
Welsh plastic vote ‘leaves England behind’
The Welsh Senedd is to vote on Stage 3 of The Environmental Protection (Single-use Plastic Products) (Wales) Bill that will see single-use plastics such as plates, plastic cutlery and thin single-use plastic bags banned.
Campaign group City to Sea’s policy manager Steve Hynd said: “Although it’s welcome that the ban is finally coming into place, it is far too late, and more still needs to be done.
“Equally this legislation only further embarrasses Defra as it leaves England as now the only country in Europe to not have banned some of these items like single-use plastic cutlery. This is despite Defra consulting to do so over a year ago.”
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WSG gives detox to old steel site
Industrial services specialist Well Services Group (WSG), has completed the removal of dangerous and hazardous materials from the former Redcar Steelworks.
It said this had required new methods of product and waste removal to safely handle toxic substances which for the last seven years have remained undisturbed in tanks and piping systems.
Project Manager, Mark Loades, said: “The Redcar site was shut down more than seven years ago with all of the COMAH products being left in the tanks and pipework, making this project unique within the industrial services industry.”
WSG said multiple storage tanks, and more than 7,000 metres of system pipework were decontaminated with the removal of materials including heavy fuel oil, pyrophoric coke oven gas dropouts, petroleum oil, tar thinners, creosote oil, benzol absorbing oil, naphthalene, phlegm oil, virgin ammonia liquor, and liquor tar.
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Tesco puts surplus and shortage together
More than 3,500 Tesco suppliers can now sell or donate surplus stock to other suppliers through the Tesco Exchange service, an online marketplace that matches suppliers with excesses of products with those that need them.
One of the first listings was made by food manufacturer, G’s Group, which supplies pickled beetroot to Tesco. The manufacturing process leaves them with tonnes of beetroot peelings that could be used by a livestock farm as cattle feed.
Sarah Bradbury, Tesco’s quality director, said: “Excess stock or waste for one supplier could be a valuable commodity to another. By linking different farmers, producers and manufacturers together, our suppliers can find new ways to trim their bills, reduce waste, and keep delivering great value for our customers.”
Press release
Veolia opens catalyst service
Veolia has launched an industrial catalyst management service in the UK to meet the demand for services in petrochemical, ammonia, hydrogen and steel plants. The services cover catalyst change-outs for different types of petrochemical reactors, single or multibed, tubular reactors and primary reformer type units.
John Abraham, chief operating officer, Veolia UK & Ireland for industrial, water and energy, said: “The new service will increase the effectiveness of catalyst reloading operations and deliver real benefits to manufacturing processes using our specially trained teams.”
Press release
Ecobat partners with CarTakeBack
UK scrap car recycling network CarTakeBack has partnered with electric battery recyclers Ecobat Solutions to help dispose of end-of-life electric vehicles.
“Ecobat is the world’s biggest recycler of batteries, and the world’s largest producer of lead from the 99% recycling rate of traditional batteries,” said Tom Seward, EU key accounts director at Ecobat.
“We aim to bring the same sustainability and circularity to support EV adoption, and offer a full service from collection, through repurposing into final recycling.”
Dismantlers at CarTakeBack remove components which can then be re-used, with batteries themselves safely removed and packaged up for their onward journey to Ecobat Solutions.
Press release
Trivium backs Alupro recycling initiative
Trivium Packaging is to fund the UK Aerosol Recycling Initiative launched by Alupro.
This is designed to increase awareness and uptake of aerosol recycling and includes a three-phase approach – educating consumers around best practice, establishing a baseline recycling rate and developing a roadmap for higher rates of recycling.
Tom Giddings, executive director at Alupro, added: “The partnership will help drive change in the aluminium packaging industry, working towards a more sustainable future and allowing us to take an important step towards the industry goal of exceeding a 50% aerosol recycling rate by 2030.”
Press release
ABB delivers EfW expansion
Contractor ABB has delivered an expansion project for London Energy’s energy-from-waste (EfW) facility to improve the plant’s resilience and enable the connection of an additional steam turbine, which will increase annual production to 1,000 megawatt-hours.
“By upgrading our existing EfW plant, we have renewed confidence in our ability to keep waste out of landfill and minimise our carbon footprint”, said Charles Bell, London Energy’s manager.
“The new system allows us to monitor, control and automate the entire EfW plant’s electrical assets from one touch-screen user interface.”
The project required upgrading of four original generators and interfacing them with a modern digital control system, as well as adding a new generator.
Press release
‘Difficult year’ forecast for paper
Bury-based Genus Recycling has warned that 2023 looks a difficult year for the recycled paper market.
It grew turnover from £7.6m in 2020 to £17.7m in 2021, but director Rick Waterson said: “With people paying more for energy and their mortgages across the world, we would expect weaker demand for paper-based packaging as they cut-back on spending.”
High prices were seen in much of 2021 and 2022, but the company said it would be unrealistic to expect material to stay at these levels in Europe and the second half of 2022 had already seen price reductions, although Far East buyers had re-entered the market.”
Press release
Suez helps councils towards ‘reuse centres’
Suez has launched a guide to support local authorities in integrating reuse at household waste recycling centres.
It expects these to evolve to become ‘reuse and recycling’ centres where items are collected for upcycling, repair and re-sale.
The guide Putting Reuse at the Heart of Your Household Waste Recycling Centre offers local authorities practical steps for conversion.
Recommendations include gaining the support fo staff, visible drop-off point for the public and a clear process for capturing and analysing data.
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