Local authority household waste recycling centres, otherwise known as the ‘dump’ or the civic amenity site continue to be in the news. While many have imposed restrictions on trade waste or actively seek commercial materials, crackdowns on illegal use continue as have moves to charge the public for d-i-y waste. Now, however, the Department for…
Report outlines recommendations to tackle waste crime
A report commissioned by the Environmental Services Association Educational Trust (ESAET) and ESA has put forward a series of recommendations for the government to improve efforts to tackle waste crime. Rethinking Waste Crime, which was written by consultancy firm Eunomia and supported by the ‘Right Waste Right Place’ campaign, states that waste crime in England…
Green Investment Bank sold for £2.3 billion
Despite pledges that it will still invest in the waste and recycling sector, some concerns have been raised after the sale of the Green Investment Bank to the global banking firm Macquarie Group in a deal worth close to £2.3 billion. GIB, which is wholly-owned by government was set up in 2012 to provide matched…
Environment Agency raids lead to arrests
On April 20 a series of raids were made by police and the Environment Agency over alleged illegal waste operations in England. Two arrests were made following the raids at sites in Staffordshire, Herefordshire and Hertfordshire. With waste crime remaining a major issue in the sector, to the detriment of councils, the public and regulated…
Politicians urged to think about waste issues in manifesto policies
Ahead of the publication of General Election manifestos and associated policies, a number of trade associations have called for political parties to consider issues such as action on waste crime, household recycling consistency and support for separate food waste collection. Among them, the ESA has outlined four key recommendations that it is highlighting to politicians…
Assurances offered over legislation after Brexit
The end of March saw Government ministers confirm that the ‘whole body’ of existing environmental laws derived from EU legislation will be safeguarded in UK law prior to Brexit. The assurance came from the DEXEU – the Department for Exiting the European Union – which issued a White Paper just 24 hours after Prime Minister…
Waste paper market prices likely to reduce in April
Higher freight costs and rising prices over the past nine months are being given as factors in an expected downturn in the waste paper market for April. The grade hardest hit is likely to be mixed papers which includes material that comes out of materials recycling facilities. It can be used to make cardboard but…
Waste sector updates fire guidance
Updated guidance on the prevention of fires at waste management sites – including ‘firmer science’ on waste stack separation distances – has been published by the Waste Industry Safety & Health (WISH) Forum. The guidance, which is updated from an initial version published in October 2014, takes into account the findings of ‘waste burn trials’…
Consultation opens on charging illegal operators landfill tax
A consultation on whether to bring illegal waste sites within the scope of landfill tax in England and Northern Ireland has been launched after being announced last month as part of the Spring Budget. The consultation, issued by HM Revenue & Customs, sets out the reasons for targeting illegal waste sites and considers how to…
E-targets for 2017 confirmed
Defra has informed compliance schemes of the targets to collect waste electrical and electronic equipment for 2017 – after confirmation that the overall target for 2016 had been met. Schemes have been set a target to collect 622,033 tonnes of WEEE for the year – an increase of close to 14% when compared to the…