Suez report reveals UK’s reuse potential
A report launched by Suez recycling and recovery UK has indicated that the development of a “thriving reuse and repair market” has the potential to generate £63 million annually within the next five years.
The report, titled ‘reuse – seizing the opportunity’, was released earlier this month.
it looks at the scale of the opportunity being missed locally, regionally and nationally and the potential benefits that re-use could deliver to the UK’s growing green economy if it becomes more mainstream.
Suez estimates that there are nearly 13 million items per year that the sector is missing the opportunity to put back into use, and more than 35,500 items that could be reused are currently disposed of every day at household waste recycling centres.
The report calls for Government policy to set an ambitious agenda through the maximising resources and minimising waste programme, with clear targets and timescales to give direction to both industry and the value chain.
Some of the key recommendations in the report include:
- Local authorities can take the lead – councils should consider incorporating re-use and repair within an authority’s organisational or resources and waste strategy, and work with contractors and service providers in order to deliver the best long-term results.
- The third sector as a key player – the third sector will continue to play an important role in supporting vulnerable groups in society, the development of a more business-based approach to re-use will compliment the significant efforts of the third sector, as it brings with it new, skilled paid jobs and a higher rate of re-use and repair of items across the economy.
Sarah Ottaway, sustainability and social value lead at Suez recycling and recovery UK, said: “By embedding re-use and repair at the fore of a more circular economy, we have the potential to create thousands of green jobs and make significant carbon savings which would contribute to the UK’s net zero target. This is an opportunity for the UK to lead the circular economy, creating benefits that support national agendas, from levelling up to net zero and economic growth.”
Somerset to trial soft plastics scheme
Residents of selected areas in Frome will soon have the chance to recycle their soft plastics.
The new scheme, which is being run by the Somerset Waste Partnership, will be trialled in areas of Frome to test the viability of the service.
Soft plastics, which include items such as bread bags, fruit and vegetable bags, and crisp packets, are not typically recycled by local councils due to the difficulty in processing them. The trial, which is set to run for six months, will give residents the chance to recycle their soft plastics at home, reducing the amount of plastic waste that ends up in landfills or polluting the environment.
Councillor Sarah Dyke, portfolio holder for climate and environment at Mendip District Council, said: “We’re excited to be working with Somerset Waste Partnership and Polyco to pilot this scheme in Frome. Recycling soft plastics is a challenge for many local authorities, and we’re keen to explore new ways to increase the amount of waste we can recycle in the area.
“We hope that this scheme will be successful and that it will pave the way for further improvements to our recycling services in the future.”
Residents in the selected areas will be provided with special recycling bags that can be used to collect their soft plastics. These bags can then be placed in their regular recycling bin on their designated collection day. They will receive more information about the trial in the coming weeks, including details on how to participate and what items can be recycled.
CIWM names junior VP
The CIWM has announced the election of Dr David Greenfield as junior VP.
The association said David brings a “huge wealth of experience and expertise to CIWM across both waste management and the circular economy”. He currently holds a number of positions, including: Managing director and founder of SONECS; co-founder of Tech-Takeback and a professor of circular economy at the University of Brighton.
Mr Greenfield said: “I am delighted to be appointed to the CIWM Presidential Team as Junior Vice President (elect) during the Institution’s 125th year. With a long history of supporting the sector and a thousands-strong community of experts, CIWM is uniquely placed to drive change, lead the transition to a circular economy and, ultimately, move the world beyond waste. I am excited to be a part of it and can’t wait to get started.”
Daera announces waste conviction
The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) in Northern Ireland has said it secured a £1,000 fine against a man for illegally burying and burning waste.
A Daera statement said Patrick Murphy, 70, of Ryan Road, Mayobridge, was fined a total of £1,000 at Newry Magistrates’ Court on 17 April for a series of waste offences.The Northern Irish regulator said that on 25 January 2018, officers from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) carried out an intrusive survey on lands controlled by Patrick Murphy on the Ryan Road in which waste was found to be buried on the site.
Daera added that this waste included various mixed waste and waste fines and was buried in an area previously subject to an NIEA Remediation project in 2016, in which deposited waste was repatriated to the Republic of Ireland. “The waste found during the 2018 survey was found to have been deposited after the 2016 Remediation,” they added.
The regulator went on to say that in 2018, Agency officers returned to the site to find the waste still in situ, as well as a large pile of smoking mixed waste, indicating that waste was being burnt on the site.
There were no waste management authorisations to allow waste to be deposited or burnt on the site, Daera added.
The NIEA was awarded a total of £900 in court costs.
Subscribe for free