A recycling company is set to challenge a decision made by Banbridge District Council with regards to not renewing its contract and bringing recycling services in-house. The company, namely Bryson Recycling, is arguing that the council's decision is flawed and is against the best interests that residents in Banbridge have. The firm has provided recycling services across Banbridge for 10 years and its current contract will expire in March 2012. Thus far, Banbridge District Council has flat-out denied the allegations. Upon being informed of the council's most recent decision, which was made in February, Bryson Recycling officially commissioned a review made by ... Full Story

Scottish councils are to give their recycling schemes a major overhaul by using a ‘carbon metric’ system. Rather than prioritising recyclables by weight, the process will focus on those that cause the most damage to the environment, such as plastics, textiles and food waste. From 2013 onwards, councils will be asking residents to concentrate on recycling waste with a ‘high carbon impact’, with other low carbon impact materials, such as paper, taking a back seat. The initiative is thought to be a world’s first, replacing the traditional schemes which focus on weight and are currently used across Europe. In a tricky job ... Full Story

 The Environment Agency has discovered a multi-million pound network of scams that are seeing thousands of tons of UK recycling being dumped in the Third World. The three-year investigation has discovered that around 30 criminal gangs are shipping waste out of the country to Kenya and Nairobi.   The news comes just a week after it was revealed that councils across Britain are forcing households into separating their rubbish into as ... Full Story

A start-up Scottish recycling company has sold its unique method of reusing old tyres without having any impact on the environment to a Spanish firm. The Recyclatech Group, which has found to way to treat rubber with bacteria so it can be fully recycled, was first set up by researchers from Napier University in Edinburgh in 2006. The firm is now aiming to build a plant in Scotland which could produce 1,000 tonnes of recycled rubber a year and sell it to interested companies. A franchise agreement has now been signed between Recyclatech and Spanish group Biotyre. With an aim to eventually ... Full Story

Coca-Cola is continuing to expand its UK public recycling programme by targeting students at universities. The University of Exeter was this week added to the list of participants in the Coca-Cola Enterprise (CCE) Recycle Zone.   Starting in 2008, the drinks company now has more than 90 recycling stations in the UK, at prime locations such as the London Eye, Leoland, airports and hospitals. The aim of the project is to make recycling on the ... Full Story

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