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Latest News Stories |
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Defra and BIS to work together to encourage business innovation in the waste sector
A Government report has highlighted ways that businesses can increase resource efficiency while tapping into lucrative business opportunities across the product supply chain. The Department of Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs have jointly published Less is More: Business Opportunities in Waste and Resource Management, part of the Government’s New Industry, New Jobs report.
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18 Mar 2010
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Low Carbon Revolution is welcomed although some elements may be unsustainable
The energy policy statement from the Welsh Assembly Government has been welcomed as “extremely positive” by the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT). But CAT points out that there are some elements of the report that may be unsustainable. The report, Energy Policy Statement: Low Carbon Revolution, which was launched on 15 March, states that Wales has the potential to generate twice the amount of electricity it needs from renewable sources within 15 years and lays out how this can be achieved. more... |
18 Mar 2010
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Public inquiry into controversial incinerator begins
A public inquiry into a plan to build a £117m incinerator, which faces tough opposition from residents, has got underway in Cornwall. The inquiry relates to a plan submitted by SITA UK to build an incinerator with a 390ft chimney at St Dennis, near St Austell. Cornwall Council rejected a planning application in March last year on the grounds of visual impact, noise, and inadequate consideration of alternatives. more... |
18 Mar 2010
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RRS submits appeal against Derby's planning refusal
Resource Recovery Solutions (Derbyshire) has lodged an appeal against Derby City Council’s decision to refuse planning permission for its waste treatment facility. A spokesperson for RRS said: “RRS has a strong case to lodge an appeal against Derby City Council’s planning committee decision to refuse consent for the facility. Not only does the application conform to all relevant planning policies, no statutory consultees objected to the application and Derby City Council’s planning officer recommended the application for approval on two occasions.”
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17 Mar 2010
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Boost to the scrap industry as Mandelson announces an £80 million loan to Sheffield Forgemasters
Business Secretary Lord Mandelson has announced the Government is offering Sheffield Forgemasters an £80 million loan to build a 15,000 tonne press and finishing facility that will also boost the scrap industry. Designed to strengthen the UK’s civil nuclear supply chain, the facility will produce ultra-large forgings such as reactor pressure vessels, integral to modern civil nuclear reactors. Currently, these can only be produced in Japan for the global market, making Sheffield Forgemasters the second only in the world with necessary nuclear accreditation able to make the very largest forgings required.
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17 Mar 2010
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Specialist metal recycler begins construction of new plant
Specialist waste recycler Edelchemie has begun construction on its new treatment plant in Cheshire, which will meet increased demand for its services. The firm provides recycling solutions for the recovery of metals, ammonia and other components from industrial residues and by-products. It has seen increased demand for its services recently due to stricter environmental regulations, higher disposal rates and high commodity prices. more... |
17 Mar 2010
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Free online guide to help construction contractors be more sustainable
Construction contractors in the UK can find out how to improve the support they give to clients on sustainable building options with a new online guide provided by Envirowise. The guide, Constructing the case for building sustainability: helping you to help your customer, is available to download for free online more... |
17 Mar 2010
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Richer countries produce richer waste
The more affluent a country is, the more waste it produces a report by CyclOpe and Veolia Environmental Services has found. Following up from its 2006 report From Waste to Resource, results show developed countries China, the USA and the EU15 top the list as the biggest producers of municipal waste. According to From Waste to Resource: An abstract of 2009 World Waste Survey, waste from richer countries contains more packaging materials such as paper, glass and metals but less organic waste. Up to 50% of the total municipal waste could be made up from paper and cardboard, with a substantial percentage of plastics, metals and glass mixed in too. more... |
17 Mar 2010
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Mineralogical firm calls Government tax on waste oil "bizarre"
A minerals manufacturer has called the current tax on the use of waste oil “bizarre” and believes the Government is actually incentivising the use of virgin fossil fuels rather than re-use fuels. The firm, which does not want to be named, asserts that it cannot use fuel derived from waste oil because it is not economically viable since the Government started taxing it in November 2008. Having recently invested £1.1 million making its plant compliant to burn the fuel under the waste incineration directive (WID), the firm is now using natural gas to power its plant as a cheaper alternative.
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17 Mar 2010
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WRAP report reaffirms recycling is the best end of life option for most materials
Fresh research regarding the environmental benefits of recycling reaffirms that recycling generally remains the best option for most materials in the UK waste stream. Work undertaken by the Waste & Resources Action Programme reviewed life cycle analyses of additional materials from the previous report carried out in 2006, including food waste, garden waste, textiles and biopolymers. Other materials also looked at in Environmental Benefits of Recycling - 2010 Update were wood, plastics, paper and cardboard. Pyrolysis, gasification, anaerobic digestion, composting and energy from waste technologies were additionally examined.
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16 Mar 2010
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Green biofuel from waste to reduce UK transport carbon emissions
A group of British businesses is to pioneer the development of a process to turn municipal and wood waste into transport biofuel which could potentially achieve a carbon saving of 95%. The consortium, led by Axion Energy, has been put together by The Carbon Trust and will work on an enhancement of the pyrolysis process which will turn waste biomass into a cheaper alternative to existing biofuels. more... |
16 Mar 2010
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More clarity needed from Mayor on his waste strategy
London Mayor Boris Johnson needs to provide greater clarity on how he plans to reduce London’s municipal waste, according to the London Assembly Environment Committee. The request comes as part of a response from the committee to the Mayor’s draft Municipal Waste Strategy, London’s Wasted Resource, published in January. more... |
16 Mar 2010
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Wales launches plans for a Low Carbon Revolution
Wales has the potential to produce nearly twice the amount of electricity it currently uses through wholly renewable energy sources by 2025, according to a new policy statement from the Welsh Assembly Government. The statement, A Low Carbon Revolution, sets out the Assembly Government’s ambitions to reach a low carbon energy economy in Wales as quickly as possible with part of the solution coming from biomass. more... |
16 Mar 2010
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Oxo-degradable plastics may not be as 'green' as producers claim
Degradable plastics may not be as environmentally friendly as producers believe, finds research by Loughborough University backed by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Producers of oxo-degradable plastics regularly tout it as being a solution to the plastic bag litter problem, claiming the plastic is 100% degradable or biodegradable. But Defra’s report asserts that because it can take two to five years in the open environment to break down, it will still appear as litter until it starts to degrade.
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15 Mar 2010
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Protests to continue against proposed Dartmoor incinerator
A group protesting against a proposed bid to build an incinerator on the site of a former quarry in Devon has said it will continue to campaign against the plans. The plan to build the incinerator on land at Lee Mill, close to Dartmoor National Park, forms part of a proposal submitted to South Devon Waste Partnership by Viridor Waste Management.
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15 Mar 2010
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Speculation over NTR possibly selling off Greenstar
NTR, the parent company of Greenstar UK and Ireland, is looking at selling off the waste management business, according to reports. An NTR spokesperson said: "NTR plc is aware of some speculation regarding its interests in Greenstar UK. The group does not, as a matter of policy, comment on speculation but can confirm that it regularly explores strategic options for different parts of its portfolio of businesses as a matter of course."
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15 Mar 2010
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“Lid-up-no-collect rule” to be enforced in Devon
Bin collections in parts of East Devon will no longer include bins which do not have their lids fully closed. From Monday 22 March, East Devon District Council will enforce the policy in an attempt to protect collection contractors from injury. more... |
15 Mar 2010
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Recycling success for Hull
An overhaul of its recycling collection system is being hailed as a “phenomenal success” by Hull City Council as its recycling rate has almost doubled compared to last year. In February 2009, the amount of household waste being recycled was 24%, but figures for February 2010 reveal this has risen to 46%. This surpasses the target of 45% recycling by April 2011 which the council set itself at the start of its new recycling scheme.
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12 Mar 2010
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Plans for plants that can turn waste plastic into fuel
A new plant which turns mixed waste plastics into liquid synthetic fuels is now fully operational in Ireland, with the promise of more similar plants to come in the UK and throughout Europe. Cynar Recycling’s first plant in Portlaoise, Ireland can process up to 10 tonnes of waste plastics per day. Although plants can be built to process up to 20 tonnes of waste per day producing up to 19,000 litres of fuel products at a conversion rate of 95%.
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12 Mar 2010
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Shortlist of bidders announced for Essex Waste Partnership PFI
A shortlist of seven companies in the running for a waste treatment contract has been announced by Essex Waste Partnership. The partnership, made up of Essex County Council and Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, recently received Government Private Finance Initiative credits of around £100million to improve the way waste is treated in Essex. They are also looking into new ways to deal with non-recyclable waste. more... |
12 Mar 2010
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Local Government Association responds to Big Brother claims about chips in bins
An investigation into privacy intrusions should be focusing on “more important issues” than the country’s rubbish bins according to the Local Government Association. The report, Lifting the Lid, by the organisation Big Brother Watch, part of the Tax Payers’ Alliance, looks into the number of councils placing microchips into bins and what this means for people’s privacy. more... |
12 Mar 2010
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Andrew Perkins to head Aylesford Newsprint recycling team
One of the UK’s best known paper mills, Aylesford Newsprint, has appointed a new head of its recycling department. Andrew Perkins takes over from current commercial manager Chris White this month as White leaves to become head of a new plastics recycling company.
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12 Mar 2010
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Emphasis on a 'blue-green' Party with the launch of the Conservative Environment Network
Shadow Environment Secretary Nick Herbert stressed the importance of the Conservative Party being a ‘blue-green’ party at the launch of a new green public policy forum advocating a conservative approach to the environment last night (10 March). The Conservative Environment Network (CEN) is an independent organisation, which will support the leadership on environmental issues and look objectively at policy. Formed in 2008 by a group of green policy advisers and specialists, CEN wants to keep action on climate change and environmental issues at the core of the Conservative Party.
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11 Mar 2010
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Shanks supply agreement for Closed Loop
Waste management firm Shanks will supply plastic bottles collected
from its London operations to bottle-to-bottle recycler Closed Loop
Recycling’s plant in Dagenham, east London.
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11 Mar 2010
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UPDATE: David Workman moves to CPI as BGMC restructures
David Workman, former director general of the British Glass Manufacturers Confederation, has been appointed director general of the Confederation of Paper Industries, while Dave Dalton steps into replace him at BGMC. Workman, who has been with BGMC since 2001, will succeed Dr Martin Oldman who is due to retire from CPI later this year. more... |
10 Mar 2010
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Viridor plans Sutton AD plant with half initial capacity
Viridor has submitted a fresh planning application to build an anaerobic digestion facility in the London Borough of Sutton, after a reassessment found less waste will be produced in the surrounding area than originally thought. Initially, Viridor received permission to build an AD facility capable of processing 75,000 tonnes of waste each year along with other waste management infrastructure in 2008. However, after a fresh assessment of how much waste is likely to be generated by the four boroughs it will serve – Croydon, Kingston, Merton and Sutton – it was concluded that a smaller facility would be more appropriate. more... |
10 Mar 2010
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Advantage West Midlands launches Landfill Diversion Strategy
A new approach to landfill diversion has been officially launched at the House of Commons. The Landfill Diversion Strategy, formulated by Advantage West Midlands as part of its low carbon regional economic strategy, contains a location analysis tool designed to identify sites with potential to host waste technologies as an alternative to landfill. more... |
10 Mar 2010
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Material sectors criticise Government's unachievable packaging recycling targets
Key figures across the recycled plastics, aluminium and wood industries have expressed their concerns over the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs proposed packaging recycling targets for 2020. Some sectors believe the Government’s targets are over-ambitious and need to be revised. They say more infrastructure and work on increasing the recovery rates of materials needs to be put in place before such targets can be reached. more... |
10 Mar 2010
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Inquest into bin truck death begins
An inquest has begun into the death of a teacher who was found among rubbish at a Brighton waste transfer site in July last year. It is thought Scott Williams, a maths teacher from New Zealand, climbed inside a wheelie bin to shelter from the rain. The bin was then picked up by a dust cart and dumped at a Sussex landfill site owned by Sussex Waste Recycling later that morning.
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10 Mar 2010
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Government and third sector to work together to tackle sustainable development
New proposals detailing ways in which the Government and the third sector can work better together to tackle sustainable development and climate change have been outlined as part of a new report. The report, Shaping our Future, is the work of the joint ministerial and third sector task force, involving ministers from the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Office of the Third Sector, the Department for Energy and Climate Change, the Department for Communities and Local Government and 16 third sector organisations. more... |
10 Mar 2010
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New recycling campaign launched in Derbyshire
A new campaign has been launched by Derbyshire County Council in attempt to encourage its residents to recycle more. The campaign, We’re Not Wasters, places emphasis on reduce, reuse and recycle and asks residents to submit their top reuse tips to the council to be in with a chance of receiving a £10 high street gift voucher. more... |
10 Mar 2010
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LWaRB allocates £28 million to London's waste infrastructure
The London Waste and Recycling Board has allocated £28 million to help develop waste infrastructure in the Capital. The money is to be allocated within a group of 20 preferred projects. These projects will be identified by the board over the next 12 months according to which ones suit the Mayor of London’s preferred approach to waste management. more... |
10 Mar 2010
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City Waste fire extinguished
A “severe” fire which broke out at City Waste’s recycling centre in Campsie, Northern Ireland last week has now been extinguished. Fire crews put out the fire on Saturday 6 March, after the fire blazed for five days. On 2 March, fire crews were called to a fire which had broken out in one of the buildings at the recycling centre, which housed dry recyclables. more... |
09 Mar 2010
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Shanks calls off talks with Carlyle
Shanks today (9 March) announced that potential buyout discussions with the Carlyle Group have ended. Talks were called off after the Carlyle Group offered a final price indication of 120 pence cash per share - a drop from the initial offer of 135 pence per share.
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09 Mar 2010
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Drax calls on Government to change co-firing regulations
The Government needs to change biomass co-firing regulations which restrict competition and create an uneven playing field for independent electricity generators, power plant owner and operator Drax believes. Britain’s biggest and most efficient coal fired power plant, is concerned that its plans to further increase its co-fired coal and biomass capability are being damaged by regulations restricting the number of Renewables Obligation Certificates (ROCs) from co-firing with regular biomass that electricity suppliers can present.
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09 Mar 2010
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Packaging waste targets
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has set ambitious targets to recycle more than 70% of packaging waste by 2020 and to make the packaging recovery note system more transparent. more... |
08 Mar 2010
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Biffa to sell off landfill gas business
Privately-owned waste management firm Biffa, is seeking a buyer to purchase its business which generates electricity from landfill gas for £350 million, according to media reports. The Financial Times said that those familiar with Biffa believe the money from the sale will be used to finance the construction of new cutting-edge waste facilities in the UK.
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08 Mar 2010
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Straight acquires Helesi for £1.65 million
Waste and recycling container supplier Straight has acquired the business and some assets relating to the UK manufacturing operations of Helesi for £1.65 million in cash. Straight has acquired assets, including moulds and presses, relating to the manufacture of Helesi’s most popular wheeled refuse and recycling containers in the UK. It will be the first time the firm has sold its own brand of wheeled bins.
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08 Mar 2010
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Campaign to get MPs to support UK Manufacturing
MPs are the target of a new campaign to support the UK manufacturing industry launched by the Confederation of Paper Industries. The campaign involves mailing all MPs in the run up to the general election with a flyer made of corrugated board which asks them to encourage the growth of the UK manufacturing industry. more... |
08 Mar 2010
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Improve productivity and save money on waste and recycling services
Improving productivity and efficiency on bin rounds could lead to cost savings for local authorities according to a new guidance document. Introducing a no side waste policy and reducing the number of vehicle passes per household are just two of the measures suggested in More for Less, guidance for local authorities on saving money in waste and recycling services, published by the Waste Improvement Network. more... |
08 Mar 2010
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Bristol submits waste incentive proposal
Today (8 March) Bristol City Council submitted its proposal to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to trial a waste incentive scheme. Under the scheme householders would receive 50 pence for each kilogramme of waste reduced from its average waste levels but householders would only be able to receive a maximum of £17.50 a year.
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08 Mar 2010
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New guidelines to assess the potential for biomass and other renewables in the English regions
Biomass development in the English regions could be set to increase following the release of new guidelines from the Department of Energy and Climate Change designed to aid regional authorities in assessing their potential for renewable energy. The guidelines should help the English regions, of which there are nine, set themselves ambitious renewable targets in their new regional strategies. more... |
08 Mar 2010
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New report slams BREW
The Committee of Public Accounts chairman Edward Leigh MP has slammed the Government’s Business Resource Efficiency and Waste Programme for having “little perceptible impact” in helping to tackle business waste. His scathing comments follow the publication of a report by the National Audit Office entitled Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Reducing the impact of business waste through the business resource efficiency and waste programme (5 March). It states that the amount of business waste sent to landfill has fallen, but it is not possible to say how much of this reduction is down to the £240 million funded BREW programme. more... |
05 Mar 2010
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Government miscalculates battery figures
The Government has underestimated how many tonnes of portable batteries the UK places on the market annually, new figures show.Last year, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs published an impact assessment review on batteries. It estimated that the UK sells 30,000 tonnes of portable batteries each year of which approximately 3% are sent for recycling. more... |
05 Mar 2010
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Bristol to lead the way with waste incentive scheme
Bristol City Council has become the first authority in the country to apply for the Government’s financial waste incentive scheme. Following a series of discussions and meetings with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Waste & Resources Action Programme, the city council is taking a formal proposal to Defra on 8 March to seek funding and support for a pilot incentive scheme that would give residents the chance to receive cash incentives of up to £40 depending on how much they manage to reduce their waste. more... |
05 Mar 2010
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TfL Metro contract ambiguous about recycling measures
The lucrative contract retained by the Metro on Transport for London’s network includes new measures to further encourage newspaper recycling, TfL has claimed. The contract, which begins on 6 April, allows distribution of the free morning newspaper on weekday mornings at around 250 underground stations and 14 London bus stations for the next seven and a half years. more... |
05 Mar 2010
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Courtauld Commitment 2 targets unveiled
The Waste & Resources Action Programme has officially launched Courtauld Commitment 2 (4 March) which aims to achieve a more sustainable use of resources over the entire lifecycle of products, throughout the whole supply chain. WRAP has confirmed that it has set a “WRAP-owned” 10% carbon reduction target for signatories to meet. Signatories will have to reduce their packaging by weight, increase recycling rates and increase the recycled content of all grocery packaging, as appropriate. more... |
04 Mar 2010
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