News


Report challenges perception of packaging


CHANGES IN consumer attitudes and behaviour around packaging could help reduce household food waste, said a report published this week. Entitled Consumer Attitudes to


Food Waste and Food Packaging, the report concluded that consumers do not fully appreciate the role packaging plays in helping to reducing food waste, particularly once they get products home. The authors said that while there is recognition that packaging is important to protect food on its way to, and in the store, only 13% of consumers believe that it can play the same role in the home. Produced in partnership with


WRAP, INCPEN, the Packaging Federation, Food and Drink Federation (FDF), Kent Waste Partnership and British Retail Consortium (BRC), the report said that despite continued packaging innovation to extend in-home life, through the use of intelligent materials, vacuum-packing and more recloseable packs, most consumers still believe that keeping food in packaging at home leads to it spoiling more quickly. As a result, the group behind the


research are backing a new initiative from Love Food Hate Waste, entitled


The ‘Fresher for longer’ initiative


was launched with retail partner Marks & Spencer at its Tunbridge Wells store with the support of Kent Waste Partnership. The initiative’s campaign shows that apples should ‘keep their pack on’ and pears hold onto theirs ‘till lunch do us part’ demonstrating that packaging not only keeps it fresher


for longer, but also protects food in the home. The ‘Fresher for Longer’


campaign materials can be used by all retailers, brands and councils. Alice Ellison, British Retail


‘Fresher for Longer’ which aims to show the role that packaging can play to help reduce food waste. The research is reported to show


that consumers feel confident about how they store food. However only 22% currently look at storage guidance on food packaging which would maximise life in the home and many are in reality storing foods in less than ideal conditions. Bread is said to be a typical


example, with many storing bread in the fridge, even though it goes stale six times faster, similarly by storing apples in the fridge in their original packaging, they can stay fresher for up to two weeks longer.


Advertorial AMCS Group wins signifi cant contract


AMCS and the SIRTOM de Sedan have signed a contract, to the value of €80,000 to deploy AMCS recycling and waste collection optimisation technology (hardware, software and professional services). SIRTOM de Sedan is a group


of local authorities in France that manage the collection, recycling and treatment of household waste. Their responsibility in the Ardennes region covers 44 districts and more than 55,000 people. This award is highly significant


for AMCS as it represents our first significant local authority reference customer in this country. Since mid- 2012, AMCS has created five new


throw legislation, known as the ‘Redevance Incitative’, and will use the collection data from the AMCS system to generate invoices for its residents. The software and vehicle technology installed will analyse the amount of recycling taking place and invoice residents accordingly. Along with the use of RFID


jobs to support the French market entry and envisage creating a further 10 jobs over the coming 18 months. SIRTOM de Sedan is


implementing the pay as you Advertorial Fercell whips up a Dust Storm


FIRST LAUNCHED in 2012, the Dust Storm is becoming another successful product launch for Fercell. Some waste processes create high levels of fine dust of which can cause serious risk of self combustion when in air suspension. Dust extraction systems,


shredder, briquette press solutions coupled with Fercell’s ducting expertise has found favour in a number of waste and data destruction application. The Dust Storm is designed


primarily for environmental control and pneumatic materials handling plants demanding continuous, cost effective filtration of numerous materials, to include paper dust, plastic’s dust and smoke. One of the key features


of the Dust Storm is its ability to complete a clean cycle automatically at the same time remaining in


Recycling & WA S T E W O R L D


operation. The filter elements are cleaned by the power pulse system, using an integral compressor of which produces its own dry compressed air. On models DS 36 and DS 44, the


filter access hatch is opened and closed by means of a pneumatic cylinder making for easier access during maintenance. The built-in compressor used for


the Power Pulse cleaning system also powers the opening cylinder. Divided into three main sections,


the DS system has a middle filter body for dust collection and a top cleaning section. The base contains the material outlet in two format options, flat bottom with automatic scrapper or conical bottom with rotor valve discharge. The dust-laden air is introduced


into the DS filter middle section through a rectangular inlet where the optimised filtration of dust particles


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


takes place. The inlet is designed in accordance with the ‘down flow’ principle. A diffusion effect ensures a minimum pressure drop and maximum filtration. Inside the DS filter, dust particles


are collected on the pleated and permeable filter elements used to achieve the largest possible filtration surface. The result is the effective removal of dust particles.


• www.fercell.com


technology to track and determine the identity of the bin being collected, the SIRTOM will also make use of state-of-the-art features such as GPS and mapping to monitor and optimise its collection operations.


• www.amcsgroup.com


WEEE certifi cation scheme is launched


THE PAS 141:2011 Certification Scheme for the re-use of used and waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) was officially launched last week. According to Valpak, the


packaging producer compliance scheme and PAS 141 scheme administrator: “This event marks the beginning of a new British good practice standard.” UEEE and WEEE treatment


facilities looking to achieve PAS 141 status can now be independently assessed by UKAS accredited certification bodies to demonstrate they meet the standard. Oakdene Hollins are reportedly the first organisation to be able to provide accredited certification to PAS 141, with more certification bodies likely to be accredited soon. Re-use organisations certified to PAS 141 will register their


organisation to the scheme by purchasing rights to use the official registered REEE mark, owned by BIS and administered by Valpak. PAS 141 is said to have been


developed by key industry experts working with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) to improve the overall standards for the treatment of discarded electrical and electronic equipment in the UK. This was in response to a


demand from consumers for reassurance that used apparatus is electrically safe to use. According to Valpak, PAS 141


is now being presented to the EU Standards Committee as the basis for a European-wide standard for re-use in response to the mandate issued by the European Commission under the recent recast of the WEEE Directive.


March 7 2013 3


Consortium, said: “I hope this research helps to end the demonisation of packaging. We have long said that appropriate use of packaging preserves food and reduces waste. Grocery retailers have already achieved notable reductions in food and packaging waste through working with WRAP on the Courtauld Commitment targets and the Love Food Hate Waste campaign. This report should stimulate further reductions in food waste by promoting the role that packaging plays in keeping food fresher for longer in the home.”


• Visit Love Food Hate Waste website (www.lovefoodhatewaste. com) for the campaign visuals


Industry opinion Inspirational and thought


provoking: EfW 2013 Managing director of UNTHA UK and waste to energy enthusiast, Chris Oldfi eld refl ects on the 9th Energy from Waste Conference.


WE SPENTmonths preparing for RWW’s annual Energy from Waste conference and, once again, we were not disappointed that we decided to attend. The 2013 event was perhaps the most inspiring and thought- provoking conference yet - we enjoyed being able to pass on our own specialist insight as an exhibitor, at the same as learning from the other industry professionals who spoke across the two days. If you are a sponge for learning and if you want to be at the forefront


of what is going on and coming up in our exciting industry, then this is definitely the event for you. I personally found SITA UK’s CEO David Palmer-Jones particularly


inspiring, and was in full encouragement of his view that as a nation we need to achieve more from our waste. For years I have been championing the fact that waste should be viewed as a resource or secondary material, and it was great to hear one of the industry’s most senior professionals echo this. The words of shadow minister for water and waste, Gavin Shuker MP,


also struck a chord. He commented on the importance of the government speaking with one voice when it comes to waste management, and he suggested that one office of resource would perhaps be more valuable than numerous departments such as DECC and Defra working alongside each other. We need a clearer direction, with legislation and frameworks, not just targets. The problem with targets is that they are viewed by many as simply aspirational - something that can be excused with relative ease if they remain unachieved. In many respects targets can also be surpassed, but achievement of a target is all too readily accepted as ‘job done’. On the other hand, where there is a legal obligation to behave in a


certain way and that behaviour is ‘policed’, you tend to see more positive changes. You can bet that our commitment to landfill diversion would not have improved at the rate it has, if directives had not been passed to govern this area of environmental conduct. The circular economy is a concept that I support wholeheartedly, but


it was mentioned every two minutes at the EfW conference and I couldn’t help but wonder how many people truly understand what constitutes a circular economy, and how many people actually commit to its principles. I just hope it doesn’t become an overused saying. Nonetheless, progress of any sort is just that. Progress. And we need to


keep moving in this direction. So when you hear the inspiring thoughts of some of our industry’s


most knowledgeable professionals, you can’t help but think how much more potential the UK has to reach. Let’s hope the government begins to listen more to these forward-thinking waste and recycling champions; they may be exactly what we need.


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