Category Archives: News stories

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Waste Stories 30/1/2017

 

1. The Group’s 2017 conference

The Group’s 2017 conference will be held on Thursday October 5, at the Northampton Town’s football ground in Sixfields, Northampton. The event will focus on the sustainable management of food waste from the healthcare and hospitality sectors. It will feature speakers from WRAP, the Co-op, Daventry District Council and Severn Trent Water. Further details will follow in due course.

2. How much food and drink waste is there in Scotland?

Zero Waste Scotland has recently published a report on food waste in Scotland. It states that there is an estimated 1.35 million tonnes of food and drink waste was disposed of in Scotland in 2013. This covers solid and liquid waste arising from households and solid waste arising from “commercial and industrial” sectors, which includes the public sector.
 

View the report here

3. The SDU’s Sustainable healthcare products challenge

The SDU is seeking applications to undertake work to identify and quantify the environmental, financial and potential social benefits of healthcare products. This could include products from cardboard kidney trays, alcohol hand gel to medical devices such as walking aids or surgical equipment. 

The Unit intend to award three contracts of £3,000 each.  

For more information, click here

4. EU low carbon hospital challenge

The European Commission has launched a competition to find a hospital that has an innovative and perfectly integrated combined heat and power installation within its premises that uses 100 percent renewable energy sources. A cash reward of €1m will be offered to the hospital that most effectively meets the criteria, which include using at least three different renewable energy technologies. The deadline to apply is April 2019.

5. Funding competition: technology solutions for society in India

Innovate UK is investing up to £1.6 million for projects that use cutting-edge solutions to enhance healthcare, clean technology and infrastructure in India.

The aim of this competition is to encourage innovative partnerships between the UK and India. Innovate UK and the Indian government are funding this competition, administered by the Newton Fund.

The University of Northampton would be particularly keen to partner, as we have done work in India and have good links, particularly in Chennai.

For more details, click here

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Waste Stories 23/1/2017

1. The Group’s 2017 conference

The Group’s 2017 conference will be held on Thursday October 5, at the Northampton Town’s football ground in Sixfields, Northampton. The event will focus on the sustainable management of food waste from the healthcare and hospitality sectors. It will feature speakers from the NHS, government agencies and industry. Further details will follow in due course.

2. WRAP’s household food and drink report 2015

Please click here

3. Study tours to other European healthcare facilities

The European Hospital and Healthcare Federation, of which the NHS Confederation is a member, is organising two study visits for hospital managers interested in learning about healthcare practices in other EU countries. The first on 2-3 February will examine lean management methods in French hospitals, while the second on 4-5 May will look at quality and safety practices in the Belgian healthcare system. For more information, contact chris.lynch@nhsconfed.org.

4. NIHR global health research – call for expert reviewers

The NIHR recently launched a call inviting applications to establish Global Health Research Units and Global Health Research Groups. UK Higher Education Institutions and Research Institutes are being invited to work in partnership with low and middle income countries (LMICs, as defined by the DAC list) to deliver research up to the value of £7m that benefits people living in those countries.

NIHR are seeking experts to become peer reviewers for these applications to help identify the strongest ones for funding. We are looking for people working at a senior level who would be able to comment on the importance, quality and deliverability of the proposed programmes of work. We are particularly keen to invite experts based in LMICs, but if you are based in a non-LMIC and are working in any area of global health research, we are also keen to hear from you.

Read more here

5. Clean energy for all Europeans

The European Commission wants the EU to lead the clean energy transition, not only adapt to it. For this reason the EU has committed to cut CO2 emissions by at least 40% by 2030 while modernising the EU’s economy and delivering on jobs and growth for all European citizens. Today’s proposals have three main goals: putting energy efficiency first, achieving global leadership in renewable energies and providing a fair deal for consumers. 

Read the full report here

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Waste Stories 16/1/2017

1. The Group’s 2017 conference

The Group’s 2017 conference will be held on Thursday October 5, at the Northampton Town’s football ground in Sixfields, Northampton. The event will focus on the sustainable management of food waste from the healthcare and hospitality sectors. It will feature speakers from the NHS, government agencies and industry. Further details will follow in due course.

2. Free seminars from Ricardo Energy & Environment

Please click here

3. British Journal of Healthcare Management (Jan 2017)

Please click here

4. Post event briefing: redefining waste and resource policy outside the EU

The EU has been one of the main drivers for UK policy and legislation on waste and resource management over the past 40 years. This seminar aimed to explore how Brexit will affect the waste and resource policy landscape, and aimed to identify what policy is needed going ahead to protect the waste and resource industry, as well as our environment, after we leave the EU.

For a summary of the event please click here

5. WAMITAB recruiting external assessors

In recent years WAMITAB’s portfolio of accredited qualifications has increased, requiring an increase in external quality assurance.

WAMITAB now seeks to recruit further suitably qualified personnel in the field of sustainable resource management to support its external quality assurance function. Applications would be welcomed from suitably qualified assessors, IQAs etc with appropriate waste and resource management qualifications based in the Midlands and South of England. 

For further details, click here 

 

 

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Waste Stories 5/12/2016

10th anniversary1.The Group’s 2016 report

Please find the Group’s annual report for 2016. A big thank you to the Committee and our sponsors. The Group will be hosting its annual conference in Autumn 2017, in Northampton. It will focus on sustainable food waste management. More information to follow.

Read the report hcwrr-steering-committee-report-2016a

2. ‘Brainy’ bins

The so-called ‘brainy bins’ from Carnie use what is claimed to be highly sophisticated ultrasound with multiple sensors that are calibrated to exactly match specific types of bins.

Read more here

3. Welsh fund to boost mattress recycling

A £350,000 fund has been launched to extend a mattress recycling initiative in south Wales.The Welsh Government and Rhondda Cynon Taf Council are offering the money for an “innovative solution” to allow every part of a mattress to be recycled. It will support the development and commercialisation of technologies, processes and business models.

Read the full story here

4. Consultation on implementing the principles of the circular economy in UK organisations

See the consultation here

5. Solar.clinic

Geostellar, the first and largest online solar marketplace in the United States, announced  the launch of Solar.Clinic, a program for health care systems to go solar and offer solar energy to their employees, patients and community members

Read more here

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Waste Stories 28/11/2016

10th anniversary1.SEPA unveils new waste to resources framework

A new framework for tackling waste has been unveiled by SEPA, focussing on how it will support a circular economy in Scotland.

Read more here

2.Veolia report highlights hidden value in key sectors

The report Imagine 2050 says that the manufacturing, pharmaceutical & chemical and food & beverage sectors generate around 13 million tonnes of waste, and if this was properly reused, recycled or remanufactured, it could generate £4 billion of value that is currently ‘hidden’.

Read more here

3.’World’s first’ automated mattress recycling machine launched

The Furniture Recycling Group (TFR Group) has designed, developed and produced the “world’s first” automated pocket spring recycling machine, created to streamline the mattress recycling process significantly and reduce the number of mattresses sent to landfill each year.

Read more here

4. Lancet gives sustainable heathcare global spotlight

While the eyes of the world’s sustainability experts were on COP22 at Marrakesh, the Lancet put sustainable health on the agenda by launching the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change.

The Lancet Countdown will be a 15-year investigation comprised of a collaborative force of 16 research institutions from around the globe. The study will publish research on the risks and opportunities of climate change and climate change mitigation respectively every year.

Read more here

5. Health and safety statistics for Great Britain, for 2015/6

View the stats here

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Waste Stories 21/11/2016

 

10th anniversary1. UK agencies developing eDoc for hazardous waste

The UK environment agencies are working together to develop an electronic hazardous waste tracking system to replace the current paper-based consignment note system.

Read more here

2. 2017 European EMAS awards open for registration

The European Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) Award is the one of the most prestigious awards in environmental management. The awards were established in 2005 by the European Commission to recognise the most outstanding environmental performance by EMAS registered organisations and enable the sharing and promotion of the best environmental management practices. The awards take place every two years, alternating with the European Business Awards for the Environment (EBAE).
The 2017 round of the EMAS Awards will acknowledge the achievements of EMAS registered organisations that have undertaken significant efforts and initiatives to contribute to making the European economy more circular and whose achievements can inspire others to do the same.
 
Read more here

 

3. ‘Brainy’ bins

The so-called ‘brainy bins’ from Carnie use what is claimed to be highly sophisticated ultrasound with multiple sensors that are calibrated to exactly match specific types of bins.

Read more here

4. Circular economy investment fund

The Circular Economy Investment Fund is a funding opportunity for businesses and organisations in Scotland working in all business and social economy sectors.

Proposals are invited from:

  • Small to medium sized enterprises (less than 250 employees/turnover less than £35 million)
  • Non-profit organisations (charities and social enterprises)

The Fund is interested in:

  • Exploring market feasibility for new circular economy products
  • Development and adoption of innovative business models for new circular economy products and services
  • Development and uptake of innovative technologies, products and services to support a circular economy

Read more here

5. Assessment of healthcare waste management in a humanitarian crisis: a case study of the Gaza Strip

The article is available until 30 Decemeber, 2016  here

 

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Waste Stories 14/11/2016

 

10th anniversary1. Innovate UK funding competition: manufacturing and materials round 2

Innovate UK is to invest up to £15 million in innovation projects in manufacturing and/or materials. We will fund projects that focus on identified technical or commercial challenges. These should lead to increased productivity, competitiveness and growth for UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

We expect projects to range in size from total costs of £50,000 to £2 million. Projects should last between 6 months and 3 years.

A business must lead the project. Projects must involve at least one SME, working alone or in collaboration with other organisations. Projects longer than 12 months or with costs of £100,000 or more must involve working with other partners.

Read more here

2. European waste reduction week

Each year organisations, businesses, schools, and citizens are encouraged to take action during the week to raise awareness of how to reduce waste in our society leading to longer term sustainable behaviour.

The aim of the week is to mobilise actions across Europe that promote the three R’s: reduce, re-use and recycle. In Scotland, the focus of EWWR is on food waste but this year the theme across Europe is wasteful packaging. Participants are encouraged to think about food waste and packaging when developing their awareness raising actions for November.

 

Read more here

3. Food waste solution competition

Across Europe, people are developing and implementing innovative solutions to the problem of food waste. The REFRESH Food Waste Solution Contest wants to bring much-deserved recognition to these ideas and encourage their spread. Anyone that has developed a food waste innovation – including individuals, organisations, start-ups and large companies – is encouraged to submit a video or visual essay about their project. The deadline for submissions is 30 November 2016.

Read more here

4. Public consultation on terms of reference for ERSA scientific committee

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has drafted the terms of Reference for a working group of the Scientific Committee on “Harmonisation of risk assessment methodologies for human health and ecological risk assessment of combined exposure to multiple chemicals”. The working group will develop a draft guidance document for human and ecological risk assessment of combined exposure to multiple chemicals using existing frameworks as starting points and tiered approaches for each step (problem formulation, hazard identification, hazard characterisation, exposure assessment, risk characterisation).

Read more here

5. Oregon County to make money importing medical waste

Covanta Marion Inc. has been turning solid and medical waste from Marion County, Ore., into energy for decades, but now the facility will be getting a boost in the form of imported medical waste.

As the county does not generate enough waste to keep the facility operating at full capacity, it has been purchasing approximately 15,000 tons per year of solid waste from outside the county. But that is about to change.

To offset the solid waste it had been purchasing, the county is adding the medical waste stream to ensure the Covanta Marion plant continues to run at full capacity and efficiently generates electricity.

Read more here

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Waste Stories 7/11/2016

 

10th anniversary1.Defra Secretary of State admits uncertainty over post-Brexit Environmental laws

Andrea Leadsom has confirmed that the majority of European Union (EU) environmental legislation will be transferred across into UK law in the immediate aftermath of Brexit, but uncertainty looms for around a third of green regulations which the Defra Secretary admitted “won’t be easy to transpose”.

Read more here

2. National Infrastructure Commission specific studies: call for ideas

The National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) provides expert, impartial advice to the government on infrastructure. Although operationally independent, the NIC is currently in interim form. The core purpose of the NIC is to set out a clear picture of the future infrastructure we need, including through an in-depth assessment of the UK’s major infrastructure needs on a 30-year time horizon – known as a National Infrastructure Assessment (NIA). In addition to the NIA, the NIC also undertakes specific studies to advise government on immediate priorities or particular challenges that need to be addressed.

The Chancellor, together with the NIC, has decided that he would like to give anyone with an interest in this field an opportunity to contribute their ideas for issues which could form the subject of future NIC studies. This process will help us ensure the NIC is focused on the country’s most critical infrastructure challenges.

Read more here

3. National Recycling Awards 2017

The awards are open to all involved in recycling and waste management, from local authorities, to waste producers, waste management companies, manufacturers, energy producers, retailers, construction and corporate companies across the UK.

The entry deadline for the 2017 round of awards is 28 January 2017.

Read more here

4. Rushlight awards

The 10th Anniversary Rushlight Awards are open.  They are the only set of awards designed specifically to support and promote all the latest clean technologies, innovations, initiatives and deployment projects for businesses and other organisations throughout UK, Ireland and internationally.

The Rushlight Awards are open to all types of organisation at any stage of corporate development, including individual inventors, early stage companies, charities, universities, SMEs, quoted companies and multi-nationals.

Entries close on 30 November, 2016.

For more details, click here

5. Project to convert waste treatment centres into bioenergy factories

A project is seeking to develop an innovative process for enhancing biofuel production from municipal, agricultural and industrial waste.

Methamorphosis, which was granted funding in 2014 by Europe’s prestigious LIFE programme seeks to increment biogas production from municipal waste leachate by modifying and innovating processing techniques.

Read more here

 

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Waste Stories 31/10/2016

 

10th anniversary

1. Grundon to support the Group’s student work shadow programme

Grundon has become the second organisation, after Bywaters to offer to provide work shadowing opportunities for a student. The student will spend two days with the Grundon team at Colnbrook. The work shadow is scheduled to take place in March 2017.

Funding is also available through the University/Santander to support students to undertake four weeks of part time work, at no expense to the SME. Any organisation that is interested in either the work shadow or longer term scheme can contact Terry Tudor (terry.tudor@northampton.ac.uk).

2. Summary of the Environment Agency’s regulatory work April 2015 – March 2016

This document reports on the Environment Agency’s regulation work for April 2015 – March 2016, it provides facts and statistics about emissions to air; serious pollution incidents; compliance with environmental permits and enforcement action taken when businesses don’t comply.

View the document here

3. HSE consultation on risk assessment

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) wants to make some changes to the current risk assessment guidance and want to hear your views before it is published.  The proposed changes are highlighted in a core leaflet and there is a brief questionnaire to complete.

Read more here

4. Lakeside EfW to relocate following Heathrow expansion decision

Following the announcement from the government that its preferred option for airport expansion is Heathrow’s third runway, Lakeside Energy from Waste in Berkshire will seek to relocate.

Lakeside Energy from Waste Ltd will now seek to ensure the Lakeside Energy from Waste facility – and the associated waste management and recycling facilities within the Colnbrook complex – can be relocated on a like for like basis at a nearby suitable site, with minimal disruption, as soon as possible.

Read the full story here

5. ISWA conference on biowaste and plastics

The ISWA European Group is organising a conference from 10 am – 5 pm on 14 November 2016, in Brussels, with the title: “Circular Economy: the role of Biowaste and Plastics”.

Read more here

 

 

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Waste Stories 24/10/2016

 

10th anniversary1.EU models of delivery of health services

The NHS European Office is working with NHS England to provide support to the Integrated Care Pioneers, vanguards, and Integrated Personal Commissioning sites.

This package of support aims to help NHS colleagues develop links and share learning with organisations at the leading edge of integrated care in other parts of Europe.

Read more here

2. ReBus webinar – resource efficiency business models – getting started (November 10)

The EU Life+ funded project ReBus has been working with industry to develop, pilot and champion resource efficient business models. This free webinar will explore the answers to questions such as What type of business model enables a circular economy? How do you start making the transition? How would you minimise any perceived disruption and measure progress?

Book here

3. Circular economy and the healthcare sector

Traditionally risk averse and facing considerable financial pressure, the healthcare sector is perhaps not the most obvious showcase of circular economy principles. But while new business models involving refurbishing and sharing equipment have felt like a step too far in the past, things are changing – with straitened budgets proving one of the driving factors.

Read more here

4. Emerging and enabling technologies funding competition

Innovate UK (IUK) has launched Round One of its Emerging and Enabling Technologies Competition. An emerging technology is one that is progressing in, or has recently emerged from, the research base. It allows something new to take place that was not possible before. Because of this, it disrupts existing markets and enhances value to customers. It can improve lives and lead to new sources of wealth generation. Enabling technologies underpin the development of high-value products and services in many industrial sectors and markets. They improve performance and productivity.

Projects are expected to last between six months and three years and to range in size from total costs of £35,000 to £2 million, depending on the type of project. They must be UK business led and involve at least one SME. The applicant must carry out the project work and intend to exploit the results within the UK.

SMEs can work alone or in collaboration with other businesses or research organisations if the eligible project costs are up to £100,000. If the eligible project costs are more than £100,000, the business must work with at least one other business or research organisation (at least one of which must be an SME).

For more details click here

5. ISWA task force reports on resource management

In recognition of the challenges surrounding the management of resources, the ISWA Board established the ISWA Task Force on Resource Management in June 2014. The task force has prepared a study into the current trends and a series of reports to help the waste industry to respond to these unprecedented pressures on our industry.

 The Final Report of the ISWA Task Force on Resource Management is now available. You can read and download the Task Force reports, key messages and view the Task Force video and further short video interviews with the report authors below.

View reports and videos here