Recycling

FIRST EVER VOLVO TRUCKS FOR H BROWN AND SON RECYCLING LTD

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H. Brown and Son Recycling Ltd have already put their four first-ever Volvo trucks into service with their 22-strong fleet, operating out of the company’s base in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent. The order comprised one FM-410 eight-wheeler, which is used on bulk waste collection and three FL-240 skip-loaders for more local work.
According to H Brown and Son Managing Director, Rod Brown, the decision to purchase the company’s first-ever Volvo’s was taken after seeking referrals from other operators, together with the firm’s drivers trialling a vehicle. “It’s the first time I’ve ever bought Volvo, so I spoke with friends in the industry who run them and everyone using them gave a good report. We trialled one and the drivers were pleased with it. Specifically, they liked the image, the driving position, the access, the good steering lock, manoeuvrability and the overall driving experience.”
However, Volvo’s reputation for good in-service back-up is key to H Brown and Son’s purchase decision. “From the operational point of view, we need trucks back on the road quickly after services and when things need fixing. The local Volvo Dealer, Hartshorne, has a good reputation and the trucks are reliable,” says Rod.
The trucks were supplied by Hartshorne (Potteries) Ltd. based in Newcastle-under-Lyme, only a few miles away. Rod continued, “Everything so far has been very good. As well as specifying, supplying and warranting vehicles, Hartshorne’s Hy-Parts service caters for the supply, service and repair of PTO’s and hydraulic systems which is an added bonus.”

July 22, 2008 at 11:49 am | Skip Hire Industry News | No comment

Tags: Recycling, skip hire news, skip loader, volvo, waste management

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VOLUNTEERS NOT WANTED

A council funded, community clean-up project has been scuppered by another section of the same council.
Over the last three years pupils from Rushden Community College have been involved in 20 major clear-up projects and have maintained gardens at 120 homes around Rushden, Higham Ferrers, Irthlingborough and Raunds as part of the Whitefriars Church Groundbreakers project.
Recently however, the volunteer teenagers, who have cleaned up gardens for vulnerable people, have been banned from disposing of their rubbish at Northamptonshire County Council’s tip in Northampton Road, Rushden. They don’t have the correct paperwork to use the council waste facility and on some occasions they have even been forced to return the waste to the original gardens.
Groundbreakers’ project worker Rosie Cheetham said,
“We’ve been told we can only dump the waste in Wellingborough and Northampton. This isn’t viable because we only have an hour at a time with the students and if we had to travel to Wellingborough or Northampton that would take up all the time. The county council funds our project, and yet another part of the authority is blocking its work – we just hope common sense prevails.”
One 16-year-old volunteer said,
“We get told off for riding our BMX bikes in the town. Now we get told off just for helping people. Why should we bother?”
Among those who have benefited from the project are tenants from the Rockingham Forest Housing Association. Association chief executive Rosemarie Anderson said,
“They’ve helped residents including people with disabilities, single mums with young children and elderly couples. The work they’ve done has been fantastic. We hope this issue can be resolved.”
A County Council spokesperson said,
“Reverend Evans at Whitefriars Church was advised in March, prior to the work being carried out, that a charity permit was required to dispose of waste at specific sites in the county – one a landfill site in Wellingborough one a waste transfer station in Northampton. When charity workers arrived at the Rushden Household Waste Recycling Centre they did not have the required permit and were again advised of the need for a permit. Permits cost 25p each and would have been issued in this circumstance so the waste could have been taken to the landfill sites which are set up to take such rubbish.”

July 6, 2008 at 3:01 pm | Skip Hire Industry News | No comment

Tags: Recycling, Skip Hire Industry News

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GREENGROCER FINED FOR RECYCLING!

Local council red tape in Workington, Cumbria, is preventing a greengrocer from recycling his waste, and instead forcing him to use council services to send it all to landfill. They are also adding a £300 fine into the bargain.
Colin Glaister, who is the owner of the Fruit and Veg shop on Oxford Street, was fined by Allerdale Borough Council after he failed to produce a waste transfer note. He was told it was illegal for him to put his vegetables on a compost heap and cardboard on a household recycling site without the notice.
He said: “A £300 fine for recycling waste out of the shop is unfair. Everyone says you should recycle and do your bit. I take all my cardboard to Smurfits. All my fruit and vegetables go on the garden compost heap. We don’t waste them. My uncle takes the cabbages and feeds them to his chickens. I put the potatoes on the compost heap and it goes back into the land. But the council says I am not allowed to do that.
When I asked them what would happen to all my rubbish I was told it would all go to the landfill.”
Mr Glaister, 26, of Salterbeck, is understandably angry about the fine because he was not guilty of fly-tipping.
“If I loaded my van up and disposed of it I would deserve it,” he added. “I am mad that I have been done for recycling.”
Mr Glaister said that, although he has now applied for a bin, he has also written a letter of appeal to the council.
He added: “I think I have been treated unfairly. I said I am sorry I broke the law. I didn’t realise at the time I could do that by recycling. I have been told it is illegal to take the waste off my premises by moving it in my van.
They told me I was breaking the law and that I was supposed to hire a bin off the council. They will empty the bins once a fortnight. That will cost me about £5 a time. The rubbish will be left in my bin for two weeks during the summer. Who wants to smell rotting vegetables every day in the hot weather?”
An Allerdale Council spokeswoman stated that, under the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005, business owners must show how they dispose of their waste. If they fail to do this they will be issued with a fixed penalty notice. She said that workers at the shop were warned three times before the fine was dished out and that Mr Glaister was visited on April 3 and failed to produce the necessary legal documentation. Officers wrote on April 10 advising of a visit on April 21 at which the documentation would be required.
“The proprietor still failed to provide the necessary legal notice and was therefore issued with a fixed penalty notice,” she added.
“The proprietor has since arranged a contract for waste disposal with the necessary documentation.”
She said it was not the council’s intention to fine people. “The idea is to encourage them to think about who they give their waste to and not to simply choose the cheapest option or dump their rubbish.”
By law, a waste transfer notice has to be produced by a business whenever trade waste is transferred from a business premises to a registered waste carrier or waste disposal operator. The idea behind the notice is obviously a decent one and should combat illegal dumping. However, fining a business which is responsibly disposing of their waste seems ludicrous. Companies taking responsibility for their waste without unnecessary use of council resources surely should be encouraged (as the council spokeswoman suggested). Can the local borough council really need the £300 that badly?
An initiative whereby greengrocers distribute their waste produce as compost to local allotments and council gardens seems to be a brilliant idea. Sadly, maybe it would only work if someone could make money out of it rather than save money.

June 12, 2008 at 8:52 pm | Environmental News | No comment

Tags: Recycling, Skip Hire Industry News, waste industry news

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New Vision For Old Windows

We’re all familiar with windows, I think it’s fair to say. The concept has definitely proved a popular one and they look like they’re here to stay!
However, with modern window frames being made from PVCu for quite some time now, the increasing number of non-degradable old frames being removed in renewal projects has threatened to become a serious environmental issue. But one company has turned this problem into a success story.
Shredtec Recyclers Ltd, an Oldham-based company with depots across the UK and Ireland, have established an operation to tackle this problem head-on. Dealing purely with the recycling of old PVCu frames, which would otherwise go to landfill, they even pay cash for old frames – so the benefits are not just those to the environment.
“The amount of waste we produce in the UK is phenomenal and, basically, we’re running out of holes!” said Ian Murray of Shredtec. Watch the full Shredtec video online at: http://tinyurl.com/258o35

April 26, 2008 at 6:51 pm | Skip Hire Industry News | No comment

Tags: Recycling, Skip Hire Industry News, waste management

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