News in Brief – 02/03/20
Cawleys Waste Management announces partnership with Vegware
Bedfordshire-based Cawleys Waste Management is offering a collection and transport service to all Vegware clients in the region.
Vegware manufactures more than 300 products, including cutlery, cups, plates and packaging, that are designed to be commercially compostable with organic waste.
Under the new partnership, Cawleys will be collecting used Vegware products from around Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire, before taking them to an approved local facility where they will break down into high-quality soil improver in fewer than 12 weeks.
Annalise Matthews, Waste Management Consultant at Vegware, commented: “We’re delighted to give our joint customers the assurance that their Vegware packaging is being composted. Cawleys provides an excellent service that enables customers to close the loop.”
Anna Cawley, Customer Services Director at Cawleys, said: “We are extremely proud to be working with Vegware to ensure a closed-loop solution for the many businesses and organisations who want to do their best for the environment. Many people are unaware of the importance of segregating Vegware. It’s a fantastic product but it can only fulfill its true potential if it reaches the composting facility in a completely uncontaminated state. We fulfill this important stage in the cycle by collecting, checking and transporting Vegware materials so they can be treated in the right way.”
You can find more information on the Cawleys and Vegware websites.
Norwegian owners secure full ownership of Geminor group
Geminor CEO Kjetil Vikingstad and COO Ralf Schöpwinkel have bought out Danish partner Gemidan to secure 100 per cent ownership of the waste management group.
Gemidan sold its 36.4 per cent stake to Geminor Invest AS, a holding company owned by Vikingstad and Schöpwinkel. The two managers now hold all shares in Geminor AS, including ownership of all international subsidiaries.
Commenting on the acquisition, Vikingstad said: “After many years of good cooperation, we finally part with our co-owner Gemidan. For a long time, we have wanted to acquire all the shares in Geminor AS in order to control the company’s further development in Europe. The ambition is to build the company further as a leading international player with the material recycling and energy recovery markets.
“This is a considerable and long-term investment, and we believe this is the right step to take for us, our employees and our business partners. Now we would like to take the lead in the development for a more efficient and sustainable industry.”
For more information visit the Geminor website.
Peterborough Household Recycling Centre celebrates successful first year
Since opening one year ago, Peterborough Household Recycling Centre (HRC) has seen fly-tipping decrease by 25 per cent, general black bin waste reduce by nine per cent and recycling rates increase by eight per cent.
The HRC is more than twice the size of the previous recycling centre at Dogsthorpe, and incorporates split level access and better traffic flow. Peterborough City Council is currently seeking feedback on the Peterborough HRC to further improve the experience.
Councillor Marco Cereste, Peterborough City Council’s cabinet member for waste and street scene, commented: “Our aim was to push our recycling rate above 70 per cent and the investment we made in this facility has boosted the recycling to 73 per cent putting us nearer to our zero waste aspirations. Not only that, there have been over 1,000 less instances of fly-tipping in the city.
“The household recycling centre is customer-friendly, easy to use, open all year round and is free. I would encourage residents with reusable items, recycling, garden waste or rubbish to continue to make good use of it.”
Steve Longdon, Regional Director for FCC Environment, which operates the facility on behalf of the council, added: “We are delighted with how this purpose-designed site has been welcomed by the community and the results in terms of recycling and fly-tipping speak for themselves.
“But we are always looking to improve further so we would urge residents to share their views. And in the meantime, we look forward to continuing to welcome residents and help them to recycle even more.”
More information, including a list of acceptable items, can be found on the Peterborough City Council website.
New marketing agency for waste industry launches
Mike Essex, former marketer at Bowman Power, Johnson & Johnson and Petrofac, has launched a marketing agency for industries that traditional agencies often lack the specialist knowledge to cover.
Southampton-based Devise.Marketing offers marketing strategy, digital marketing and training for the energy, engineering, waste and biogas sectors.
Essex commented: “I’ve spent the last 15 years working in tough sectors and always struggling to find agencies that could offer the right services. Selling a highly complex product or service isn’t the same as selling a chocolate bar, yet often that’s how technical companies are being treated.
“So, I started the agency to address this. Devise.Marketing brings together my experience working in agencies and in-house to deliver services underpinned by strategy and deep sector knowledge. This ranges from detailed marketing strategy and planning to the latest digital marketing tactics including SEO, PPC, Digital PR and Social Media.”
You can find more information on the Devise.Marketing website.
DS Smith appoints plastics replacement lead
DS Smith has hired Dr Susana Aucejo as senior Research and Development (R&D) Director for plastics replacement and the development of innovative barrier solutions.
Dr Aucejo joins DS Smith from research institute ITENE, where she spent 18 years as head of the packaging area and R&D director.
At DS Smith, Dr Aucejo’s work will be focused on the strategic development of technologies to enable paper-based solutions to withstand significant temperature variations, oxygen contact, moisture, water vapour and fatty substances.
Commenting on her appointment, Dr Aucejo said: “Single-use plastic is a huge issue globally. With fibre-based packaging and applications that prevent water, grease or oxygen from getting to the products inside, there is a huge opportunity for growth in sustainable packaging. Fibre-based solutions can create lasting positive change – I look forward to being at the forefront of new developments in this area.”
Magnus Renman, R&D Director at DS Smith, added: “Susana’s appointment is a testament to the focus DS Smith has put on developing innovative and creative solutions that will have the least amount of impact on our environment.”
For more information visit the DS Smith website. 
