News Editorial


Investment in waste: Good news in the long term?


AS RWWwas going to press, the chancellor of the exchequer had just made his autumn statement. A few organisations, with well organised PR people (always a good thing to have around. Hint, hint) were prompt to whizz in their responses. Here are a couple. While welcoming the


chancellor’s publication of the national infrastructure plan, the Environmental Services Association (ESA) said that the waste sector is ready to invest, but should be given the right investment climate. Indicative of the ‘wobble’ suffered recently by the waste sector, the ESA warned


that withholding waste infrastructure credits fromNorfolk’s proposed residual waste plant undermined confidence in waste infrastructure investment and demonstrated that not all of the chancellor’s cabinet colleagues are signed up to the pro-growth message. The ESA has a point. It’s hard enough to have confidence in a government when they are


united, let alone when they are all singing from a different hymn sheet. May Gurney expressed its concerns over the maintenance of existing


infrastructure; even if its focus was mostly on roads. A company spokesperson made the point that: “While the new investment announced by the government will create jobs and help drive economic growth, allowing local authorities to seek similar private sector investment to improve and maintain existing infrastructure would be equally valuable in helping keep UK businesses and residents moving.” Governments enjoy making ‘fanfare announcements’, don’t they? First, there is the drip feed of all the good bits to the press, followed by


hours of speculation on TV and radio (always a good time to switch over to a music station when the pundits get too tedious. BBC’s Robert Peston monotone voice produces an instant Pavlov reflex in me to flick over to Classic FM) so by the time the announcement proper is made, everyone is too exhausted to care. The promise of investment is good, but the story doesn’t end there. Let’s see what happens from now on.


Geraldine Faulkner


December 1 - December 7 Issue No. 779


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Businesses can apply for heat tariff


BUSINESSES AND communities across Britain will now be able to apply for a heat tariff payment, ushering in a new era of clean green heat technology, according to the energy and climate change minister, Greg Barker. Barker said the world’s first


Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) will provide payments for heat generated from renewable technologies including biomass boilers, solar thermal equipment and heat pumps installed since 15 July 2009. Recipients will be paid up to


7.9p per kWh for biomass boilers, 8.5p per kWh for solar thermal and up to 4.5p per kWh for heat pumps. Barker said: “It’s a world first and


has the potential to put the UK at the forefront of a vibrant new green technology sector.” The minister stressed that


the RHI has a key role to play in meeting the UK’s 2020 renewables target as it will help reduce the UK’s dependence on imported fossil fuels and will cut emissions by 43 million tonnes of carbon by 2020 - equivalent to the annual carbon emitted by 19 typical new gas power stations. Up to 500,000 jobs are expected to be created in the renewables industry as a whole by the end of the decade. According to the Department for


Energy and Climate Change (DECC), the start of the scheme follows a “short delay” while it resolved the scheme’s compatibility with EU state aid rules. Organisations will be able to


apply to Ofgem for support under the scheme and will receive payments on a quarterly basis for heat generated over 20 years. The RHI will provide financial


support to commercial, industrial, public and not-for-profit and community generators of renewable heat for a 20 year period, resulting in 14,000 industrial installations by 2020,and 112,000 installations in the commercial and public sector. DECC added that once in the


scheme, the level of support an installation will receive is fixed although it will be adjusted annually with inflation.


The paper used within this publication is manufactured from 100% post-consumer recycled fibres. Fibres are sourced from within 175 miles of the chain-of-custody certified production site. This means the paper’s manufacturing process has been chronologically documented across the supply chain. The paper has also been awarded the EU Ecolabel, Blue Angel and National Association of Paper Merchants environmental certificates. All residuals from the production process are reused for cement production, fertiliser or district heating.


• For tariff levels visit: http://www. decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/ news/pn11_101/pn11_101.aspx. For details on how to apply, visit www.ofgem.gov.uk/rhi


Merseyside and Halton launch public consultation


AN EIGHT-WEEK consultation on the proposed waste plan for Merseyside and Halton has been launched. The six councils of Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral have published a report detailing proposed waste policies and site allocations for new waste management facilities and they are asking for residents’ feedback. The public consultation on the


waste plan-proposed submission document started on Friday, November 25 and will last until Friday, January 20 2012. Alan Jemmett, project director for


the waste plan said: “The proposed submission document is the final


2 December 1 2011


consultation stage in the preparation of the joint waste plan and is the culmination of several years’ hard work between the six councils. “The waste plan will provide


greater certainty through the planning process for where and how the large quantities of waste produced in Merseyside and Halton are managed. This public consultation is the last opportunity to raise issues on the soundness of the plan.” The proposed submission


document is said to be supported by sustainability appraisal and habitat regulations assessment reports which are also open for comment. During 2012, the waste plan will


www. r e c y c l i n gwa s t ewo r l d . c o . u k


be subject to an independent examination process where a government-appointed planning inspector will consider the written representations made during the consultation.


Veolia opens door to Legacy youngsters


VEOLIA ENVIRONMENTAL Services opened its doors to a group of children from a national charity, allowing them to find out what happens behind the scenes at their Preston waste management transfer station. Youngsters from the Legacy


Rainbow House, which helps children with disabilities, brain injuries and life limiting conditions visited Veolia where they were treated to a day of work related activities. Tasks included a quiz on hazard


signs, selling cakes to visitors and operating the company entrance barrier allowing vehicles to enter and leave the premises. Kate White, site administrator


at Veolia’s site in Preston said: “Everyone here without exception made every effort to ensure the children had a great time. Alan Green, one of the yard operatives


gave the tour and made it interesting and fun, the youngsters were shown how to work our barrier and an observational quiz, with fun prizes was held after the tour. We made certificates of attendance to present as keepsakes and each had their name on them. The cake sale will be carried on monthly to continue to raise money for the charity.” “We hope to arrange more visits


and work with Legacy as often as possible. We are very aware that in these hard times not everyone can financially contribute to worthy causes, but the most priceless thing you can give is your time,” continued White. Hayley Scholes, development


manager at the Legacy Rainbow House added: “Staff members from Veolia have also volunteered to attend Rainbow House on Fridays to undertake maintenance work for us.”


Recycling & WA S T E W O R L D The Ankerside project is the first of seven national pilot schemes by Britvic and Recoup


Tamworth pilots first Britvic hub


ANKERSIDE SHOPPING Centre is this year dreaming of a ‘green’ Christmas by encouraging the six million visitors it has each year to recycle while they shop. With family waste said to be five


times higher at Christmas than at other points in the year, Tamworth shoppers will take part in piloting the city’s first ‘on-the-go’ recycling hub. Located in Ankerside Shopping


Centre, George Street, Tamworth, the Britvic Recycling Hub aims to give shoppers the chance to ‘drink, shop, and drop’ while on the go, depositing their used plastic bottles and beverage cans into a new dedicated recycling hub. The Ankerside project will be


the first of seven national pilot schemes by Britvic and recycling charity Recoup. The first phase of


the project will run for six months. Following the anticipated success of the scheme, Britvic and its partners plan to roll out the programme in other areas of the country. The Tamworth pilot launches as


new research by WRAP reveals that UK households throw out £12bn of waste a year; of which two thirds could be reused or recycled. Andy Newton, head of projects


at Recoup, said: “Two thirds of what we throw away could have been reused or recycled. But with increasingly busy lives it’s hard to make the time to visit the nearest recycling bank. This is why we’ve teamed up with Britvic to launch Tamworth’s first on-the-go recycling hub, which will give millions of shoppers the chance to do their bit for the environment while they shop.”


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