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Category Archives: Waste Analysis

Resource Management Association Scotland (RMAS) Site visit to Optimum Eco Group – Restructa Ltd. and CCL (North) Ltd.

Albion Environmental News, Environmental Management Systems, Environmental Monitoring, Hazardous/Special Waste, Modern Apprenticeships, Networking, Recycling, Renewable Energy, Sustainability, Waste Analysis, Waste Management, WEEE

Resource Management Association Scotland (RMAS) Site visit to Optimum Eco Group – Restructa Ltd. and CCL (North) Ltd.

We had the pleasure of taking part in the RMAS site visit to Optimum Eco Group, sites Restructa Ltd. and CCL (North) Ltd, both in Irvine.

After a brief catch up over tea/ coffee and pastries, we were spilt into groups and taken by bus to the first site, CCL (North) Ltd. Established in 2000, CCL is one of the UK’s leading specialists for secure data destruction, IT asset disposal and WEEE recycling. Here we were shown around the plant and the process from the items arriving, to them being stripped down and recovered or fixed and reused. There is a museum section where some of the rarer finds are kept and displayed and I was delighted to see a ZX Spectrum computer on show, which took me back to my own childhood memories of my first ever console.

The ’hands-on’ approach with the waste demonstrates incredible attention to detail and ensures every part that could be recovered or reused is able to be utilised elsewhere. I found the vape dismantling particularly interesting as I am seeing more and more discarded vapes everywhere I go. These were stripped down, batteries removed, and plastic sleeves separated to try and make use of as many parts of the vape as possible. This was done by hand and under a fume cupboard.

The handling of IT equipment and other data sensitive equipment was very well thought through to maintain sensitivity and security throughout for the client. We were able to see the process of shredding, and the vast difference from the assets that went into the shredder compared to what came out at the other side.

We were then taken to Restructa which was formed in 2005 in response to the UK Government’s Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive.

It focuses on the repair, reuse and recycling of display equipment from its 25,000sq ft facility, handling more than 1000 TVs every day. Restructa. has developed into a leading recycling and waste management provider.

The televisions and monitors arrive and are checked to see what is wrong with them to segregate those repairable from those requiring recycling. We learned that out of 650,00 televisions sent for recycle each year, 37,000 tv’s are repaired and go on to have an extended life by around 5 to 6 years and are used by those who need them most.

At both sites we saw their modern apprentices hard at work and learning new skill sets. It was very reassuring to hear that approximately 70% of apprentices go on to progress within the company.

One fascinating thing about our visit was being shown what happens to the old TV screens, the glass is processed on site and made into garden decorative pebbles and chips, that has an opaque quality and let’s light shine through meaning the old TV screens become part of garden décor, water features and I was given some myself which I look forward to adding to my plant pot.

The other incredible piece of technology we were shown was the POPs (Persistent organic pollutants) testing system that Optimum Eco Group have developed, which tells you if a television backing can be recycled or not, thus increasing recyclable material. The manufacturing industry has no current responsibility to tell us what chemicals are in the items they produce, meaning they are less likely to consider the cradle to grave concept and how easy their product is to be recycled at end-of-life and this responsibility now falls to the waste industry to deal with.  

Our visit gave me lots of food for thought and great chat over lunch and it was so nice to see an organisation, not only doing what they should, but going above and beyond showing best practice and actively looking for the next best thing. How great it would be if everyone thought so carefully about their impact on the environment and what they can do better. RMAS does a great job of encouraging knowledge sharing, networking and engagement as well as encouraging innovation.

RMAS is a not-for-profit, non-political membership organisation for micro, small and medium sized resource management companies operating in Scotland. They actively represent and support companies who are operating across the length and breadth of Scotland. RMAS ensure members are well informed and that priority issues, risks, and opportunities are communicated, and represented effectively to Government, its various agencies, the commercial sector and the public.

I am grateful to RMAS and Optimum Eco Group for arranging the day and provoking the conversation that followed as a result. A truly informative site visit and lunch.

Albion’s ABC of Waste Management – Q – Quality Recyclate

Albion Environmental News, Recycling, Waste Analysis, Waste Management

How good are your recycling habits? Do you understand how your habits can impact the success of whole recycling operations?

Recycling helps to reduce the carbon emitted from creating new things; it is a crucial aspect of sustainable resource use; and if waste materials are recycled, they are less likely to wind up polluting the environment.

However, the waste recycling industry faces a number of issues – for example, right now it is struggling to maintain the resources it requires to keep up with its demands amid the health crisis we are currently facing due to COVID-19.

Additionally, in a typical year (one that is not hugely affected by a global pandemic!), it can be difficult to find a market for recycled end-products. It can also be hard for waste management companies to source high-quality input materials for the recycling process.

The potential lack of good input materials can hamper the quantity and quality of the new raw materials produced by recycling.

Even just a small amount of waste contamination within incoming materials can wipe out the value of the end-product resources.

Waste management can generally be improved with better collection and sorting of recycling waste. Furthermore, awareness on which materials can and cannot be recycled, and which waste streams should be used for various items, could be enhanced, both within industry and in the public sphere.

For instance, here at Albion we recently conducted a waste compositional survey for a local authority, and found high levels of contamination within multiple waste streams.

The council in question provides householders with multiple types of recycling bins (alongside a residual bin), and each of the bins studied contained some level of contamination:

  • Metal and plastic bins – 13% of the waste content should have been placed in a different type of recycling bin and 19% should have been put in the residual waste bin
  • Paper and card bins – 7% of the waste content should have been placed in a different type of recycling bin and 10% should have been put in the residual waste bin
  • Glass bins – 22% of the waste content should have been placed in a different type of recycling bin and 6% should have been put in the residual waste bin
  • Residual bins – 72.3% of the materials could have been recycled.

Clearly, householders are often getting it wrong when using their recycling bins. This offers an opportunity for enhancing waste management, and more specifically, the quality of recyclates. To increase recyclate quality, it is crucial that more focus is given to education on how to dispose of recyclable materials correctly. Organisations using measures to learn exactly what is in their waste stream, and investing time and money into developing innovative ways to efficiently separate their waste on-site, can often benefit from lower disposal costs, and new revenues.

Here at Albion, we have qualified, experience consultants that can conduct waste analyses, and also help provide expert solutions on how a business or council could improve its waste sorting and collection processes, as well as highlighting the materials that ought to be targeted for this. Upon passing over our findings, we can sit down with the relevant teams and assist in the development of an informed, effective strategy for improving quality of recyclates. Find out more about how we can help with waste compositional surveys here.

Albions ABC of Waste Management – M Materials Recovery Facility

Albion Environmental News, Recycling, Regulations, Training, Waste Analysis

Are you aware of your obligations under the Waste (Recyclate Quality) (Scotland) Regulations 2015?  Albion’s Waste Compositional Analysis team have been providing bespoke training support and ad-hoc expert advice on the requirements for waste sampling and data provision.

A Material Recovery Facility (MRF) is a facility where collected commercial and or household recyclable waste is sorted into different material types. The so called ‘Dirty’ MRFs are those which only accept and sort residual waste.

  • Are you aware of your obligations under the Waste (Recyclate Quality) (Scotland) Regulations 2015?
  • Do you know what data should be reported?
  • Are you aware of the sampling protocol that should be followed?

Since 2015, the sampling and testing at MRFs are covered by two main statutory documents:

  • the Code of Practice on Sampling and Reporting at Materials Recovery Facilities – it aims to improve the quality of output materials by developing standardised testing processes and reporting mechanisms for all input and output materials
  • the Collection and Reporting of Material Recovery Facilities (MRF) Data guidance – it aims to assist operators in complying with the Code of Practice data form. The data reporting is a requirement as set out in the Waste (Recyclate Quality) (Scotland) Regulations 2015 and the associated statutory Code of Practice on Sampling and Reporting at Materials Recovery Facilities.

Scope

Both statutory documents above apply to those facilities who hold a licence or permit and that receive/ are likely to receive 1,000 tonnes or more of mixed dry recyclable materials (comprising of two or more materials) or separately collected dry recyclable waste for sorting, over a 12-month period.

Examples of facilities excluded from the Code:

  • Household Waste Recycling Centres (Civic Amenity Sites)
  • MRFs receiving and sorting residual waste only (‘Dirty’ MRFs)
  • Waste Transfer Stations acting only as bulking point (with no sorting activities)
  • WEEE management facilities
  • RDF production facilities
  • MBTs – unless mixed dry recyclable waste is accepted for any MRF operations that form part of the process

Brief on Requirements

The Code of Practice sets out the requirements for sampling, including weight, frequency, reporting periods, measurement and materials to be sampled, and the information to be recorded and reported to SEPA. It requires that MRFs identify materials in relation to what is defined as:

  • Target Material – A material that is specifically targeted by the MRF licence or permit holder as destined to be separated out from other material to facilitate its recycling.
  • Non-target Material – A material that is capable of being recycled but is not a target material for the MRF.
  • Non-Recyclable Material – Waste material that is not capable of being recycled.

Target material that is found in a sample must, as a minimum, be separately identified in the following types:

  • Glass
  • Paper
  • Cardboard
  • Metal
  • Plastic

How we can help

Albion is an experienced training organisation and delivers a wide range of training for organisations across the UK.

Albion’s Waste Compositional Analysis team have been providing training support and ad-hoc expert advice on the requirements based on the MRF statutory documents.

We delivered MRF sampling training programme on behalf of Zero Waste Scotland (ZWS) across all MRF operations in Scotland. We have received approval, from ZWS to use this training material (which is still current and relevant).

Training support can be tailored for each facility’s needs and activities. In general, the approach we have used with clients include the following:

  • Session 1 (Half Day Theory) – This session will work through the Code of Practice and is relevant for Directors, Managers, Supervisors and also the staff that carry out the quality sampling.
  • Session 2 (Full Day Practical) – Deliver one day practical sampling and sorting session for a minimum of 3 staff (max. to be agreed) at your facility, using your equipment.
  • Site Specific MRF Sampling Plan – Using information provided for the training we will provide a Site Specific MRF Sampling Plan for your facility, which can then be integrated into your company procedures.
  • We can also assist with undertaking waste compositional analysis surveys in accordance with relevant guidance.

To find out more or to have an informal chat please contact Jane Bond

TRAIN THE TRAINER

Albion Environmental News, Consultancy Services, Environmental Management Systems, Environmental Monitoring, Training, WAMITAB, Waste Analysis

Albion staff successfully achieve accredited Scottish Qualification Certificate in HE0T 33 Planning and Delivering Training Sessions to Groups giving them the confidence and skill set to be able to deliver training sessions to our clients.

The qualification is intended for candidates with vocational expertise or subject knowledge whose job role includes the training of others in small group settings (minimum four, maximum seven learners) and in work related learning contexts. It is also suitable for those who aspire to a training role, or who expect to have some responsibility for training as part of a future job role. To find out more please contact us.

Congratulations to Jane Bond (Project & Business Development Director), Andrew Howlett (Principal Consultant), Fraser Christie (Environmental Consultant and Site Technician) and Chris Eccles (Environmental Technician) on their success.

Thank you to trainers Craig Chandler and Davie Fraser for their enthusiastic course delivery on what is a very interactive and engaging course.

Albion’s ABC of Waste Management – I INNOVATION

Albion Environmental News, Circular Economy, Consultancy Services, Recycling, Renewable Energy, Training, Waste Analysis

Innovation is fundamental in transforming the way we use resources within Scotland. Effectively managing our resources is imperative to achieving a circular economy in Scotland. Therefore, some benefits of innovation mirror the advantages gained from a circular economy, such as

  • Environmental – safeguarding resources & lowering reliance on them; reducing waste generated; decreased carbon emissions
  • Economic – improving productivity and resilience; opening up new markets
  • Social – added lower cost options for accessing goods; social enterprise opportunities

A number of businesses have already taken novel and creative approaches to try to achieve a more “circular” operation. There are multiple ways for an organisation to implement more circular initiatives, simultaneously becoming more sustainable, including:

  1. Strategies to reduce consumption – such as the 5p bag charge, which reduced plastic bag usage considerably across the UK – thereby reducing waste and the associated problems
  2. Where it is not possible to lower the level of waste generated, the waste hierarchy should be used to determine how best to manage waste. Organisations should understand the benefits of managing their waste in the best way possible
  3. Some companies reduce the waste they create by altering their business models to try to re-use more items, to divert waste from landfills. For instance, Spruce Carpets are a community enterprise that refurbish and deliver used carpets, giving them a new home instead of throwing them away. CCL North offer a secure option for recycling and refurbishing IT, which means that valuable materials can be retained instead of discarded.
  4. Additionally, redesigning products to ensure that certain components last longer can be an effective means for reducing waste. EGG Lighting, for example, have developed a circular business model whereby only the LED and driver parts of lighting units are replaced, and the rest remains in use. Through their lighting service, businesses can regularly upgrade their lighting technology without replacing entire lighting units, minimising waste generated.
  5. Waste can be seen from a new perspective – it can be a resource that is put to good use. Multiple groups have achieved this, such as Aurora Sustainability (use coffee waste and heat from whiskey distilleries to produce gourmet mushrooms) and Jaw Brew (partnered with Aulds the Bakers to create a zero-waste, vegan beer made from leftover bread rolls).

Clearly, innovation is a great tool for helping society move towards a more circular economy. However, many of the ideas discussed above require more than just innovative thinking; a background knowledge of waste management is also important. Various waste training courses are available to provide an understanding of waste management legislation, – something that may be vital to those wishing to recirculate waste items by using them in their production streams. More information on waste training courses can be found here:

Additionally, if companies wish to redesign their business model to reduce the waste they produce, then conducting a waste analysis can act as an extremely helpful step in determining which waste materials to target. Here at Albion, we can provide a waste analysis – a tool which can be very useful for helping design recyling scheme. For more information please please get in contact or call us to discuss on 01292 610428.