News

News in brief 10/02/17

Green Alliance names CPRE chief as Executive Director

Environmental think tank tank Green Alliance has announced the appointment of new Executive Director Shaun Spiers. Spiers, who has led the Campaign to Protect Rural England as Chief Executive since 2004, will join the organisation in June 2017.

News in brief 10/02/17As well as conducting policy work on resources, energy and the natural environment, in December Green Alliance launched a new Greener UK coalition between 13 of the UK’s major environmental organisations to press for the UK’s environmental protections and climate leadership to be strengthened as it leaves the EU.

Commenting on his new role, Spiers said: “I am delighted to take up this post at such a pivotal time for the British environment. Brexit is a once in a generation chance to strengthen environmental protection, improve countryside quality, and set a path to a low carbon and resource efficient future. But it also carries with it great risks. Green Alliance’s work with other green and civil society groups and progressive businesses will be essential to building a vision of the sort of country we want to be, and ensuring the best possible environmental outcomes.”

More information about Green Alliance can be found on the organisation’s website.


Novelis launches refreshed ThinkCans site

Aluminium producer and recycler Novelis has relaunched its ThinkCans.net website, which offers information and resources for parents, teachers and kids on why recycling aluminium cans is so important and how it can be done easily and effectively.

News in brief 10/02/17
The ThinkCans.net homepage
Alongside teaching resources for both primary and secondary school syllabuses developed with teachers and tips on how to set up can recycling schemes at school, work and home, the site houses information on the recycling process and games for kids to teach them while they play.

Novelis produces high-quality aluminium sheet and foil products for a wide range of markets including automotive, transportation, packaging, construction and printing. Operating in 11 countries and with over 11,000 employees, Novelis produces an estimated 19 per cent of the world’s flat-rolled aluminium products.

In the UK, around 5.9 billion aluminium drinks cans are recycled in the UK every year – enough to circle the world almost 18 times if laid end to end.

The new ThinkCans site can be found on www.thinkcans.net.



News in brief 10/02/17FCC Environment expands fleet

Waste management firm FCC Environment has taken delivery of 25 new vehicles supplied by F&G Commercials following the successful procurement and award of a five-year haulage contract. The new vehicles will be dedicated to supporting the re3 partnership.

re3 is the partnership between Bracknell Forest, Reading and Wokingham Borough Councils and FCC Environment set up to increase the amount of waste that is reused, recycled and composted across the three Councils and to minimise the amount of waste sent to landfill. The Councils and FCC Environment are working together to provide local residents and businesses with facilities for recycling and disposing of waste until 2031.

As part of the contract, recyclable materials are collected at the re3 Longshot Lane facility and delivered for processing at the re3 Smallmead materials recycling facility. Residual waste is transported from the re3 MRF, its two transfer stations and HWRC facilities to Lakeside EfW and FCC Environment’s Sutton Courtenay complex for further treatment.

More information about FCC Environment can be found on the company’s website.


Keep Britain Tidy announces 2017 award winners

The winners of this year’s Keep Britain Tidy Awards were revealed last night (9 February) at an awards ceremony in Leeds.

The awards celebrate the achievements of local authorities, businesses and land managers in improving the quality of public space through campaigns, innovations and partnerships.

Nine awards were handed out in total, from Recycling Campaign of the Year – won by Dorset Waste Partnership – to Local Authority of the Year ,which this year was won by Durham County Council for its commitment to improving and protecting the environment through a number of projects and campaigns, delivered despite funding changes.

Durham also picked up the Environmental Campaign of the Year Award for Operation Stop It!, which has led to a 22 per cent reduction in fly-tipping across the county and saved more than £104,000 in clean-up and disposal costs.

Speaking after the awards, Keep Britain Tidy Chief Executive Allison Ogden-Newton said: “The work that local authorities and others are doing to improve our environment, in the face of very severe budget constraints, is superb. I would like to congratulate all the finalists and winners for their creativity, innovation and commitment to delivering quality services for their residents.

“The innovative thinking that local authorities are demonstrating echoes Keep Britain Tidy’s own approach to tackling the issues of litter and waste and to improving public spaces. Our conference is the perfect opportunity to share ideas as well as recognising the hard work that is going on across the country, day in, day out.”

More information about the Keep Britain Tidy Awards can be found on the charity’s website.