Beginning Monday, residents in Edinburgh will be able to put out batteries and plastic bottles along with other kerbside rubbish. Plastic bottles can now be placed in the red kersbide boxes and batteries can be picked up from the blue kerbside boxes. The local council said that plastic bottles have been among the most requested recyclable items for kerbside collections. Prior to the new measure, householders were required to take plastic bottle recycling to on-street bins. A recent study from YouGov reported that 275,000 tonnes of plastic gets used every year within the UK. That amounts to 15 ... Full Story

Scandal has rocked the charity sector in the UK after it emerged that the UK leg of the Salvation Army had paid nearly £10million to a private textile trader to aid with its clothing recycling scheme. Now the Salvation Army is facing widespread calls to explain how it permits a private businessman to establish a multi-million pound textile empire on its donation-based recycling scheme. A leading UK broadsheet has now launched an investigation into Nigel Hanger’s business, which partners with recycling banks like the Salvation Army in a move that has made him and his three partners nearly £10million. ... Full Story

Oxfordshire could be faced with just one tip for its domestic rubbish as new proposals for waste management are discussed this Friday. Currently, the authority has eight household waste recycling facilities, however, the Oxfordshire Waste Partnership is considering reducing that number to just five. Furthermore, only one facility with the capacity to take on non-recyclable waste would be built. Planning permission is being sought for the site, which is in an area in Kidlington. Waste recycling units in West Oxfordshire, Stanford and Ardely are all proposed sites for closures. The Redbridge sit in central Oxford is going ... Full Story

One worker has died and a second was critically injured during an explosion at a recycling plant on Tuesday. South Yorkshire Police are investigating the matter, which left both men injured after a waste incinerator at Sterecycle in Rotherham exploded around 2pm on Tuesday. A 42-year old man from Rotherham was airlifted to a nearby hospital but succumbed to his injuries shortly after arriving, the police said. His co-worker, a 50-year old Barnsley man was also take to hospital, where he is battling serious, “possibly life-changing” injuries. Police said he was in stable condition. A spokesman for ... Full Story

A council in Cambridgeshire revealed its shortlist of organisations as it looks for partners for its waste collection services. Among them, Enterprise Management Services has been ranked as the frontrunner for the Peterborough City Council’s waste management partner. The organisation would be tasked with recycling, grounds’ maintenance and street cleaning. According to the council a final decision is expected later this month as to what firm will be contracted for the work. Although an inside source said that Enterprise is the clear favourite. Deputy Council leader Matthew Lee said that the council was looking forward to ... Full Story

Those in Gloucestershire are being urged to recycle all Christmas items including trees, cards and unwanted leftover electrical. The Woodland Trust recycling containers at Marks & Spencer, HomeSense and TK Maxx are all accepting holiday cards across the county throughout January. People with unwanted Christmas cards have been encouraged to avoid unnecessary waste by disposing of them responsibly. Furthermore, Gloucestershire residents have been strongly encouraged to recycle Christmas trees as the holiday comes to a close. Trees can be dropped off at designated recycling centres or will be collected alongside kerbside garden waste. The area council ... Full Story

The UK’s first sustainable energy park is on its way after developers closed agreements with an overseas manufacturer. According to the Peterborough Telegraph, work will begin on the new facility following the New Year as Peterborough Renewable Energy partners with Malaysian firm KNM Group Berhad. Green Energy Park (GEP) – Peterborough Renewable’s parent company – announced the deal at the beginning of the week. Chris Williams, managing director at GEP said that in KNM Group Berhad the company has found a partner with similar ethos, ambition and drive to promote a landfill-free country. He added that the group ... Full Story

Ministers have been asked to consider launching a public review into a largely controversial decision by councilors in North Yorkshire to approve a £1bn waste contract, which includes a new incinerator. MPs opposing the proposal to construct a waste management plant between Harrogate and York are set to lobby the Government to prevent the scheme. The bid to have the approval overridden is being lead by Selby and Ainsty MP Nigel Adams along with his Parliamentary peer Andrew Jones, both of whom have been vocal against the project. Yesterday, it was revealed that county councilors agreed ... Full Story

North Yorkshire County Council has awarded the controversial 25-year waste management contraction to AmeyCespa for North Yorkshire and York. The decision follows Government approval to use part of the funds allocated in PFI credits – a type of grant – to pay out the contract. The solution proposed by AmeyCespa will include recovery of nonrecyclable waste and will allow York and North Yorkshire to exceed their goal of 50 per cent waste recycled by 2020. Technologies proposed for the waste management include reclamation and mechanical sorting of nearly 20,000 tonnes of municipal waste each year. Anaerobic Digestion ... Full Story

A Cardiff waste treatment project has announced its shortlist of proposals for a 25-year contract aimed at finding the best solution for the authorities municipal waste. Four waste treatment centres, including Viridor’s controversial Splott incinerator, all made the shortlist for the contract to deliver a practical solution for the city’s residual waste. Dubbed Prosiect Gwyrdd, the shortlist is part of a larger selection process to give one plant the long-term contract to treat residual waste for five Welsh councils, including Cardiff. Prosiect Gwyrdd, which means Project Green in Welsh, is seeking the most energy efficient, cost effective and ... Full Story

The ESB has purchased a sharehold in a floundering UK company that produces small power plants designed to burn waste wood and convert it to green electricity. The state-owned power utility announced its investment of £4.5m to buy the stake saying that Yorkshire-based Bioflame had already received planning permission to build 17 of its small-time biomass incinerators. The firm can process nearly 30,000 tonnes of waste each year and generate enough electricity for 6,000 residences. Most of the plants are typically built alongside waste dumps and burn wood that otherwise would be sent to landfill. Bioflame will ... Full Story

York’s council chiefs are coming under fire for failing to adhere to a promise to oppose a proposed waste incinerator. The controversial £900 million facility would be built in North Yorkshire. City of York Council’s executive recommended approving the plant, which directly breaks his promise to oppose the incinerator. The facility, planned for the Allerton quarry landfill site, is under the control of the Spanish energy firm, Amey Cespa. Now, with the backing from the Council’s leadership, the matter will go before a full meeting of the council later this week. North Yorkshire Count Council have also supported ... Full Story