Carpet Recycling UK launches database on HWRCs that recycle carpets
Carpet Recycling UK has launched a database of Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) which accept carpet and other textile flooring waste. 
The search function allows households to find disposal options in their area – covering all UK local authorities.
The site also has direct links to council websites with up-to-date disposal guidelines and tailored information on HWRCs and programmes specific to each postcode.
Cathie Clarke, CEO of Carpet Recycling UK, commented: “By providing easy access to local information, we aim to develop wider awareness and create better accessibility for the disposal of carpet and textile flooring waste across the country.”
QM Recycled Energy opens new Kent headquarters
QM Recycled Energy (QMRE) has taken over new headquarters in Kent, where it will run its nationwide operations.
The location will also serve as the main test and development location for its plastic waste-2-oil processing.
QMRE said that the factory portion of the site is currently being fitted to facilitate a 24-hour shift system where QMRE’s and technology partner Eagle Technology’s VIXLA system will process plastic waste back into oil, before being further processed back into new and renewable plastic.
Tim StClair-Pearce, QMRE CEO, said: “This is a highly significant chapter in the development of QMRE’s nationwide network of plastic waste-2-oil systems. We have spent several years, large sums of investment funds and persevered with finding the right engineering solutions to reach the stage where we can begin to start the roll-out of the network.”
The site is located in Kingsnorth Industrial Estate, Hoo, Rochester, Kent.
Vinted adds electronics category to resale site
Resale site Vinted recently announced that it has added a category for electronics.
The category features items such as audio devices (headphones and speakers), wearables (fitness trackers and smartwatches), and games consoles.
Vinted said its goal is to help customers “make smart, more sustainable choices”. However, the move has come with warnings from the industry.
James Murdock, co-founder of circular tech company Alchemy, cautioned: “The terms used to describe the condition of devices on Vinted are the same ones used for clothes, even though electronics are a completely different category. In the circular economy, we’ve spent a lot of time developing specific grading systems for electronics that are clear and easy to understand.
“Buying a device on Vinted comes with its risks because there’s no guarantee for it. Unlike clothes, which you can often alter or mend yourself, electronics are much harder to fix without professional help.
“Buying cheap devices that don’t last isn’t great for your wallet or for the environment.”
Devon’s recycling centres divert 10k tonnes of items from landfill
Devon county council has announced that its reuse shops have diverted more than 10,000 tonnes of discarded items from landfill since 2012.
Located at recycling centres, the county’s 18 reuse shops sell reconditioned items ranging from furniture, televisions and bicycles to gardening equipment, books and tools.
Councillor Roger Croad celebrated the milestone: “This achievement not only demonstrates Devon county council’s commitment to reducing environmental impact but also Suez’s innovative ways of working with waste and prioritising reuse over recycling and waste disposal.
“By providing affordable items for reuse it’s helped to enable individuals and families to access essential goods while also reducing their carbon footprint.”
The recycling centres and reuse shops are operated by Suez recycling and recovery UK.
Rowan machine produces organic soup with 99.939% purity
Rowan Food and Biomass Engineering has announced that testing has shown an output of organic soup with a purity of 99.939%.
The organic soup is produced using its Dominator Depackaging Machine which separates and removes outer packaging and reuses the waste that would have otherwise been send to landfill.
Matthew Rowan, director at Rowan Food and Biomass, said: “We’re delighted with these results, which evidence the purity we’ve always known we can achieve. We believe this to be a real advantage, not just to our customers pockets when it comes to reducing downstream costs, but more widely to protecting the environmental factors so important to us all.
“With the recent reforms around food waste in the UK, many local governments and their contractors will be needing to think carefully about how they process the additional waste. Purity should be high in that decision making process – again for the benefit of us all.”
The results come ahead of mandatory food waste collections for local authorities.
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