Waste stories 18/4/2016

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1.Webinar to launch the GGHH healthcare waste reduction measurement system (April 20 and 21)

During the upcoming webinar, GGHH will launch the waste reduction measurement system. This new tool will assist GGHH members to achieve their waste goals and to meet the principles of: reduce, reuse and recycle. The assessment tool provides for data entry on types of waste generated and the methods of treatment and disposal. The on-line dashboard illustrates the different types of waste generated and sent to each treatment or disposal method. It will also show the proportion of total waste that goes to the most environmentally sound treatment and disposal routes, such as non-burn disinfection and materials recycling.

There will be two sessions on April 20 to accommodate different time zones.

For more information and to register, please click here

2. US EPA announces its national enforcement priorities for 2017 – 2019

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its seven National Enforcement Initiatives for fiscal years 2017-2019, which focus on national pollution challenges where EPA’s enforcement efforts will protect public health. The fiscal year 2017-2019 National Enforcement Initiatives are:

1. Keeping Industrial Pollutants Out of the Nation’s Waters (new initiative)

2. Reducing Risks of Accidental Releases at Industrial and Chemical Facilities (new initiative)

3. Cutting Hazardous Air Pollutants (expanded initiative)

See the full list of priorities here

3. Government publishes National Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2016 – 2021

HM Treasury has published the Government’s National Infrastructure Delivery Plan (NIDP), outlining the detailed action plans the Government will take in order to support the delivery of key infrastructure projects over the period 2016-21.
The strategy aligns the delivery of key economic infrastructure projects with social and housing infrastructure projects under a single delivery plan for the first time, and commits spending worth £100 billion on infrastructure projects up to 2020, alongside significant investment from the private sector. It also aims to build on progress made over the course of the previous plan, which saw average annual infrastructure investment rise by 17% over the course of the previous Parliament, with total expenditure reaching over £250 million.
The plan chiefly consists of a series of both overarching and specific priorities and action plans relating to a range of economic and social infrastructure areas. Some of the main aspects covered by the new NIDP include the following:
  • Investment of £483 billion in over 600 infrastructure projects across all sectors and throughout the entire UK up to 2020 and beyond. This includes economic infrastructure investment worth £425 billion, while an additional £58 billion will go towards social infrastructure.
  • Private investment of over £100 billion in energy projects such as electricity generation, transmission and North Sea investment.
A range of other high level priorities and specific projects are also outlined in areas as diverse as science and research, housing and regeneration, water and waste, flood defences and airports and ports. The Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) will provide annual updates on progress against the NIDP, with the first report due in 2017.
The Plan can be viewed here
4. Blue wrap recycling
Thermal Compaction Group (TCG), with a variety of different partners, have leapt forward with technology and introduced new and exciting ways of recycling materials completely, therefore resulting in zero waste to landfill.
Read the full story here