Controversial plans that will see the extension of a Surrey waste and recycling plant have been approved by local councillors. On the behalf of the SCC (Surrey County Council) SITA Surrey has been attempting to develop an 'eco park' on Charlton Lane in Shepperton. The facility is going to feature a gasification chamber, a device that heats waste in order to produce gas. Residents living nearby have repeatedly expressed fears that the extension will lead to increased amounts of pollution, as well as traffic problems. Last year, a 1,600-signature petition against its plans was handed to SCC. Local borough councillors in Spelthorne have ... Full Story

More homes in the town of St Helier will be able to recycle unwanted waste as a result of the ongoing kerbside recycling scheme has been extended. In July 2010, the recycling scheme was trialled in La Pouquelaye. Following success, it was then expanded to Mont Cochon on the 28th of February, before spreading to La Grande Route de St Jean, and Trinity Hill on the 18th of April. From Monday the scheme will start in Havre des Pas, selected areas of South Hill, and Mont Millais. Properties across these areas will receive coloured bags, as well as a leaflet that explains ... Full Story

  A small Canadian outfit is attempting to change the way plastic is recycled through a pilot plant prepared to test a new process of reusing the polystyrene that helps to make coffee cups, packing material, and food trays. Switchable Solutions Inc, which is a joint venture commercialising the new recycling method, says that its industrial-scale pilot will begin operation in around a year's time. It should be able to recycle at least 2,000 tonnes' worth of polystyrene per year in a complex process the firms says is considerably more environmentally-friendly than the existing methods practised at present. Very little ... Full Story

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Eighteen months after a highly divisive bin strike in the city of Leeds, the councillor charged with organising the service has returned back to the floor. Mark Dobson is currently responsible for running environmental services on Leeds city council's executive board and took over the responsibility under a fortnight ago when he decided to go out and do a full shift as one of the city's binners. Since then, Dobson has branded the experience "worthwhile", and explained that it gave him a clearer insight into how the service is operating at present. The 11-week dispute, that finally came to a close in ... Full Story

A local authority in Merseyside has managed to slash £900,000 from its yearly budget through negotiating an innovative and new recycling contract. Under new terms that have been agreed by Sefton Council, all recycling services will remain the same and are going ame and are going to be carried out by one particular company called Palm Recycling. This means residents should continue putting out glass, bottles, cans, paper, textiles and also food waste on the exact same days they put out normal rubbish. Despite this latest development, the authority is still forced to make overall savings of around £20m in the 2011/12 ... Full Story

A council is looking into whether it can boost its recycling levels through giving households smaller wheelie bins. Over 70 households in Newport participated in a three-month-long trial and used bins at least a quarter as small as they usually. Strategy report sees the concept as being a key plan for the 2011-12 campaign and a reduction in waste bins' sizes should help to promote recycling. Newport's council confirmed that firm proposals are yet to be put forward and others around Wales are facing pressure with regards to improving and maintaining their recycling rates as the Welsh Government has set them a ... Full Story

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  Children in Bolton have made calls for an arson-struck pub to be specially-transformed into a new recycling centre. The empty pub in question, The Prince Rupert, in Morris Green, a suburb of the Lancashire town, was targeted on the 1st of May. Around the local area, it is widely believed that someone first broke into the building before setting it alight. Year five pupils of the nearby Lever Edge Primary Academy have made calls for urgent improvements to be made ... Full Story

Tesco supermarkets has decided to remove recycling bins and bottle banks from their car parks in a move that will see councils lose out on millions of pounds’-worth of revenue. With some single councils collecting as much as £80,000 a year from such recycling facilities, the decision has been branded as corporate greed. The paper, plastic and glass recycling bins that are usually situated in the supermarket’s car parks earn council credits which can be exchanged for cash payments. Tesco has now, however, written a letter to all councils asking them to remove the facilities by the beginning of May. The ... Full Story

The president of the Guernsey Building Trades Employers Association has said that the island’s building industry cannot recycle properly as it hasn’t enough land and facilities. Cliver Fennar, however, said despite this, Guernsey’s Grand Bouet housing project was a great model for other constructors, managing to recycle a massive 95 per cent of waste. Mr Fennar claimed that while facilities were available in some places, there were not enough for recycling to be rolled out across the whole of the building industry. He added that there is currently no strategy in place to encourage people in the construction business to recycle ... Full Story

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