Category Archives: Waste Analysis

Albion’s ABC of Waste Management – I INNOVATION

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.

 

Waste Compositional Analysis – Perth & Kinross Council

Albion Environmental provide specialist Waste Compositional Analysis to Councils in order to assist them with developments of their waste strategies.

As part of the development of Perth and Kinross Council Waste Strategy, and to help influence their recycling, Perth and Kinross Council have produced a short public information video to explain the key findings of the residual waste in Perth & Kinross. Albion Environmental were the contractor carrying out Waste Compositional Analysis of the general waste on three different occasions from 2018 to 2019, to provide the data during the development of their campaign.

Albion staff Les Thomson and Chris Eccles star in the later stages of this video. Hard and dirty work but essential to provide councils with the vital information they need to develop their strategies. Well done Les and Chris!!

Waste Compositional Analysis Works

Albion Environmental is an experienced provider of Waste Compositional Analysis services to local authorities, waste management companies and producers of commercial and industrial waste.

Over the past 10 years we have sorted in excess of 280,000 kg of waste by completing Waste Compositional Analysis for our clients.

In recent weeks we have sent teams to Perth, Scottish Borders, and Carlisle, and we are due in Dundee in November, this is in addition to a weekly analysis carried out for a major waste operator in the area.

We can carry out a comparative Waste Compositional Analysis over longer periods, often 2 per year in spring / autumn or 4 over an 18 month period. 

Many clients will engage us to carry out a Waste Compositional Analysis before a new collection system is put in place and can complete similar Waste Compositional Analysis once implemented to allow a detailed report on the effect of the new collection systems

Our reports include detailed review of our work and information relevant to client requirements for example;

  • Weight (kg) and volume (litres) of each sort category within the sample
  • Waste is sorted down to 17 primary and 70 secondary categories
  • Percentage of each waste type found within the sample by weight and volume
  • What materials could be diverted to recyclate or considered to be contamination

For further information, contact 01292 610428 or mailto:info@albion-environmental.co.uk

Jonathan Love Celebrates 10 Year Anniversary with Albion

It is with great pleasure Albion Environmental Ltd are celebrating Jonathan’s 10 years’ service with the company. When Jonathan joined the company in 2008, it comprised of 4 employees with the head office based in rented office space. Through the years Albion has grown steadily moving to its newly refurbished office “Albion House” in 2013. In 2017 an extension was added to increase office space and improve the onsite training facility. We now have a staff of 14.

Jonathan joined the company as an environmental assistant to implement the Environmental Management System ISO 14001 at Levenseat. During his time Jonathan has continued to manage Levenseats environmental management system with the recent successful transition to 2015 standards and now working towards a combined 14001 and Occupational Health & Safety Management Systems ISO 45001:2018 system. John has also managed our Business Management System which is accredited to ISO.

Jonathan holds the following Certificates of Technical Competence: Managing Treatment Non-Hazardous Waste, Managing Landfill Non-Hazardous Waste, Managing Transfer Hazardous and Non-Hazardous Waste, and is currently progressing to Chartered IOSH status.

Key areas of expertise include waste compositional analysis, environmental monitoring and Health, Safety and environmental auditing, compliance and preparation of documents.

It is estimated that Jonathan has managed waste analysis projects sorting through over 300 tonnes of waste. He does grumble about it but secretly he enjoys being the “rubbish expert!!”

We would like to take this opportunity to thank Jonathan for his continued support and loyalty to the company over the years.

Contact 01292 610428 or mailto:info@albion-environmental.co.uk

Falkirk Council provide foodwaste collection to households and businesses

falkirk 1    falkirk 2

The Zero Waste Plan for Scotland proposes long term targets of recycling 70% of all Scotland’s waste and only 5% of all wastes ending up in landfill by 2025. Falkirk Council has developed a strategy supported by Zero Waste Scotland to help achieve this target and part of this strategy is the management of non-recyclable waste such as food waste. The Council are now providing food waste collections to householders and businesses. The food waste that is collected requires to be ‘bulked up’ to provide a more sustainable method of transporting this waste to the end user.

To allow this to happen, Falkirk Council recently commenced the operation of a food waste bulking up and transfer facility at their HWRC site at Kinneil Kerse. This facility also includes an area for the receipt, bulking up and transfer of glass waste for recycling.

Albion Environmental Ltd were delighted to provide the necessary support to Falkirk Council to allow this facility to be developed. This support covered development of facility, obtaining necessary permissions from regulators including complying with the ABP Regulations, the development of operational documents and provision of training for the operational team.’