Across the board UK governments are working hard to cut down on rubbish sent to landfill and to increase household, commercial, and industrial recycling rates. As EU waste and recycling targets loom closer, it is becoming more important for recycling efforts to be pushed full throttle. Northern Ireland has just signed on to do its part to help meet UK recycling targets. Just recently Environment Minister of Northern Ireland Edwin Poots launched a £3.13 million scheme that will help make funding available to local authorities for the promotion of reuse and recycling. Dubbed, the "Rethink Waste Fund', the initiative is being launched ... Full Story

A new recycling scheme in Berkshire is being piloted to show that incentives rather than penalties are the best way to encourage recycling. In the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, 6,500 households have had their bins weighed and be allocated points based on the amount of rubbish being recycled. The scheme, which began last June, has proven successful and will now be rolled out across Berkshire in its entirety. Residents in the borough for the last year have been rewarded points that could be redeemed for goods or services. Wheelie bins were collected, weighed, and points were then dolled out based ... Full Story

May Gurney announced today a boost for its environmental business with plans in the works for two long-haul waste recycling deals. Over the next 14 years, the waste management firm will manage contracts worth up to £60m in conjunction with the North Yorkshire County Council. As part of the deals, May Gurney will oversee 17 Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs). The contract, which will expire in seven years, is valued at at least £24m with the opportunity to extend a further three years at the contract's end. Also Offered as a long-term recycling and waste collections deal, the second contract will begin ... Full Story

Nokia Oyj and Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB have been ranked again as the top two greenest major electronics producers by Greenpeace International. Finnish company Nokia, which remains the number one mobile phone maker in the world, was at the top of Greenpeace International’s quarterly list after reposting that their 2010 mobile phones would be PVC plastic and brominated flame retardant (BFR) free. The companies on Greenpeace’s list are ranked based on use of toxic chemicals, recycled materials and used products, as well as environmental protection. ... Full Story

Cardiff University is being honoured for its efforts in encouraging reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and leading by example. The university has become the country's first Welsh higher-education institution to receive the Carbon Trust Standard recognising the school for its efforts to cut its carbon footprint. The university decreased its emissions output last year by 1.3 per cent, and by 14 per cent since 2005. According to university execs, a total of £1.7m has been spent on energy reducing schemes over the past three years. It has become one of the UK's first institutions to receive the prestigious award from the Carbon Trust Higher ... Full Story

Blackpool and Lancashire County councils' Waste Action Grant funding initiative was relaunched earlier in the month with a £2,000 increase in cash from previous years. The scheme, which was launched two years back, originally gave out £500 to organisations operating recycling programmes. Now, the councils will give out £2,500 per project for the furthering of reuse, reduce, and recycle schemes. So far, grants have been given to over 120 groups to promote recycling and minimise waste initiatives. This year, applications will be processed in batches as the year progresses in order to bring a more competitive edge to the grants and ensure that ... Full Story

The Portsmouth Marriott Hotel has reported that with the launch of its aggressive new recycling scheme in March, the hotel now recycles 98 per cent of all waste generated. The programme, which includes both energy saving initiatives and recycling, focuses on all aspects of the hotel business from bedrooms to restaurants to entertainment amenities. Working in partnership with local Portsmouth experts such as ACM and PDM, the scheme was able to become successful in a two-month time frame. After completing an eight week trial period, Portsmouth is now the only Marriott hotel in Europe that has successfully maintained a comprehensive recycling programme. ... Full Story

London will become the global pioneer for innovative recycling centers after a groundbreaking new project was announced by the London Waste and Recycling Board yesterday. With the receipt of a £500,000 grant, the board will begin designing and constructing the new facility, which will look to drastically cut down on the 25 million tonnes of construction-related waste being sent to landfills every year. The proposal, submitted by BioRegional and Croydon Appliance Reuse Centre, will see the inception of the UK's first building materials reuse centre. By collecting unwanted materials from DIY stores and housing developments, the centre will help keep valuable reusable ... Full Story

The Northwest Climate Change Action Plan will include a grant for up to £2 million to be handed out by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) to small businesses looking to develop innovative carbon saving technologies. Working with Envirolink Northwest, the grant will be a way to promote small to mid-sized enterprises endeavor to develop new equipment that will reduce carbon emissions further. Companies working in a variety of categories in this sector will be eligible to apply for the funds. These include waste treatment, recycling centres, air pollution, water pollution, energy generation and efficiency, and land remediation. The NWDA in ... Full Story

Computer Disposals Ltd (CDL) earned top honours at this year's Green IT Awards held at the London Zoo. The firm was given accolades for 'Recycling Scheme of the Year' collecting its very own bonsai tree and putting them at the forefront as a leading UK IT disposal company. CDL had been nominated for the award by readers of the Green IT Magazine. The company was highlighted for its revolutionary PC recycling scheme. The award was presented on Earth Day with CDL beating out all other competitors. Jean-Pierre Naylor, the director of CDL, said the company was thrilled to received the accolades and ... Full Story

Axion, a Europe-based recycling specialist, is seeking partners for a  £5m capital grant being offered by the Scottish Government. The Zero Waste Scotland programme is looking for developers interested in designing a plastics reprocessing infrastructure for Scotland. Axion will look to join with other specialised firms to apply for the grant following the announcement from the government. Axion has now put out statements asking for developers who wish to partner as 'facilitators' on mixed-plastics processing projects. Axion's announcement places an emphasis on the partner firms taking a large role in operating the facilities. According to Axion director Keith Freegard, the recycling firm hopes ... Full Story

Thanks to overwhelming consumer feedback, Ford is to extend its Recycle Your Ride scheme. According to the company, nearly 60 per cent of the firm's vehicles in Canada are old enough to qualify for the car makers' retirement programme. Ford has said that beginning 1 May 2010, customers who turn in a 2003 model vehicle or older will receive up to $3,000 to put towards a 2010 Lincoln or Ford model vehicle. In conjunction with Summerhill Impact, Ford will be able to expand the programme to reach more consumers. David Mondragon, CEO and president at Ford Canada, said that the exclusive partnership with Summerhill ... Full Story