Yoyo paper
December 24, 2008 at 11:26 am
If you have ever worked in an office you will have an idea of how much paper is thrown away each day. It is estimated that businesses in the UK use 500 million sheets a day, all of which could (in theory at least) be re-used up to seven times but in fact hardly ever is.
Yoyo is a service for businesses which gives benefits both in terms of the business budget and the environment, by recycling the waste paper and returning it to businesses for use. Paper is collected from the business at the same time as the recycled paper is delivered in order to minimise travel costs as well as the process’ carbon footprint.
The exact type of service will depend on the nature of your business and the documents that are being recycled. Non-confidential documents are suitable for Yoyo’s standard service whilst Recycle Plus, which involves shredding the documents, is the best option for papers which you may wish to prevent others from seeing. If you have documents which must not be seen under any circumstances by unauthorised staff either inside or outside the business, or which have to be destroyed under the Data Protection Act then the Confidential Service is appropriate. This can be provided either on a regular or one-off basis.
Yoyo Full Circle provides both colour and natural paper suitable for copying, faxing, printing, or correspondence, all made from recycled paper. If you want brand new paper (or virgin as it is known), you can also order Yoyo Fresh, which is made from certified forest sources.
To work out how much money your business could save with Yoyo see the online calculator.
Recycling plant at centre of Irish pork scare
December 24, 2008 at 11:25 am
The world of recycling has been hit with some bad and unwanted press after it was revealed that the recent Irish pork scare has been blamed on a recycling plant in County Carlow which produces pig feed from recycled waste.
The problem started when polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) showed up in testing. This product has been banned in Ireland since the 1970s.
Once it had been discovered, the scale of the problem soon became clear, with 47 farms in Ireland and 9 farms in Northern Ireland understood to have been affected. The potential danger to consumers of the pork had much wider implications, with up to 25 countries receiving the meat. However, the risk to health is apparently low, and the general advice is that people should not be worrying too much.
Individuals who do have cause for anxiety are the employees at Millstream Power Recycling, the recycling plant at the centre of it all. The safety breach is a disaster for the plant, as something like this does not simply get brushed under the carpet. There will certainly be a long and detailed analysis which will aim to discover what could possibly have gone wrong.
With food scandals arising with some frequency in the news recently (a notable example is the devastating Chinese tainted-milk scandal which has hit the headlines over the last few months), it is more important than ever that strict rules are kept, in order to prevent potentially dangerous problems from occurring in the first place.
Let’s hope that the exact cause of the Irish pork problem is discovered in order to prevent something similar happening again, as next time it could occur on a far more devastating scale.
Vacuum waste system comes to Wembley
December 22, 2008 at 8:20 pm
With all the job losses and rising unemployment figures being seen across the country recently, the dustbin men of Wembley must feel fairly hard done by after the arrival of the new employee on the block, which has emerged in the shape of a new vacuum underground waste system.
The Wembley City housing project cost £2.5 billion to build, so it is not exactly a surprise that this lavish project was chosen as the location for the first such system in the UK to be installed.
The role of the new system, made by Swedish company Envac, is to collect recyclable, residual, and organic waste disposed of by the residents, and to suck it all away at speeds up to 50 mph to a central system from where it is finally carried away to be reprocessed. Julian Gaylor is the managing director of Envac, and he has recently claimed that the waste from 700 households can be collected in a matter of minutes.
This may seem slightly futuristic but Envac has actually been operating for nearly 50 years and the systems have already been installed in over 30 countries across the world. Therefore, the UK is actually playing catch up by installing a system in Wembley.
The system will benefit up to 8,000 people and, as well as speeding things up significantly, it will also make it a lot easier for people to get into the habit of recycling since it takes all of the hassle out of the process.
Hopefully this will be used as a trial scheme to monitor its success so that maybe one day we can all look forward to something similar in our own towns and cities.
Bomb-proof recycling bins for London streets
December 15, 2008 at 4:57 pm
Next year will see the installation of bomb-proof recycling bins on the streets of central London. The bins will be produced by Media Metrica and are expected to cost approximately £30,000 each to construct and install. This expense has been justified by the chief operating officer of the company, Brian James, who believes that “the blast technology is basically military technology. It’s very expensive to put in”. The bins, which have been extensively tested by the company in New Mexico, will be made from a steel composite which has the ability to absorb the force of an explosion.
The company will also finance the maintenance of the recycling bins after signing a contract with the City of London local authority, which will not run out for another fifteen years. Media Metrica is currently holding talks with potential sponsors in the corporate sector and the bins will hopefully be seen on the streets of central London by the end of next year.
As well as providing Londoners with a safe option for recycling, the bins will also provide them with the latest weather information and regular news updates, thanks to hi-tech LCD screens. These screens will always provide a reliable picture to shoppers and commuters, as a result of light-sensitive technology. This technology will ensure that the screens either brighten or dim automatically depending on the weather conditions at the current moment in time. Furthermore, Brian James remains hopeful that all of the screens will be powered using solely green technology.
Waste processing industry faces collapse
December 3, 2008 at 4:16 pm
The British recycling industry is facing collapse unless the government releases funds to assist with the transport and processing of household waste. The global credit crunch has obliterated overseas demand for recyclable junk, and the bottles and cans that would have normally been shipped to China are being stockpiled or sent to landfill sites.
Waste processing facilities all over Europe are refusing to buy recyclable garbage from British firms because market values have hit an all-time low. The price of a ton of waste paper dropped from £50 to a meagre £1 almost overnight. Steel cans have become worthless.
An elderly lady from Cornwall has collected huge quantities of plastic containers, bread bags, and yoghurt pots in her garage. “The local council won’t take it”, Mrs Oates-Koomen explained, “They say there’s no market for it in this country. So I have no choice but to collect it in a plastic bag.”
Her plight is becoming increasingly common among British householders. Hertfordshire council has warned residents that they will no longer be allowed to recycle margarine tubs, whilst Devon and Scarborough councils have begun stockpiling plastic to prevent an ecological disaster.
In Cambridge, paper recycling bins are being axed. The surplus paper is being ploughed into fields used for farming.
The European Union wants all member states to recycle fifty percent of all household and construction waste by 2020 but, in the wake of the recent financial crisis, many countries are struggling to justify their recycling campaigns. Landfill sites, the bottle bin’s evil twin, may be about to make a brief comeback.
Massive Incinerator to be built in Doncaster
November 27, 2008 at 2:50 pm
A giant waste incinerator is to be built in Doncaster. The scheme, which has seen three local councils join forces, aims to increase the provisions available for recycling centres whilst reducing pressure on local landfill sites.
The three councils, namely Doncaster, Barnsley, and Sheffield, have drawn up a shortlist of thirteen different sites that could potentially become the new home for the high-tech facility.
Sites at Kirk Sandall and Carcroft, an existing landfill site in Hatfield, and three quarries are among the locations that will meet the public vote in the middle of December. Robin Hood Airport, the abandoned power station at Thorpe Marsh, and Doncaster Lakeside Leisure Park have been recently removed from the list.
The Dearne Valley region is responsible for disposing of some 611,000 tonnes of waste every year, a third of which must be recycled or composted to achieve targets set by the European Union last month.
Incineration has long been regarded as a confounding variable in the fight against pollution – effectively replacing physical debris with toxic smoke and gases – but a series of unique technologies will allow the new facility to ‘clean’ unpleasant gases before they are ejected. Chemical and biological waste will also be processed at the site.
The incinerator is steadily increasing in popularity amongst UK councils. A £39.3m structure has also been approved in Barnstable, Devon, provided that it can generate usable energy from the waste it destroys.
Unfortunately, incinerators are ugly and smelly, and unless incineration becomes completely ‘clean’, developers are going to face prolonged resistance from NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) groups concerned about the heavy metals and dioxins produced as a by-product of the incineration process.
High Wycombe introduces on-street recycling
November 18, 2008 at 1:47 pm
Shoppers pounding the streets of High Wycombe will be able to recycle in the town centre thanks to an innovative new trial of on-street recycling litter bins. A total of ten recycling banks will be placed in the town centre for three months, allowing shoppers to dispose of drinks cans, bottles and newspapers in an environmentally-friendly fashion. Red bins will take plastic and cans, whilst blue bins will welcome paper.
The scheme has not yet been officially approved but the prospect has excited locals and is likely to go ahead. The bins will cost approximately £500 and the money will come from an existing budget set aside for street cleaning.
The good news is that this proposal is not another example of the local council trying to make people feel guilty about recycling. Rather, the Wycombe District Council has revealed that local people are regularly expressing their desire to see recycling facilities introduced in the town centre. Sam Clements, the coordinator of Wycombe Friends of the Earth, has called the scheme “fantastic” and believes that any move which encourages waste management is a real step forward in the fight to spread the recycling word.
Clements continued to speculate about the importance of the on-street recycling bins. People are generally more than happy to recycle at home because it is convenient to do so. However, if you buy a can of drink whilst out shopping, it is unlikely that the can will make the journey home with you. It therefore makes sense for the council to introduce this scheme.
Scarborough residents facing court action after refusing to recycle properly
November 12, 2008 at 2:59 pm
Many people in the UK believe that recycling is a bit of an inconvenience. It is all too easy to become lazy and chuck your newspaper and empty beer can in the normal waste bin. Whilst you may think that no harm will come from behaviour such as this, you could actually get into a lot of trouble. The local council in Scarborough has revealed that dozens of people in the local area are currently facing court action after ignoring basic recycling rules and regulations.
One of the most extreme cases described by the council involves a resident who placed his car engine in his blue household recycling bin whilst numerous other residents have tried to recycle needles. The council’s recycling development officer, Harry Briggs, believes that placing needles in recycling bins is dangerous and is a problem which needs to be tackled. Fines of up to £100 have been handed out to residents who have contaminated their bins by putting in the wrong kinds of rubbish. For individuals facing court action the maximum penalty is £1000.
Scarborough as a region has tried hard to improve its recycling reputation. A multi-million pound plant located at Seamer Carr has recently started to collect and sort the borough’s waste. It is now responsible for sending the waste to various places across the world to be properly recycled. Harry Briggs is happy that Scarborough is now recycling 35% of its waste but this figure needs to increase if the borough is to reach its target of 40% by 2010. The council is hopeful that a new focus upon recycling glass will help this goal become a reality.
EU sets 50% recycling target
November 4, 2008 at 1:09 pm
The European Union (EU) has revealed its commitment to a deal which will force member states to recycle 50% of all household waste by 2020. The proposal is an umbrella scheme which encompasses the prevention of waste, energy recovery, and the adoption of sensible and achievable recycling projects that can operate within the local community.
Several councils have set themselves far more enthusiastic targets, with many hoping to achieve the new goals within the next five years. Rochdale council has pledged to cut annual waste in half by 2011 and aims to become the ‘green’ jewel in Manchester’s crown long before the target date set by the EU.
Cambridge council, on the other hand, has been left feeling slightly concerned by the proposed scheme. Many of the terraced housing estates around the city have poor access to recycling facilities and there is little additional space for recycling bins.
The new scheme, which is an amendment to the Waste Framework Directive, comes in the form of an instruction manual which outlines safe disposal methods for common household waste. Hazardous materials, such as oil and medical or radioactive garbage, are also taken into consideration.
Landfill sites are regarded as a last resort and, in general, they are rapidly falling out of favour with a large proportion of European councils.
Member states will be allowed to construct and maintain their own schemes but participation is compulsory for all EU countries. The European Council wants to see citizens make a conscious effort to recycle plastic, paper, metal, and a large proportion of construction debris before the EU, with its plethoric waste, becomes too filthy to clean.
Recycling abroad
October 29, 2008 at 1:27 pm
The UK has been dubbed ‘the dustbin of Europe’ because we throw so much away in comparison to the rest of Europe. The government are encouraging people to recycle more and although it has become more popular in the UK, our continental counterparts are still streets ahead.
Germany, Austria & Switzerland
Germany and its German-speaking neighbours, Austria and Switzerland, take recycling seriously. There are even laws about separating your rubbish. Houses and apartment buildings all have several bins that are colour-coded to tell you where to dispose of your paper, glass, packaging and ‘green’ waste such as food and garden trimmings. There are even colour-coded bins in train stations, so there really is no excuse.
Supermarkets offer disposal of packaging before you leave the premises and batteries are to be returned to the stores for safe disposal. Drinks containers are cleaned thoroughly before reuse. Almost all bottles carry ‘Pfand’, a deposit refunded on return of the bottle. This deposit is normally between 15 and 25 euro cents, depending on the bottle’s size and material.
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is often considered to be the ‘greenest’ area of Europe. This is not just because of its large areas of woodland and lakes but because Scandinavian governments have set high standards. Like their southern neighbours, Denmark, Norway and Sweden also have separate rubbish disposal for paper, plastics, glass, medicines, metals, chemical waste… in fact almost anything you can think of!
Southern Europe
However, it is a different story for the laidback, carefree Europeans in the south. In Greece recycling bins are almost unheard of and the capital, Athens, is now being described as a ‘toxic time bomb’ (International Herald Tribune, 2007) due to the waste management crisis there.
And the situation is no better in Italy, where recycling facilities differ from area to area. Inhabitants of Rome face hundreds of euros in fines if they do not recycle and the city has 2500 new colour-coded bins for separating rubbish. In contrast, Naples is struggling with a disposal dilemma similar to Athens’.
France, Spain and Bulgaria will be facing similar crises if they do not act soon.
So, while we might not be as bad as the Athenians, we still have a lot to learn from our friends in the cold north.
