Less waste is going to landfill and recycling rates have improved in Malvern Hills after a new single-bag system was introduced earlier this year. Initial results released by Malvern Hills District Council show that their system of replacing the previous two-bag recycling scheme with a single bag has been a success.   Officials say the new system allows for a greater range of waste to be recycled, and figures show that rates have jumped from ... Full Story

Residents in South Oxfordshire are being praised for their stunning efforts of recycling and composting 70 per cent of household rubbish – thought to be the best figures in England. The first full year of the area’s new rubbish collection and recycling service is estimated to have saved taxpayers around £355,000 as well as racked up £850,000 in recycling credits. The scheme was highly commended at the recent local authority's Municipal Journal Awards, where it was revealed that from June 2009 to June 2010, South Oxfordshire’s contractor Verdant collected 6,115 tonnes of food waste, 18,531 tonnes of dry recycling and 7,434 ... Full Story

Assembly members in Wales were voting yesterday on a proposal which could see certain types of waste being banned or restricted from landfill. Councils could also be set legally-binding targets by ministers for composting and recycling, and be hit with penalties if the targets are missed. Plastic carrier bags could also be charged for under the measures, as the assembly government believes waste management is “vital” to the future of Wales. Under the plans, ministers would ensure that any profits gained from the sale of carrier bags would be passed on to environmental projects. A proposed charge of 7p a bag ... Full Story

Biffa Waste Services has just signed a 25-year contract with West Sussex County Council, marking the authorities greenest deal ever. The contract, which will see Biffa provide for the management of non-recyclable household waste over a long-term time period, will include the construction of a Mechanical Biological Treatment facility near an existing landfill site in Warnham. The state-of-the-art plant will take non-recyclable rubbish and turn it into reusable items such as electricity and compost. Operations are expected to begin by 2013. With the addition of the plant, just north of Horsham, the council will fulfill a promise made to West Sussex residents ... Full Story

A new anaerobic digestion plant has been announced for Bocaddon farm in Looe, Cornwall. The 15,000 tonne facility will be built by Green and Pleasant Recycling, and is currently in the finishing touches of permission planning at the Cornwall Council. The £1.5m project will require three partially buried digestion containers, which will process Cornwall's local food waste. Farm waste from a Bocaddon site will also be collected and sent to the plant. Once construction is completed in Spring of 2011, the facility will be able to put out at least 350km/h of electricity and an additional 500kw/h of heat. This will be ... Full Story

Ever increasing amounts of rubbish in Plymouth is being rejected according to Defra figures released recently. According to the numbers from the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), since 2006 the amount of household waste that has been rejected for recycling has spiked from 9.8 per cent to 21.5 per cent. During the 2006/07 fiscal year, 1,450 tonnes of an overall 14,856 collected were refused for recycling. However in 2008/09 3,519 tonnes out of a total of 16,332 tonnes was refused. In the wake of the published figures, the Plymouth City Council has said it plans to educated residents on ... Full Story

According to an eye witness, paramedics were seen using an NHS ambulance to transport garden waste in St Austell, Cornwall. Matthew Chubb, 27, observed two NHS paramedics using the vehicle to jump the queue, and then precede to unload at least 10 bags full of garden waste from the ambulance. The men, who sported NHS uniforms and wore ID badges, were allegedly not on duty at the time of the incident. Ambulance bosses have confirmed the use of the emergency vehicle to dispose of the garden rubbish. Mr Chubb, who works as a computer technician, said the scene made him 'absolutely livid', ... Full Story

According to the ambitious new Zero Waste Plan, which was published yesterday, businesses like restaurants and supermarkets, as well as councils will have to separately dispose of all food waste in three years time. The Scottish Government, which is quickly moving towards its 'zero waste Scotland' campaign, hopes mandatory charges for rubbish collections will help to reduce amounts of waste sent out to landfill sites. The SNP is aiming for the sorted food waste to be sent to green power plants with anaerobic digestion technology, where the organic matter can be converted into energy and fertiliser. Environmentalists have welcomed the scheme, but ... Full Story

A new kitchen waste recycling programme that has been run as a pilot in Leeds has helped cut down on landfill dumping by up to 40 per cent. Under the new scheme, residents have begun to save food waste like leftovers and peelings for weekly run collections by the local authority. The waste is then used for composting, which in turn can be used as fertiliser to grow more food. The trial first was introduced by Leeds City Council in Rothwell. Around 8,500 householders were given two plastic container buckets as well as a roll of starch bags, which are able to ... Full Story

As food waste in the UK becomes a mounting concern, Prince Charles has spoken out against the unnecessary waste of 'billions' of pounds in food each year. More and more, councils across the country are pushing for composting and food waste collections schemes. In a recent speech at the Organic Research Centre in Berkshire, Prince Charles hailed organic farming as the most sustainable means to provide food on a global level. The prince was there on a visit to learn how best to convert his own farm, Home Farm, located at his Highgrove estate into a sustainable endeavor. While on the premises, ... Full Story

A new recycling trial has helped householders in Leeds cut the amount of waste sent to landfill in their area by recycling kitchen waste. Rothwell has seen a noticeable increase in recycling rates, since the Leeds City Council introduced the pilot project that implements the collection of food waste among other improvements to collections. The scheme has been running just 12 weeks and already residual waste has been reduced in Rothwell by at least 6.25kg per home each week. Instead of allowing kitchen scraps to rot in landfills, Rothwell residents now see their food waste collected weekly in little kitchen caddies. The ... Full Story

London's West End will be the first area to receive the UK's own low-carbon, full-vegetarian restaurant by this summer. Otarian, which will introduce two locations in New York City this month, will also open eateries in the English capital in June. Shaftesbury Avenue and Wardour Street will become the recipients of the first two restaurants, while the third location will be opened on Regent Street later in the year. The restaurant group is expected to expand to further locations across the UK. Otarian features a highly specialised menu designed around crop sustainability. Each dish is featured along with its exact carbon ... Full Story