The Guardian: "Easter-egg makers not doing enough to cut packaging, says MP"

Link to The Guardian

"Commercially produced Easter eggs generate an estimated 3,000 tonnes of UK waste each year, according to the government's waste advisory body, Wrap. But despite some improvements, many Easter chocolate products remain over-packaged and unrecyclable, according to a report by the Liberal Democrat MP Jo Swinson, a long-standing campaigner against excessive and wasteful packaging.

"Her 2012 Easter Egg Packaging report found that, on average, only 38% of what is in an Easter egg box is an egg – the same figure as last year. It also criticises some manufacturers for failing to ensure their packages are made from widely recyclable materials, which means that much of the packaging still ends up in landfill sites."

BBC: "What should be done about plastic bags?"

Link to BBC web site

"The European Commission is to publish proposals in the spring designed to reduce the number of plastic bags used in Europe each year. Most of the 15,000 people who took part in a public consultation favoured an outright ban - but what are the options?

"... If shoppers stop using plastic bags, they must start using other kinds of bags, but there is no perfect solution. Stronger, heavier bags, whether made of fabric or plastic, have a bigger environmental impact than standard supermarket shopping bags.

"If a plastic bag is used just once, then a paper bag must be used three times to compensate for the larger amount of carbon used in manufacturing and transporting it, a plastic 'bag for life' must be used four times, and a cotton bag must be used 131 times."

The Guardian: "London air pollution at record high"

Link to The Guardian

"Air pollution in London hit record levels on Thursday due to a combination of traffic fumes, relatively still weather and an influx of dirty air from the north of England and northern France. Poor conditions are affecting a swath of the country as far north as Leeds and York

"... Last month, the environment secretary, Caroline Spelman, was criticised by an influential group of MPs for rejecting their recommendations to cut pollution on the grounds that it was too costly. Poor air quality has been linked to nearly one in five deaths a year in London. The capital's poor air quality, caused largely by traffic, has seen the UK facing £300m in fines for breaching EU targets. The government has successfully lobbied Europe to push back the deadline for meeting the targets."

Grimshaw Architects: "SITA Energy from Waste Centre, Great Blakenham, Suffolk"

Link to Grimshaw web site

"... The proposed Suffolk site is currently occupied by a Council works department, but backs directly onto the Gipping Valley. The response proposed is to create a building whose appearance reflects both the industrial agricultural heritage of Suffolk, and the constantly changing character of the sky."

Daily Telegraph: "'Moby-Duck' by Donovan Hohn is a literary voyage into our rubbish-strewn oceans"

Link to Daily Telegraph

"... For all its distractions and limitations, the message at the heart of this book is truly worthwhile. In southern Hawaii he finds 'the dirtiest beach in the world'. It is chilling to learn that sieving seawater at the centre of the North Pacific Gyre (a gyre being the confluence of wind, tide and currents that rotate at the centre of the world’s oceans, gathering detritus) produces a higher dry weight of plastic than of plankton.

The best part of this journey is its beginning, when Hohn goes to Alaska, a place we imagine teeming with grizzly bears, wild salmon, great mountains and miles and miles of wilderness. At the uninhabited Gore Point, Hohn joins the genuinely quixotic Chris Pallister and his motley crew as they retrieve and place plastic debris into thousands upon thousands of 'super sacks' that can be airlifted back to a municipal landfill.

The facts about our despoliation of the world need no embellishment. There is good science here, obscured only by Hohn’s ambition to seem literary, but he conjures a truly terrifying vision of how much new plastic tat will be born, as China’s consumerist growth outstrips even that of America."

The Guardian: "Sainsbury's changes food freezing advice in bid to cut food waste"

Link to web site

"Long-standing advice to consumers to freeze food on the day of purchase is to be changed. New labelling on food products in all Sainsbury's stores will instead advise customers to freeze food as soon as possible, up to the product's 'use by' date.

"Andrew Parry, consumer food waste prevention manager at WRAP (link to food waste) said:

"Changing the guidance to freeze before the use by date is a welcome move. Now we can all look in our fridges and know that we can freeze most items which are about to go out-of-date, and enjoy them at a later time.

In doing so, we can expect to reduce the amount of out of date food we throw away, which will in turn save us all money."

BBC: "The toughest place to be a binman"

Link to BBC web site

"Jakarta and the surrounding metropolitan areas are home to 28 million people, and the Indonesian city is struggling to cope with all the rubbish it generates. What's it like for the binmen?

"Each day soon after sunrise, Imam Syaffi sets off with his hand-pulled cart to collect the rubbish from some of the more desirable residences in Jakarta.

"With his cheery cry of 'Sampa!' (rubbish), he lets the residents in their gated homes know that he has arrived."

"London binman Wilbur Ramirez is heading to Jakarta, the vast mega city that is the capital of Indonesia. For ten days Wilbur works with Imam, one of the army of semi-destitute binmen, who collect rubbish in one of the biggest and fastest growing cities in the world."

Toughest Place to be... a Binman was on BBC Two on Sunday 29 January, and Toughest place to be features further stories Sunday 5 and 12 Feb at 21:00 GMT.

27/28/29 Jan, 11/12 Feb: 'Stuff for Free', from Healthy Planet

Link to Stuff for Free

"In January and February, Healthy Planet is offering a great opportunity to donate (and later, take for free) unwanted Christmas presents, and help the environment at the same time - at our new 'Stuff for Free' events.

"Healthy Planet's 'Stuff for Free' is a giant community reuse event - helping redistribute good quality stuff to a new home, where it will be valued.

"What's more, you'll be helping the environment. By re-using things instead of throwing them away, you'll be helping to save landfill space, reduce fly tipping and save valuable resources.

"Healthy Planet's mission is to champion new and grassroot green and healthy causes, by giving community initiatives the space and voice they need."

The Wasters Blog: "Waste: A Managed Resource By 2020"

Link to 'The Wasters Blog'

"...Numbers for EU resource usage and waste produced are huge, as given by the EU Commission:

• Disposal of 2.7bn tonnes of waste annually 
• ... 98m tonnes of which is hazardous. 
• Only 40 percent of the EU’s solid waste is re-used or recycled.

"There will within the next few years be another new layer of regulations to ensure that:

1. Higher priority is given to re-use and recycling.
2. All product design integrating a life-cycle approach, is implemented 
3. Yet bigger incentives for waste prevention and recycling, and 
4. More public investment takes place in modern facilities for waste treatment and recycling.

Four tenders short-listed for West London Waste Contract

The West London Waste Authority (WLWA) has short-listed four bidders for a long term West London Residual Waste Services contract covering the boroughs of Brent, Ealing, Harrow, Hillingdon, Hounslow, and Richmond upon Thames.

"The following will now be invited to develop detailed solutions as the next stage in the competitive dialogue process that is being employed:

• Cory Environmental Ltd.
• E.ON Energy from Waste, leading a consortium with Tata Chemicals Europe Limited, with significant sub-contractor Grundon Waste Management Limited
• SITA UK Ltd., and 
• Viridor Waste Management Ltd.

"The contract involves treating up to 300,000 tonnes of residual waste per year generated by a population of 1.4 million people, and covers all aspects of treatment including any necessary transport, the operation of transfer stations, and contracts for outputs such as energy, refuse-derived fuel, recyclates etc.

"Bids were invited from 'single entity' companies, consortia, or joint ventures. The WLWA has offered its three waste transfer stations at Brentford, South Ruislip and Park Royal as part of the procurement, but also welcomed proposals involving sites within bidders’ control or which they intend to acquire.

"The next stage of the tender process will be the submission of detailed solutions by the short listed bidders in spring 2012. Two final bidders will then be selected to submit final tenders in autumn 2012. The preferred bidder will be selected in spring 2013. The new services will start in April 2015, but WLWA is exploring with bidders the opportunity for an earlier start to begin diversion from landfill as soon as possible.

"West London already recycles or composts almost 40% of its household waste, more than any other sub region of London. The new contract will allow continued flexibility to increase recycling up to at least 50% by 2020 and WLWA will focus even more on waste minimisation schemes in the future."

The Guardian: "Paper bags or plastic bags: which are best?"

Link to The Guardian

"So victory for paper bags – they are the children of trees! – in the war against decadent, dolphin-smothering plastic. Except, like most wars, it is far from clear if it has left the world a better place. 

Wrap, the government-funded company set up to reduce waste, summarises the drawbacks of paper bags: while from a renewable source and biodegradable, compostable and recyclable, they require far more energy to make and transport than plastic, have less re-use potential, and produce methane if dumped in landfill."

---

"Fly-tipping in England mapped"

"Fly-tipping in the England cost local authorities over £60million in 2011. How bad is your area for dumping waste?"

WLWP published - but not on WLWP web site!

Link to LB of Brent copy of report

The West London Waste Plan's

'DRAFT Proposed Submission Version'

was published, without anyone noticing, on 11th November 2011, for the LB of Hillingdon, by Mouchel.

"In west London, six London boroughs have agreed to co-operate to produce a single waste plan for their combined area. When finalised, this plan will form part of each of their respective Local Development Frameworks. 

The West London Waste Plan details the amount for the different types of waste expected to be produced in west London up to 2026; identifies the current sites available to help deal with that waste; identifies the current shortfall of facilities needed, and proposes a set of further sites which might be used for waste facilities in the future."

"This Plan will be adopted, after Examination in Public and consideration of the appointed Inspector’s report, by each of the constituent boroughs. It will take on the status of a statutory Development Plan Document, and its policies will be accorded considerable weight by each local planning authority and the Secretary of State in determining planning applications for waste management facilities within the plan area.

"You can make representations on this proposed submission draft of the West London Waste Plan, including the Sustainability Appraisal and Equalities Impact Assessment during a six week period commencing from the 19 January 2012.

"All representations made will be considered by a Planning Inspector at a formal process called an examination in public. The purpose of the examination is to consider whether the Waste Plan complies with the legal requirements and is ‘sound’.

"Since the Planning Inspector’s role is to answer these questions, any comments on the Plan will need to be related to legal compliance and 'soundness'.

"All responses must be received by 1 March 2012. All representations and other material in support of any comments made should be sent to:

CAG Consultants
West London Waste Plan Consultation
Gordon House, 6 Lissenden Gardens, London, NW5 1LX
Email: consultation@wlwp.net

"Comments can also be given via the website: www.wlwp.net."

The Independent: "We're throwing out less food – but still too much"

Link to The Independent

"British households are throwing away a lot less food than they were four years ago – but they're still wasting millions of tonnes of it every year, new figures reveal.

"The amount of household food waste has dropped by 13 per cent, or 1.1 million tonnes, since 2006-07, when the first major survey was done, according to the Government's Waste & Resources Action Programme (Wrap). The waste saved would be more than enough to fill Wembley Stadium."

[Updated] Questions to Boris the Mayor, from Greater London Assembly Members

OCTOBER 2011:
Question 2889 / 2011

Navin Shah

"Does the Mayor share my concern about the potential impact of HS2 on the West London Waste Authority transfer station in Hillingdon? Is he doing anything to help resolve the uncertainty?"

"I am aware of the issue you have raised and the potential impact of the HS2 alignment on rail access to the existing waste transfer station. The current proposals for HS2 sever this access and it is not clear at this point whether an alternative is going to be provided. I know the London Borough of Hillingdon has made representations to the Secretary of State on this matter and I would share their concerns.

"I have made it clear that although there is a great case for investing in a high speed rail network, which has the potential to generate major benefits for both London and the UK, my support on the proposal being consulted on is conditional on a number of issues being addressed, which are set out below:

1. Environmental effects – I am seeking changes to the design of the route to ensure any impacts on west Londoners are properly addressed, preferably by tunnelling the whole route through London;
2. Euston dispersal – I am seeking a commitment from the Government that their proposals for HS2 will include a package of measures for addressing the impacts at Euston, including delivery of the first phase of the Chelsea Hackney Line (Crossrail 2) between Clapham Junction and Seven Sisters;
3. Old Oak Common – I am seeking a commitment that complementary rail and other transport enhancements for Old Oak Common are included in the core HS2 scheme to ensure it is accessible to the wider area, and;
4. HS2-HS1 connection - I am asking that the Government consider alternative options that do not impact on North London Line services or limit the potential for these services to be enhanced in the future.

"As with any railway, some closures will always be necessary so that TfL can properly maintain the Tube in a safe and reliable condition."
 

---

UPDATE: 

Question to the Mayor, to be answered on Monday 21 November

West London Waste Authority 

Question No: 3487 / 2011

Navin Shah 

"Thank you for your response to 2889. Perhaps you misunderstood the issue. West London Waste Authority is currently doing a major procurement for better waste processing. The current transfer station is a prime site for redevelopment in a way that benefits London both environmentally and economically on a strategic level. What are you doing to avoid any blight on the procurement from HS2?"

The Guardian: "Why is our consumption falling?"

Link to The Guardian

"Everyone believes that consumption is out of control. But is it? From food to paper and water, Britain has gradually been guzzling less over the last decade. Why?

"But, according to environment writer Chris Goodall, those stats tell an important story. Goodall says enthusiastically:

"What the figures suggest is that 2001 may turn out to be the year that the UK's consumption of "stuff" – the total weight of everything we use, from food and fuel to flat-pack furniture – reached its peak and began to decline."

Daily Telegraph: "Tipping point: what happens when our landfills are full?

Link to Daily Telegraph report

Picture: "The landfill site at Remo, north-east Belgium,

which a firm wants to mine in order to reuse the waste"

"In 2007, the Local Government Association reported that in Britain a combined area the size of Warwick was taken up with landfill. In July last year, it warned that the country will run out of space for its rubbish by 2018 unless new sites are found.

"The real nail in the coffin is the European Union’s landfill directive (first issued in 1999 but ramped up over the years with increasingly ambitious targets), which will impose fines of up to £1 million a day if we send more than 50 per cent of our waste to landfill by 2013, or 35 per cent by 2020 (currently we send 48 per cent to landfill).

"Unsurprisingly, environmental groups aren’t fans of incineration. According to Friends of the Earth, incinerators are considerably worse on carbon efficiency than even coal-fired power stations. It seems perverse that developed economies – so keen in other ways to kill CO2-belching industries – are looking to incineration as an alternative to landfill."

Tuesday 15 November: WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) conference

Link to WRAP web site

WRAP Annual Conference 2011:

Relearning to reuse: Getting the most out of scarce resources

Keynote speakers:

Rt Hon Caroline Spelman MP, Secretary of State for the Environment

and

Jonathon Porritt, Founder Director of Forum for the Future.

15 November 2010

15 Hatfields, London, SE1 8DJ

Apply for your FREE place at the WRAP Annual Conference today.

Please note that places are limited. Registration will not automatically guarantee a place.

The Guardian: "Coffee chains urged to improve takeaway cup recycling"

Link to The Guardian

"Coffee shops are failing to make it easy for customers to recycle the estimated 2.5bn takeaway cups thrown away each year in the UK, a consumer group warned on Tuesday.

"The investigation by Which? found that consumers were confused by retailers' use of 'mixed materials', which make recycling a headache, and urged providers to take more environmental responsibility."

'WHICH':

Recycling products - interactive tool.

Recycling rate in Tower Hamlets: 88%!

"The London Borough of Tower Hamlets has a recycling rate of 26.4%. Many residents recycle much more than this by living more sustainably. This household has a recycling rate of 88%. 

"Tower Hamlets currently spend £2,317,043 a year on landfill tax, which will increase to £3,861,739 by 2014, if the recycling rate stays the same."

PackagingNews: "Plastics recycling breakthroughs unveiled"

Link to PackagingNews

"Wrap has announced that it has identified methods of recycling black plastics, complex laminated plastics, plastic films, and polypropylene (PP) that would typically be destined for landfill.

"Wrap Closed Loop Economy director, Marcus Gover, said:

"There have been, and there are still, barriers to overcome, and Wrap will continue to work closely with the industry to develop these new methods and technologies, so that, in the future, local authorities can offer their residents a way of recycling even more of their plastic packaging.”

WLWA awarded funds to start reward scheme for reuse

Link to web site

"A unique and innovative scheme to reward residents who use resources better, prevent waste, and encourage the reuse of materials is set to launch in west London. 

"A pilot scheme in Brent and Richmond will offer around 370,000 residents aged 16 or over the opportunity to get a free reward card, that will enable them to claim cash benefits for either:

• donating quality items to be reused, or 
• buying things that have been used before, or have been made from unwanted materials or waste."

Link to web site

"The UK's first ever plant for recycling nappies is to open today. The facility, which will also recycle feminine hygiene and adult incontinence products, is the first of five planned over four years by Knowaste, an organisation which specialises in absorbent hygiene product (AHP) waste recycling. 

"Knowaste said the first site in West Bromwich will use state-of-the-art technology to recycle AHPs, sterilising and separating the materials to recover plastic and fibre that can then be used for making new products, such as roof tiles or plastic components and fibre based construction and commercial tubes."

Daily Telegraph: "Banning plastic bags will not have the slightest effect on global warming"

Link to the Daily Telegraph

"There are lots of things wrong with plastic bags: for a start, they're an especially ubiquitous and unsightly form of litter, blowing around in the wind and getting stuck in trees. They take up landfill space. They're a danger to wildlife, especially marine life, and some (though not, so much, British ones) end up in great litter agglomerations in the south Pacific. 

"But, if you're re-using them in an attempt to prevent global warming, I'm afraid it's an exercise in tokenism. 

"The creation of each bag produces just 31 grammes (one ounce) of carbon dioxide, according to George Marshall of the 'Climate Outreach and Information Network' – about the same as driving your car 300 feet. The plastic is usually non-biodegradable, so it's stable in landfills and doesn't give off methane from there. (Perhaps ironically, moves towards producing biodegradable bags may actually be harmful.) And, depending on the kind of "Bag for Life" that is used instead and how many times they are used, the apparently 'green' alternative may be more carbon-intensive."

LetsRecycle: "Veolia unveils innovative MRF sorting technique"

Link to 'LetsRecycle' web site

"Veolia ES has unveiled a new ‘economically viable’ approach to sorting which it claims will allow councils to collect a wider range of plastics from households without having to use more containers. 

"The technology, dubbed ‘The Magpie’, is set to be installed in the UK for the first time this week at the 30,000 tonne-a-year capacity materials recycling facility (MRF) Veolia is building at Padworth in West Berkshire. The company then plans to retro-fit it in its 10 existing MRFs nationwide."

'Incineration myth'

"During the briefing, Mr Kirkman disputed the 'myth' that Veolia’s waste activities focus on incineration. 'We recycle as much as we incinerate,' he said, adding that 'we’ll have more treatment capacity that isn’t incineration by the beginning of next year'.

“... Much has been made about the benefits of Anaerobic Digestion, but it has yet to achieve its full potential. By combining AD with other technologies, such as composting, we believe AD can have a very bright future in the UK,” he said.

West London Waste Plan sites

(Click to enlarge)