Biffa’s Taunton MRF fire still impacting nearby HWRC
Following a fire at Biffa’s materials recycling facility in Taunton earlier this month which closed Somerset’s nearby HWRC, the council is keeping other facilities nearby open for seven days a week.
The fire on 3 October at the facility left Biffa’s MRF “structurally unsafe” (see letsrecycle.com story) and saw the nearby HWRC shut.
Somerset council is now keeping sites in Wellington and Bridgwater open 7 days a week.
The council advised visitors to be aware that Wellington is currently experiencing a surge in visitors, especially on Wednesdays, which was previously the site’s first day of the week for opening.
If possible, visitors from Taunton have been requested to consider avoiding the Wellington site and opt for the Bridgwater Recycling Site instead, as it tends to have fewer visitors on Wednesdays.
To handle the increased demand, teams from the Taunton recycling site have been redeployed to provide assistance at both Wellington and Bridgwater sites and the site will remain close until further notice. At this point in time the cause of the fire is still unknown
Restart project issues plea to UK government
To mark International Repair Day on 21 October , the Restart Project, in collaboration with repair cafes, businesses, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), has launched a new Repair and Reuse Declaration.
This declaration calls upon the UK government to take steps to make repair more affordable and expand the right to repair regulations to encompass all consumer products.
This declaration emphasises the importance of making it easier for people to repair their products and pass them on for a second life. Members of Parliament (MPs) from different political parties, including the Conservative, Labour, and Lib Dems, have already endorsed this declaration.
A YouGov poll commissioned for Repair Day revealed that only 28% of Brits were able to successfully fix or have fixed their last broken electrical item. The poll also showed strong public support for government action on repair, with 85% backing the expansion of the Right to Repair regulations to cover all appliances and devices.
In addition, at least 79% of respondents supported all the policies recommended in the Repair and Reuse Declaration.
Sarah Ottaway, sustainability & social values lead at Suez recycling and recovery UK, said: “We’re committed to planning and designing for a future where re-use and repair is more mainstream, and this International Repair Day we’re calling on Government and local authorities to recognise the significant opportunities for re-use and repair, and accelerate efforts to make it more affordable and accessible for people. As it stands we will not be able to achieve net zero unless we consume less. This means integrating repair and reuse practices into our daily lives – keeping resources in active use for much longer than we do currently.”
Plastic supply chain issues plea to EU
Associations from across the plastic supply chain including INCPEN and the British Plastics Federation (BPF) have issued a plea to European Union Member States for the adoption of mass balance fuel-use exemption for chemical recycling.
A recent report from June 2023 highlighted that 19 EU countries face a high risk of failing to meet their plastic packaging recycling targets. Presently, the EU’s plastics recycling rate stands at 38%, with a 2025 target of 50%.
While mechanical and physical recycling methods continue to advance, chemical recycling offers “a unique opportunity to complement existing efforts,” the group said, “helping the EU achieve its recycling targets, including those related to packaging and automotive”.
The plea says that the implementation of a mass balance fuel-use exempt approach as a catalyst for the swift expansion of chemical recycling. A substantial estimated investment of 8 billion euros is on the horizon, with the aim of producing 2.8 million metric tons of recycled plastics through chemical recycling across various EU Member States by 2030.
Student drawings adorn Hounslow’s recycling vehicles
Two children from Chatsworth Primary School in Hounslow have had their drawings installed onto refuse vehicles from the London borough of Hounslow after winning a council competition.
The students submitted the drawings to the councils ‘No time to waste’ campaign and a panel of judges determined that the
Chatsworth students had produced the most innovative drawings, and they were chosen from a pool of entries submitted by primary schools throughout the borough.
Councillor Guy Lambert, Hounslow council’s cabinet member for highways, recycling and health integration, said: “I was delighted to meet both children, and better still was to see both students so happy to have their artwork installed onto our waste and recycling vehicles. Empowering young people to speak out is a hugely important part of effective climate action globally, and it will only have a positive effect on our borough too.
“The students are brilliant examples of passionate young people in Hounslow who want to make a difference to where we live.”
Subscribe for free