£3 million PVC-U recycling plant opens
December 15, 2011 at 4:58 pm
Eurocell has just opened up the biggest PVC-U recycling plant of its kind in the UK.
The company, which is part of the Tessenderlo Group, has invested £3 million in the new plant which is located in Ilkeston in Derbyshire, and it is hoping that it will go a long way in helping to recycle the millions of window frames in the UK which do not currently meet energy efficiency standards.
The new plant will be able to process up to 12,000 old PVC-U window frames a week, a huge number. However, the benefits don’t stop there.
It will also create new jobs in the area, and because Eurocell is using a special closed-loop process it will not only be recycling the products, but it will also be creating new products from the recycled material on site.
This means that the whole procedure will be made a lot more efficient, reducing the amount of energy required.
What’s more, the plant will focus on creating products which themselves can help to make the construction industry more efficient. One of the main products that it will be manufacturing is PVC-U thermal inserts which can be used in buildings to improve their thermal performance.
The plant will make use of the latest technology and processes in order to recycle the old window frames, and it is hoped that it will play a large role in replacing the 230 million windows across the UK which Defra has claimed need to be upgraded for failing to meet energy efficiency standards.
New can recycling scheme in Barnstaple
December 14, 2011 at 2:52 pm
Recycling is growing in importance across the UK as more people are realising, that if they recycle their products instead of throwing them away, they can play a significant role in helping to prevent rubbish going to landfill sites and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Now a new scheme has launched in Barnstaple in Devon to encourage more people in the town to get involved in doing something good by recycling their drinks cans instead of throwing them away.
Every Can Counts has launched the recycling programme along with Barnstaple Town Council and BID Barnstaple. The scheme will see recycling bins appear in 400 shops and restaurants in the town centre to encourage both staff and shoppers to recycle their cans instead of throwing them away.
Barnstaple is not the first town that Every Can Counts has worked with to improve recycling. It has also joined forces with North Devon Council and other councils in the past, and it is hoping to expand even further now.
The empty cans will be collected by Community Resources, a not-for-profit organisation based in Ilfracombe, and supporters are hoping that it will go a long way to improving recycling efforts in the town.
Rick Hindley from Every Can Counts said that more than nine billion cans are sold every year in the UK and that “around 30% are consumed ‘on the go’”. They are hoping that the scheme will appeal to both workers and shoppers in the town centre, and he confirmed that they would like to “develop further projects with other town centres and retail sites in the future”.
As landfill costs continue to rise, UK councils look to introduce new methods to increase recycling
November 1, 2011 at 2:44 pm
Due to the increasing cost of landfill since the introduction of the new Landfill Tax 2008 (HMRC, 2008) and the revised EU Waste Framework Directive for England and Wales which advocates that 50% of all household waste and 70% of all construction waste must be recycled by 2020 (DEFRA, 2010), councils are under increasing pressure to reduce the amount of waste they send to landfill. It is no surprise therefore, that individual councils around the UK are investing both energy and budget into finding new ways in which to increase the level recycling is happening at a local level.
One such recycling scheme is the controversial ‘chip and bin’ scheme where a microchip is fitted inside the wheelie bins of individual households and businesses in order to monitor and in some cases ‘reward’ them for the amount of waste they recycle and in turn prevent from going to landfill. Already used by over 65 councils across the UK (Big Brother Watch, 2010), the scheme came under the spotlight again last month, with the announcement that Cambridge council is the latest to consider the introduction of the microchips to their bins. The council is in the process of collating local opinion on the matter via a survey which closes in early November 2011, but concern has already been voiced that in allowing the council to track how much waste each household is recycling each year, privacy is being infringed. Others are worried that this bin surveillance technology could in time be used to identify and fine those who do not recycle, though few councils have so far used the chips in this way.
In Wales, councils are under additional pressure to initiate new recycling schemes in their boroughs due to the Welsh government’s more demanding waste strategy ‘Towards Zero Waste’ which aims to see up to 70% of all suitable waste being recycled by 2024-25 (Welsh Government, 2011). In October 2011, it was revealed that a £3 million grant has been allocated by the Welsh Government to help councils across Wales in their individual recycling schemes. These so far include the collection and recycling of cooking oils for use in council vehicles by Gwynedd county council, new kerbside recycling vehicles and litre recycling boxes by Torfaen County Borough Council and the introduction of a household waste recycling centre and mattress recycling facility by the Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council. The Environment Minister, Jane Davidson, believes that every local authority in Wales is on course to meet the statutory recycling targets.
From 2016, all new homes must be built to Level 6 of The Code for Sustainable Homes
June 14, 2011 at 2:40 pm
In the next few years, the construction industry will be faced with the tremendous challenge of building homes which must be zero carbon. The government’s Code for Sustainable Homes has implemented a rating system for sustainable home building practice. It sets out the target that all new homes must be built to a Level 6 standard from 2016.
The Code rates homes from 1 to 6 stars according to a multitude of factors, ranging from the use of heat retaining devices to the provision of storage for bicycles. Level 6 comes with the longest list and the most stringent measures. To be rated at that level, new homes will have to be completely zero carbon.
However, it is now claimed that the government will not be able to reach this target. Debate was sparked when the government released a new definition for the term “zero carbon” in its Plan for Growth in March 2011. It implies that the ratings won’t take into account the energy produced by mobile appliances such as phones and TVs used in the home. Richard Baines, from Black Country Housing Group, explains: “The aim is that new homes will still be ‘zero carbon’ by 2016 but only in respect of heating and lighting, i.e. the CO2 target for Code Level 5 rather than Code Level 6 of the Code for Sustainable Homes.” (Run Services)
Level 5 already sets out strict regulations concerning:
- Energy and CO2 emissions
- Environmentally-friendly construction materials
- Waste facilities
- Pollution emitted by the new home
- Drainage facilities
- Impact of the home on health and well-being (for example sound insulation, provision for private space)
- Management of the construction and operation of the home (for example Considerate Constructors Scheme, impact of the construction site)
- Environmental impact
Between April 2007 and March 2011, only 323 UK homes have received a 6 star rating, according to official data.
Ealing Council awards £80,000 through its Recycling Reward Incentive Scheme
June 2, 2011 at 2:31 pm
In April 2011, residents of several wards in Ealing were rewarded for their recycling efforts. Waste disposal in the 23 wards of the borough was monitored for a period of 7 months, between September 2010 and April 2011. Council officers went out on to the streets to check how much residents were using their recycling bins for paper, glass, cans, plastic and food waste. Monitoring first took place in September and then 6 months later, in order to measure the wards’ rate of improvement.
In the end, 5 wards were rewarded and placed in two categories:
- Elthorne and Hobbayne were found to be the best overall recyclers, with an average of 72.7% of their households recycling. They won £10,000 each.
- South Acton had the best increase in recycling rates with a rise of 6.1%. It was followed by Southfields and Northolt Mandeville (4.1% increase each). Each ward won £20,000.
At the other end of the spectrum, Southall Green came last with the worst participation rates and results. On average, only 38.3% of its residents participated in recycling.
Ealing rewarded wards rather than individuals. The prizes will be used to improve local facilities.
It is not just the wards that profited from this award: during the 7-month survey, the council as a whole spent £231,000 less in landfill tax according to the Ealing Gazette.
Ealing’s incentive initiative is fairly new in the UK. Only two other councils have recently organised recycling rewards schemes: Windsor and Maidenhead (RecycleBank scheme) and Cornwall. These schemes aim at rewarding the residents directly, rather than wards, with shopping vouchers, discounts and offers at local shops and restaurants.
Recycling reward scheme
May 30, 2011 at 3:17 pm
Residents in Lambeth who recycle waste each week will be awarded points by the London Council that can be redeemed as vouchers for shopping and recreational activities.
The initiative has seen the London borough team up with Recyclebank, who offer rewards and loyalty schemes to the environmentally conscious. The recently launched programme is aimed at residents living on housing estates to begin with and if successful, it will be extended to the whole community within 12 months, said Lambeth Council.
The implementation of the Recyclebank scheme, in partnership with waste management provider, Veolia Environmental Services (VEP), is part of Lambeth Council’s plans to encourage its residents to recycle and reduce the amount it spends on waste. Its residents are the first in London to adopt the scheme.
According to Lambeth Council, the programme will enable 51,000 housing estate properties to start earning points for recycling waste and in return be rewarded for their efforts. Residents could save up to £75 a year to spend in restaurants or when buying clothes or books, said the Council.
VEP explained that residents will be able to let Recyclebank know that they have recycled each week by phone, on-line or by using a free iPhone application. Those who choose to join the scheme will receive 300 bonus points on registration and 10 points each week that they report their recycling.
As many as 100 local reward partners have been recruited to take part in the scheme, as well as several national partners such as Coca Cola and Marks and Spencer.
Sue Igoe, UK managing director of Recyclebank said that Lambeth was the first borough to introduce the “new community solution” and that the scheme had been developed to “tackle the challenging issues of recycling in flats head on”.
Tesco bans council recycling bins in its car parks
May 24, 2011 at 3:00 pm
Supermarket giant Tesco is forcing councils around the UK to remove their recycling bins from their car parks by June of this year. The company wants to install and profit from its own recycling facilities (installed by contractor DS Smith). There will be no visible difference for consumers at first: they will have access to Tesco’s high tech recycling bins that scan items one by one and “decide” if they are suitable for recycling. These bins can receive plastic, cans and glass, but not paper.
Tesco’s decision has angered city councils as it entails losing a large amount of revenue, somewhere between £50,000 and £80,000 per year according to the Daily Mail. Indeed, in some local authorities, Tesco’s council bins have made up to 25% of recycling points.
Councils use reprocessors that convert most of the waste into reusable and sellable materials. For example, recycled paper can be used by the newspaper industry, glass can be reground into sand and plastic transformed into plastic bags. Councils have been motivated by the growing demand for recycled materials, especially paper.
Income from recycled goods is used by councils to maintain smaller recycling points, as well as to recoup sorting, processing and haulage costs. Unfortunately, Tesco’s decision may mean that ultimately shoppers lose out on some of their council services. What’s more, councils can be fined if they don’t meet recycling targets set out by the government.
The supermarket chain claims that it will invest in community projects to make up for the loss suffered by local authorities.
Biofuel crops being grown on landfill sites
May 9, 2011 at 2:55 pm
The rising demand for biofuel has led the WRG (Waste Recycling Group) to come up with a novel way to produce its own. The group has just announced that it will be planting biofuel crops on land that was formerly being used as landfill sites.
Biofuel is being suggested as one of the solutions to global warming because it is carbon neutral – the carbon it uses to grow is then used up in the fuel, so no extra carbon gets released into the atmosphere.
The WRG has now begun to plant the biofuel crops on a total of 14 landfill sites across England, and it will harvest these once a year and sell them to Drax Power Station in Selby where they will be converted into biomass fuel.
The group carried out a test project on three hectares of land at Breighton landfill site which is located in Yorkshire. The success of this test project has led it to expand the project to 100 hectares on numerous sites.
It will be growing a combination of SRC (short rotation coppice) and miscanthus grass on the old landfill sites. It will take three years before they can first be harvested, but after that the crops will produce eight to 12 tonnes per hectare each year.
Miscanthus grass is a high-yielding crop which grows very quickly even in bad quality soil. Once planted it keeps on returning each year for up to 30 years, making it ideal for growing on the old landfill sites. Funding for the project is coming from Natural England.
The senior restoration and energy crop manager at WRT, Mark Pailing, called the project an “exciting development”.
North-East plant proves viability of mixed plastics recycling
April 27, 2011 at 2:49 pm
A new recycling plant in Redcar on Teesside is leading the way when it comes to sorting and recycling different plastic types – an involved process that has so far proved beyond the capability of most other plants across the UK.
Since the disappearance of heavy industry in the north-east, high employment has dogged the region. For example, the closure of the world-famous Swan Hunter shipyard in Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, meant a proud workforce there was reduced from several thousand to just 200 (in 2008).
Many people either relocated south (if they could afford to), or remained in cities such as Newcastle, Middlesbrough and Sunderland (and their surrounding areas), snapping up the low number of unskilled jobs available, or simply resigning themselves to years on the dole.
The sudden creation of many green jobs on Teesside has been a revelation, therefore. The recent rescue of the Tata Steelworks in Scunthorpe (now finally in the black) created similar optimism, but with recycling being regarded by many as ‘the future’, the feeling in Redcar is that those lucky enough to have been taken on there may well enjoy secure employment for many years to come.
At the plant, workers are fully trained in all forms of plastic rescue, but the laborious process of sorting different items by hand (according to plastic-type, etc.) has been replaced by a pioneering, innovative new system where all forms of plastic are made reusable through the adoption of an integrated approach.
And so, the days of separately sorting items such as plastic bags, dessert pots, sandwich packaging, and microwave meal trays seem to have been finally consigned to history, which is not only a benefit to those working in recycling, but also to consumers (who can often be confused over which of their household waste items are recyclable, and which aren’t).
Lord Henley, the junior environment minister responsible for waste and recycling, said: “The innovative technology will make life easier for families who have puzzled over recycling their yoghurt tubs and food trays. It is also a welcome boost to green jobs in the north-east!”
Tetra Pak sustainability concerns
April 11, 2011 at 2:52 pm
A question mark over Tetra Pak items’ sustainability is once again the ‘talk of recycling’ in the UK. With the majority of Tetra Pak recyclables being exported to Sweden for reprocessing, many local authorities in the UK are choosing not to collect Tetra Pak items at kerbside.
The lack of a domestic recycling capacity for Tetra Pak drinks cartons (since the closure of the Smith Anderson recycling plant in Fife in 2006) is forcing the company to work hard on developing a viable UK reprocessing option.
As one of the world’s foremost food processors and packagers, Tetra Pak prides itself on providing millions of people across the globe with environmentally-friendly products. Founded in 1951, Tetra Pak now operates in almost 200 markets, and employs thousands of people. They have always been recognised for their innovative approach to packaging design.
It is perhaps surprising, then, that their enviable reputation could be irreparably damaged, unless a UK reprocessing option is not established soon; after all, if Tetra Pak items are always left at kerbside (while other companies’ packaging is regularly taken away) Tetra Pak could soon be perceived as the eco-friendly processing and packaging company that’s ‘being left behind’.
After the closure of the Smith Anderson plant, Tetra Pak asked several UK paper mills to participate in ‘trials’: the mass incineration and recycling of millions of used Tetra Pak cartons of all shapes and sizes (particularly all post-consumer beverage cartons); however, this proved unsuccessful, due largely to increased energy costs.
Although shipping the used cartons to Sweden (and its neighbouring countries) obviously costs more in transport expenditure, the Scandinavian option still works out cheaper for Tetra Pak overall.
