Tag Archives: recycling

News, North of England

Pioneering entrepreneur launches The Clever Carbon Company to help protect the planet

A pioneering entrepreneur has launched a series of ventures aimed at helping protect the planet by improving the sustainable practices of businesses and individuals.

David Oates, 45, has established The Clever Carbon Company, based in Worsley, Greater Manchester, with a mission to bring about change by rethinking the way that products are designed, made, used and decommissioned at their end of life.

He already runs a consultancy business called Mouthful, focused on advising the hospitality sector on strategy and growth opportunities. He is also a sessional lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University.

Previously, he had a varied career including roles as a manager in the strategy team at professional services giant KPMG and later as head of strategy at LateRooms.

He has a master’s degree in materials science from the University of Sheffield, an MBA from Leeds University Business School, and is a fellow of the Strategic Planning Society.

David has received support for The Clever Carbon Company from the GC Business Growth Hub, and funding from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and British Business Bank.

He has also been collaborating with the University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Salford on research and development projects linked to aspects such as materials science, rapid prototyping, innovation and digital enablement.

Through a blend of product and service design and using innovative technologies, The Clever Carbon Company explores and identifies solutions in industries such as consumer products and clothing, which are currently the largest contributors to landfill.

The first priority area for The Clever Carbon Company is tackling the impact of single-use materials in the personal care industry.

This has led to NeuTrail, a novel refillable dispenser for personal care products such as shampoo or handwash. Using circular design, it is made from a single, recycled material, which makes the product easier to recycle repeatedly, and it has a simple, gravity-fed design. which makes it easier to use, even for people with mobility issues.

NeuTrail is being manufactured with short UK-based supply chains via 3D-print technology, meaning each dispenser can be personalised. The range has already gained listings in a number of catalogues offering sustainable consumer products.

David’s second priority area is clothing and textiles. The Clever Carbon Company is developing solutions for high-demand, non-discretionary clothing, such as uniforms and workwear, through a venture named Cottonopoly.

Partnering with UK manufacturers, Cottonopoly supplies cotton or polycotton garments, initially school cardigans and sweaters.

Parents pay a deposit on each garment, which is then refunded when the item is returned after use. Returns then have an extended life as either pre-loved clothing or by being recycled into products of similar quality.

Cottonopoly has been conducting a trial of the takeback scheme at St Mark’s Church of England Primary School in Worsley and plans to roll out in other parts of the UK later this year.

Father-of-two David said: “We’re providing affordable, sustainable clothing and are incentivising parents to return items they no longer need so they can be renewed, re-used or recycled.

“Having young children, I am fully aware how many garments families can get through, and how they eventually end up being discarded.

“Every year, millions of school garments end up in landfill sites or are incinerated, both of which are very bad for the environment and are quite avoidable.

“Cottonopoly puts an end to single-life clothing, offering high quality and affordable products that can be easily and efficiently repurposed or recycled with negligible waste. Our mission is to reduce the impact of clothing on the planet, as well as on household purse strings.

“We’re collaborating with local mills, reducing the need for transportation. Anything can be sourced cheaply overseas, but the traditional UK textile heartlands are the perfect place to establish short, UK-based supply chains, which will be an essential part of tackling demanding environmental targets.

“Manchester and the surrounding area have deservedly been considered a hub of innovation ever since the Spinning Jenny and Spinning Mule effectively triggered the Industrial Revolution in the late 18th Century. At Cottonopoly we are continuing this tradition with a 21st century twist that puts consumers at its heart.”

David is looking to expand Cottonopoly to include other school uniform overgarments such as trousers and shirts, as well as workwear and potentially leisurewear. Customers will be able to buy items online via the company’s website or its app.

He is also separately selling the technology incorporated into NeuTrail and Cottonopoly under the brand name Scan&.

“NeuTrail and Cottonopoly are both underpinned by the same traceable takeback technology which keeps track of every product we make, including what it’s made from, who uses it and when it’s time to ultimately repair, re-use or recycle it,” he said.

“We use circular-design and traceable takeback technology to provide products that last longer and don’t end up being discarded, thereby inspiring people to become more conscious consumers.

“Our technology tracks all our products through their entire lifecycle, which makes returning them effortless. Users are better able to keep track of what they buy and are directly rewarded for returning the items at their end of life.

“If society is to meet challenging climate targets in the years to come, this circular way of thinking about products will need to become more commonplace, which is where The Clever Carbon Company comes in.

“Currently the sustainability landscape is confusing to both businesses and members of the public. The Clever Carbon Company is all about making sustainable practice more accessible and practical.”

News

Waste management giant preparing thousands of customers for landmark shift in recycling laws

A LEADING waste management company is preparing customers for a landmark shift in recycling laws.

From April 6 workplaces across Wales must sort and separate all waste – including paper and card, food, glass, metal, plastic, and unsold textiles – before collection, or face strict financial penalties.

The new Welsh Government legislation will impact all businesses across the country, but according to ASH Waste Services, very few are even aware of the rules and the fines they’ll receive if they don’t comply.

Employing more than 300 people at its sites in Wrexham, Chester, Birmingham, Barnsley and Widnes, the firm is urging private sector organisations nationwide to get in touch ahead of the deadline for one of its free waste audits, and for support and guidance.

“We have more than 15,000 customers in the UK but at present this will only affect those in Wales, many of which have yet to address the issue,” said Steve Rymill, Health, Safety, Environment and Quality Director at ASH Waste Services.

“Some don’t even know about this, but it is a huge change to recycling regulations, it’s a legal requirement however big the business is – companies of all sizes must take it seriously.

“Enforcement officers will be in place across the country so it’s vital managers and owners talk to staff, contact us or their waste and recycling waste collector, and be prepared for the change by having internal and external waste containers to comply with the law.”

Founded more than 35 years ago by Alan Hassall, ASH Waste Services has more than 2,700 commercial customers in Wales and has already been in contact with them to raise awareness and begin the switchover.

A certified carbon neutral company itself, new electric vehicles are being rolled out as part of a £5m investment – in addition to its 100+ fleet of bin and skip wagons – in response to growth and to help manage an increase in demand and modifications in the collection system.

As Wales is currently third in the world for recycling household waste, the Welsh Government is determined to repeat that success on the commercial side.

Group Managing Director Neil Hassall says food and drink businesses – notably takeaways and fast-food restaurants – will be particularly affected by changes to workplace recycling.

“We want to work in partnership with them to make the transition as smooth as possible,” he added.

“It’s crucial they don’t bury their heads in the sand or wait until the last minute because this will be a legal requirement, it’s not a choice of whether to do it or not.

“Our team will be on hand to support companies through this process, by organising free waste audits and with information on what steps to take.

“Wales will be the first to implement these laws with England to follow in 2025, it’s one of the biggest changes we’ve seen in our many years of trading and a milestone for the sector.”

For more news and information from ASH Waste Services, visit www.ashwasteservices.co.uk or call 0800 035 0447. Alternatively, email enquiries@ashwasteservices.co.uk.

Visit www.gov.wales/changes-workplace-recycling-guidance-workplaces for more on the new Welsh Government legislation on changes to workplace recycling.

News, Sustainability

How IT procurement holds the key to a greener business

Written by Tim Westbrook, director at Stone Group

With sustainability rising up the agenda for governments, customers and staff alike, more businesses are committing themselves to a greener and more sustainable future. However, many don’t realise the importance of tackling e-waste if they are to truly make changes to their environmental footprint.

The amount of e-waste generated through 2021 was predicted to total an estimated 57.4 million tonnes – greater than the weight of the Great Wall of China, Earth’s heaviest artificial object. Much of this waste ends up in landfill, being incinerated, hoarded, or illegally traded. If no action is taken, the UK is set to become the biggest e-waste producer in Europe per capita by 2024, according to Spring. And, when you consider that the average business upgrade cycle happens every three to four years, an abundance of devices are deemed surplus to requirements on a regular basis.

According to our own research conducted with almost 1,200 employees, 55% place responsibility for tackling this issue firmly with business, a sentiment shared particularly amongst employees aged 25 to 34 and 24 and under with 82% and 74% respectively believing companies should be doing more to make a difference to the problem of e-waste.

So how can you help to tackle this growing problem?

Stop hoarding!

Now that many businesses are settling into new patterns of hybrid working, it is a great time to conduct an audit of your IT estate as there are likely to be many devices that are no longer required and many that have long been gathering dust in rooms and cupboards.  While you may not think this hoarded kit is of any value, making sure that these are disposed of responsibly can have a huge impact as they can go on to have second lives elsewhere and reduce the need for the manufacturing of new kit – more on this later!

Make, use, recycle

Rather than the traditional ‘take, make, dispose’ approach, a lot can be gained through a more circular ‘make, use, recycle’ route. This puts sustainability at the heart of every stage of the IT equipment’s lifecycle and considers how a business can maximise the lifespan of a product through repair or re-use as well as how they can re-use or recycle products when they reach the end of their lifespan. By doing this thinking up front, it also allows the business to be clearer on specification as they have the kit’s entire lifecycle and cost in mind. What’s more, the added environmental and ethical importance of the procurement process can also act as a barrier or deterrent to those employees that buy equipment outside of the agreed specification and process – an age-old and costly headache which leads to engineers and support teams being unable to sufficiently manage the kit.

Buying new is not the only option

As the saying goes, if you do what you’ve always done, you get what you’ve always got, so in order to make a difference, change really has to come right at the beginning of the process.  This could include buying remanufactured or refurbished products, an approach that would not only help to lower e-waste but is more cost-effective and also reduces the carbon footprint and environmental impact of manufacturing new products.

Alternatively, lease or buy-back options could also be a more sustainable route, either leasing the equipment you need for a period of time or buying the technology but with a clause in the contract for the supplier to buy-back all or part of the equipment which they can then go on to remanufacture or reuse.

There is still some hesitation from businesses around these sustainable routes, ranging from a fear of receiving inferior products, inadequate guarantees or a belief that they have a shorter shelf life. In truth, refurbished IT equipment is a great way of achieving the specifications a business needs at a lower cost. Reputable sellers offer refurbished equipment in a ‘like-new’ condition and offer warrantees that rival those for new devices.

Consider how to dispose of your unwanted kit

Whilst our research showed that a quarter of businesses were unsure what happened to their e-waste or admitted sending it to landfill, 2 in 5 (41%) organisations were trying to give their kit a second life by donating it to charities or schools and 31% use an IT asset disposal (ITAD) facility. In fact, those using an ITAD facility were not only reaping the benefits of their equipment being recycled or refurbished but cited the ease of the items being collected from their organisation and the fact that they could trust that data was securely wiped from their devices as significant factors behind their choice.

However, if you go down this route it’s vital to check a company’s ITAD accreditations to ensure their service complies with the necessary environmental and health and safety laws and guidelines. It is also a good idea to ensure they can provide a full report and traceability as proof that your equipment has been disposed of responsibly and make sure you choose a provider that guarantees zero waste to landfill.

Make sure it works for you

If any change is to be permanent, then it needs to work for the business and not be a burden. Your ITAD provider should make it easy for you to book collections via an app or website and, contrary to the many providers who charge a premium for collecting old kit, you should in fact look for a company that will offer rebates for your old equipment as many items will hold a residual value. The money you get back for your old kit can then be put towards your new IT purchases or reallocated elsewhere in the business. An increasing number of ITAD providers also now offer refurbished products from major manufacturers, and the option to tailor each machine to your specifications.

If every business was to adopt even one aspect of this circular procurement approach then it would make a significant impact on the world’s sustainability mission.

Charity & CSR, Education, News

UK’s largest composite decking brand launches national recycling competition for schools

Following its huge success in 2021, the UK’s largest brand of sustainable composite decking and cladding, Composite Prime has launched it’s school recycling programme, ‘Message in a Bottle Top’. 

The nation’s schools are being called upon to highlight the significant impact plastic waste has on the environment by collecting and transforming plastic bottle tops into life-sized art murals and sculptures. The winning school will receive a playground makeover worth £5,000 plus eco-friendly Composite Prime decking. 

Composite Prime director, Charles Taylor commented: “With everything from giant jellyfish to a great white shark, the sculptures created by schools up and down the country were incredibly creative and showcased a huge amount of plastic waste. The response to the 2021 campaign was incredible, it saw 785 schools, 845 teachers, 110,432 children and 194,360 parents collect over 90,000 bottle tops.”

Built in line with the national curriculum and fulfilling learning objectives across art and design, science, maths and citizenship, the Message in a Bottle Top campaign also supports step 4 of the Ecoschools’ seven step programme. The initiative provides teachers and support staff with associated learning resources; including lesson plans, presentations, artist top tips and activity worksheets to complete in class and at home. 

Charles continued: “Our Message in a Bottle Top campaign has been created specifically to target younger generations and Composite Prime is extremely proud to play a small part in educating the next generation about sustainability. We can’t wait to see the engagement with the campaign this year, and the incredible entries we’re hoping to receive.”

Working alongside We are Futures, who run The National Schools Partnership (NSP), the Message in a Bottle Top campaign is a cross curricular programme which inspires key stage one and two pupils to collect and repurpose their own bottle tops into thought-provoking art, showcasing the creatures they hope to protect from plastic pollution.

All competition entries submitted by schools, ahead of the deadline on 20 May 2022, will be independently judged by Composite Prime and the winning school will receive a playground makeover worth £5,000. The top ten schools will have the opportunity to showcase their artwork in an online exhibition and two runners up will receive tablets worth more than £100. 

Charles Taylor added: “We want to demonstrate to children that there are a variety of creative ways to approach environmental sustainability. In the same way these fantastic sculptures are produced from plastic bottle tops, our products are produced from recycled materials; reducing the amount of plastic entering natural ecosystems along the way. We hope that schools across the country feel that the programme shares a very important environmental message with young people about wildlife and the effects plastic waste has on it.” 

Composite Prime creates eco-friendly and socially responsible decking and cladding products, made using recycled plastic and FSC® certified oak wood flour. Each square metre of composite decking contains the equivalent of more than 3,000 plastic bottle caps or 280 plastic bottles. In the seven years of operation the brand has saved the equivalent of 176 million plastic milk bottles from landfill and over 1.8 billion bottle top caps.

Food & Drink, News

ReFood to exhibit at NRB22

ReFood, the UK’s leading food waste recycler, is set to exhibit at this year’s Northern Restaurant & Bar show (NRB22). Taking place at Manchester Central (15-16 March), the event will bring together more than 300 operators and suppliers from across the hospitality sector, promoting ideas, innovation and inspiration.

On stand B29, ReFood will promote its closed-loop, end-to-end food waste recycling service, which helps hospitality and foodservice organisations reduce their carbon footprint, improve their green credentials and lower their food waste disposal costs by up to 50%.

Safe, secure and dependable, the ReFood solution sees unwanted food waste recycled into renewable energy and sustainable biofertiliser at the company’s three state-of-the-art anaerobic digestion facilities in Widnes, Doncaster and Dagenham. ReFood also provides customers with a complimentary bin swap service, which sees full bins swapped with clean, sanitised replacements – allowing customers to hygienically use bins in kitchen areas and separate waste at source.

Philip Simpson, commercial director at ReFood, commented: “With food accounting for a high percentage of hospitality and foodservice waste, we’re committed to providing businesses nationwide with an environmentally-friendly alternative to landfill disposal.

“Working in close partnership with each of our customers, we provide a hassle-free, flexible service to suit exacting requirements. As the UK market leader, we set the standards in food waste recycling and give complete peace of mind when it comes to biosecurity and traceability.

“We’re looking forward to exhibiting at this year’s NRB show and discussing our food waste recycling solutions with visitors. The event provides the perfect platform to showcase our capabilities and promote both the financial and environmental benefits of diverting waste away from landfill.”

For more information about ReFood, visit www.refood.co.uk, or meet the team on stand B29 at this year’s NRB22.

Climate, News

UK Deathcare sector urged to face up to its part in the environmental emergency

Medical advancements and better living standards have contributed to people living much longer, but with around 1% of the populace dying each year, for many years, the death care sector along with most of society has been unknowingly contributing to Global Warming and Climate Change.

As COP26 approaches and sustainability is brought to the top of the global agenda, industry experts are urging the deathcare sector to face up to the role it is playing in the escalating environmental emergency.

New information has emerged about the toxicity of materials involved in body disposal, from the ecological effects of embalming fluids and coffins, through to the effects of natural body composition and even the release of mercury from tooth fillings. What is clear is that the sector as a whole is facing a significant challenge when it comes to addressing and reversing its contribution to the Climate Crisis. 

The pressure to implement change is no longer coming from the smaller, eco-conscious subsections of the community alone.  As of 24th February, it was reported that 300 out of a total of 404 District, County, Unitary and Metropolitan Councils had so far declared a Climate Emergency. This includes 8 combined Authorities and City Regions.  As part of the declaration, aggressive timelines and plans are being put into place to address all of the areas under their control, including death care services. Time is of the essence too, with the vast majority of these plans set to be implemented by 2030. 

“Many death care professionals think that it is impossible to avoid the negative impacts on the environment completely, regardless of whether customers are opting for burials or cremations,” explains Scott Storey, Head of European Operations for OpusXenta, a global technology company serving the death care profession and its suppliers.

Earlier this year, Scott conducted a webinar ‘The Climate Emergency: What Changes Can Crematoria, Funeral Homes and Cemeteries Make to Protect Our Environment?, alongside  Executive Officer for the FBCA, Brendan Day and guests from the sector. In it they discussed the steps that Funeral Directors, Crematoria and Cemeteries can take to help limit their impact on the environment. 

These included:

  • Pollution reduction – a single cremation generates NOx (greenhouse gas) emissions equivalent to a car travelling 2,280 miles. Burials are also problematic, due to toxic chemicals which leach into the soil and have been detected in groundwater around cemeteries, posing a risk to public health.
  • Preserving Ecological Habitats – the intensive maintenance of lawns  and memorial plots in cemeteries and gardens of remembrance continues to damage the environment and the local ecology.
  • Recycling – there is more to be done than just composting of floral tributes or the reuse of plastic, including rainwater harvesting solar panels and even electrical car charging ports.
  • Energy Consumption – crematoria consume significant amounts of energy which often just escapes directly into the atmosphere, however there are ways in which some of this energy can be captured and reused.

Scott believes that the death care sector as a whole must accept the role it continues to play in the climate crisis. “Despite providing much needed and valued services to the communities they operate in, their impact on the environment continues to be damaging and unsustainable. By taking practical steps to fully assess the operation, identifying areas for improvement and actively seeking out solutions which benefit the environment, bereavement service professionals can ensure that the future death care sector delivers far more than it takes away,” he says.

“What is clear is that the most fundamental shift needs to come in mindset, outlook and company culture. It is only by changing your perspective and considering the environmental impact of all activities undertaken can we truly start to make the necessary changes, and see them permeate the entire death care sector,” concludes Scott. 

Executive Officer of the Federation, Brendan Day, said ‘the need for education across the sector and amongst the public is central to ensuring we can reduce the impact of funerals on the environment. To encourage this shift we now provide our members with a free Environmental Awareness Report when we carry out Compliance Inspections and we encourage them to adopt an Environmental policy to support their efforts to be more sustainable’. 

Climate, News

Families urged to get creative in the kitchen this Halloween to tackle food waste

Every Halloween in the UK, we throw away more than 12 million perfectly edible pumpkins. Philip Simpson, commercial director at ReFood, explains why we need to think twice this October – and what we can do differently – to prevent food waste from being left to rot in landfill.

Recent statistics suggest that only 42% of ‘trick or treaters’ know that the fleshy innards of pumpkins are edible, with most people (85%) not even considering the squash as food at all.* But that misconception needs to change. High in fibre, calcium and magnesium, pumpkins are a real superfood. Their seeds, when toasted, are rich in potassium and protein. Better still, an average portion counts as one of your five-a-day, while high concentrations of vitamins A and C improve your eyesight and protect the skin.

Granted, carving pumpkins is fun and certainly gets children away from screentime for a couple of hours, but the scale of wasted food at Halloween is truly shocking. Indeed, based on figures from food waste charity Hubbub, if the UK’s 12 million wasted pumpkins were laid out on football pitches, they would fill more than 2,600 stadiums. If we instead cooked these pumpkins, we could make enough soup for everyone in Britain to have a bowl.

Pumpkins may not yet be part of our staple diet, but that is changing for the better. A Google search for ‘pumpkin recipes’ comes back with more than five million results – plenty of options for aspiring chefs! From pumpkin pie to pumpkin gnocchi, soups, waffles and even pumpkin curry – the list of recipe options is huge. The alternative is leaving perfectly edible vegetables to rot in landfill, which creates greenhouse gases 21 times more damaging to the environment than CO2.

 

Make a change this Halloween

At ReFood, we’re encouraging people to do something different this year – at a time when world leaders at COP26 are seeking to reduce harmful emissions contributing to global warming. By all means, carve out your ghoulish gourds, show them off on the doorstep, but this year finish your Halloween celebrations by making or baking something special. Fiendish fun with a clear environmental conscience!

We see food waste as the real Halloween horror story. When you consider the sheer number of people suffering from food poverty, as well as the significant environmental consequences caused by improper disposal, it’s clear that something must be done.

Eating what we can and reducing what we waste should be our national priority. For any surplus, we should redistribute it to those in need. For inedible waste or out-of-date produce, we should prioritise anaerobic digestion (AD) to harness the value from such an important resource.

With three state-of-the-art AD facilities across the UK, we turn more than 400,000 tonnes of food waste into renewable energy every year. Our ambition is to see zero food waste to landfill right across the UK, including pumpkins at this time of year.

Our message is therefore clear – when you’re carving your pumpkin this Halloween, think twice about unnecessary food waste. Why not try a new recipe? Why not save the seeds? If you have a food waste caddy, use it! Most importantly, don’t throw your pumpkin into landfill – it’s a terrible waste.

Environment, News, Waste and Recycling

Is it time to take landfill off the menu?

Written by Philip Simpson, commercial director at ReFood

Earlier this year, the UK government announced further increases to the established landfill tax rates. Philip Simpson, commercial director of ReFood, explains why food waste recycling – now, more than ever – makes both financial and environmental sense for catering and hospitality businesses.

With the average hospitality business throwing away hundreds of tonnes of spoiled produce and plate scrapings every year, it’s clear that finding effective ways to minimise waste and alleviate disposal costs should be a top priority. Furthermore, with the government’s recent hike in landfill fees (due to rise by £2.55 per tonne year-on-year), businesses that have not seriously explored the option of food waste recycling are set to come under increasing financial pressure.

Restaurants, pubs, contract caterers and cafes have had a rocky 18 months. The impact of COVID-19 has been unprecedented, and will continue to impact the sector for months to come. As such, businesses must evaluate every area of their commercial strategy to maximise income and minimise outgoings. Now could be the perfect time to take a fresh look at operations.

In my experience, one of the blind spots of many restaurateurs and catering managers is the way they deal with peelings, scraps, spoiled produce and returned meals. Still too many businesses throw it straight in the bin, when it could be diverted from costly landfill and instead used to generate green energy.

According to insight from New Food Waste Horizons, a pioneering research report analysing the UK’s progress towards zero food waste to landfill, the hospitality and food services industry wastes more than £3 billion per annum by needlessly throwing away perfectly edible produce. While it’s an increasingly large drain on profits, the environmental implications of this wasteful behaviour are even more concerning.

Indeed, food waste left to rot in landfill releases greenhouse gases 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide. A truly terrifying statistic.

However, by reviewing processes and approaching food waste from the top down, the catering industry can minimise its reliance on landfill and slash waste management costs. What’s more, with research from the Sustainable Restaurant Association suggesting that patrons are more likely to support an ethically-conscious establishment, stepping up sustainability can also drive footfall.

With global climate talks taking place in the UK (COP26) later this year, there is clearly an appetite for sustainability. Making sure people know your business is ‘doing the right thing’ by recycling food waste must make sense – but how do you do it?

At ReFood, we collect unavoidable food waste from hospitality businesses nationwide and recycle it via the anaerobic digestion (AD) process. This harnesses the natural degradation of food by capturing the biogas produced and using it to generate both renewable energy and a sustainable fertiliser; enabling beneficial nutrients to be retained and reinvested right back to the beginning of the food chain.

We try to make sustainability simple – replacing full bins with sanitised ones after every food waste collection, meaning they can even be used in kitchen areas. This removes any worries about ‘smelly’ waste or bin cleaning and ensures the service is completely sanitary. All types of food – be it preparation waste, scraps and even packaged products – can be thrown in the bins, making it straightforward for businesses to implement.

There are huge financial benefits presented by considering waste at every stage of food management and the case for change is incredibly strong. With significant improvements possible with just small changes in habits, the food sector is in a prime position to benefit. Take the Savoy in London for example. This prestigious hotel has been recycling food waste for some time now, saving at least £200 per week on landfill costs, while taking 200 tonnes of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere every year.

It’s a win:win for hard pressed hospitality businesses and caterers – as well as the environment. Businesses can actually save c.50% on waste management costs, while improving their sustainability credentials. As we emerge from lockdown, it could be that landfill costs really can be taken off the menu.

News

Brighton boosts battery recycling with Re-Volt zero-carbon collection service

The world’s first zero-carbon battery collection service has powered into Brighton, collecting more than two tonnes of batteries for recycling since March.

Valpak’s award-winning Re-Volt scheme, which has already been a success in London and Cambridge, supplies battery boxes to businesses, which are then collected by Zedify couriers free of charge whilst they’re delivering packages across the city. The scheme adds to Valpak’s existing battery service, which collects millions of batteries from over 30,000 UK businesses, including household names such as Sainsburys, Co-op and M&S.

James Nash, Commercial Manager at Valpak, the environmental company behind the scheme, said: “The expansion of the zero-carbon scheme to Brighton is proving beneficial already and we’re urging businesses of all sizes to take advantage of the service. This is a triple-win for businesses – ensuring that batteries are recycled correctly, helping businesses to reduce their carbon footprint and, importantly, making sure that enough batteries are recycled each year to allow retailers to meet their compliance obligations.”

Tom Scruby, National Operations Manager at Zedify, said: “The partnership between Valpak and Zedify has been an unparalleled success, proving that zero emission vehicles complete city centre collections of this type more efficiently than diesel vehicles. We have only received positive feedback from customers and local authorities alike.

“Brighton companies have particularly shown an appetite for more sustainable operating methods. These make the city a better place to live, and also benefits the wider community.”

The scheme initially launched in Cambridge and has generated more than three tonnes of batteries to date. Following such a positive reaction to the world-first scheme, London was next to welcome the zero-carbon collection service. The capital has already collected over 10 tonnes of batteries, with more customers coming online for future collections.

While collection vehicles typically tot up 298kg of CO2 for every mile, Zedify’s bikes emit zero C02, no matter how many journeys they take. They also help to avoid congestion and delays caused by waiting in traffic queues. The scheme has been welcomed by the environmentally-conscious city to help reach its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030.

Nash said: “The aim is to include battery removal as an additional service for existing delivery customers. As well as slashing emissions, the scheme helps to attract new sources of waste batteries, which drives greater volumes for recycling.”

In the UK, around 40,000 tonnes of portable batteries were sold in 2018, with only around 18,000 tonnes being recycled.

News

Covid-19 recovery has derailed progress towards Net Zero by 2050

Three quarters of UK businesses support the government’s Net Zero by 2050 target. Yet, recovery from Covid-19 derailed plans and sustainability initiatives for 50%, and only one third (36%) have plans in place and are on track to make the deadline, new research has found.  The survey of over 250 senior decision makers with responsibility for green initiatives across public and private sector organisations by circular ICT solutions provider, Stone Group, found that many are making headway with sustainability initiatives despite pandemic disruption and economic uncertainty. For 32% of respondents, sustainability is a big focus and they have lots of green initiatives already in place, and 45% said they’re beginning to take sustainability more seriously with a growing number of green initiatives being introduced.

Just 19% of respondents said they were talking about sustainability and plan to do more when they can, and only 4% said they weren’t yet making any progress, despite a few initiatives being encouraged. Despite Covid-19 recovery pushing sustainability further down the list of business priorities, 42% of respondents claimed that the shift towards remote working has had a positive impact on their carbon footprint.

However, for the UK to meet its Net Zero by 2050 target, more urgent action is required from organisations to bring their plans and initiatives back on track. Given the UK government’s new ambitious climate change target to cut emissions by 77% by 2035 compared to 1990 levels, bringing the UK more than three quarters of the way to Net Zero by 2050, UK public and private sector organisations need to be contributing now to make these ambitions achievable.

The research found that the sustainability initiatives currently being prioritised by respondents are recycling (50%), smart building technologies (39%), and green order fulfilment initiatives (33%). Sustainable IT asset disposal came some way down the list, as a top-three priority for just 29%.

This, according to Stone Group director, Tim Westbrook, is a crucial area that is being overlooked: “Although UK organisations don’t currently appear to be prioritising responsible IT asset disposal, this is an area where they could be making a big difference. Of the £30 billion of equipment sold by the IT industry each year, just 17% of this is recycled in the UK. If we simply recycled our unwanted small electricals instead of hoarding them or sending them to landfill, the UK alone could save 2.8 million tonnes of CO² emissions – the equivalent of taking 1.3 million cars off the road.

“While organisations have had an incredibly challenging year and are understandably focused on mitigating the impact of the pandemic, it’s important that we don’t let progress with our sustainability targets slip. Initiatives don’t need to be onerous or require a lot of investment to make a big difference, either. We launched our IT asset disposal app, Stone 360, last October so organisations could arrange collection of their redundant IT equipment in a few easy clicks. We then collect it from them and securely wipe, recycle, or refurbish items, requiring minimal time and input from customers. Users of the app can track the rebates from their old IT assets, with the option to boost points to purchase new or refurbished IT from Stone. We’re also working with the National Forest to plant a tree for every 200 pieces of kit donated.”

Since it launched, the Stone 360 app has received over 3,000 downloads and has resulted in almost 200,000 items of redundant IT hardware being recycled at its ITAD facility, with over 500 trees planted on behalf of its customers.