With news on: London ‘circular’ week; Sainsbury’s plastics action; Geminor’s Icleandic contract, and; ADBA welcomes incentive extension.
LWARB’s ‘Circular Economy week’ begins next week
Businesses, government and NGOs from across the capital are taking part in the second annual Circular Economy Week from 10 – 14 June, to help ‘drive a resource-efficient and sustainable economy’.
The week, led by the London Waste and Recycling Board’s (LWARB) Circular London programme, will involve events, workshops, tours and a whole range of collaboration opportunities to explore more sustainable approaches to resource management, product design, manufacturing and retail.
The launch event take place on Monday (June 10)
Events announced so far include a UK cities roundtable hosted by LWARB and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and a tour of circular businesses along the Circle Line, run by Circle Economy Club London.
Wayne Hubbard, chief executive at LWARB, said: “London is a great global city, and one of the most vibrant business hubs in the world, so our Circular Economy Week is the perfect forum to collaborate, celebrate progress and share learning amongst organisations of all shapes and sizes. Cities are the engine room of the circular economy, and the capital is leading the way.”
The event will be officially launched on Monday, with a full day event bringing together a wide range of organisations showcasing circular businesses in the capital. You can find out more information here.
Sainsbury’s announces plastic cuts
Retail chain Sainsbury’s has announced that it has committed to cutting a further 1,284 tonnes of plastic from its stores this year.
This includes removing 489 tonnes’ worth of plastic bags, which are currently used for loose fruit, vegetables and bakery items.
By September, paper bags will be available to customers for loose bakery items. Customers buying loose fruit and vegetables will either be able to bring their own bags or buy a re-usable bag made from recycled materials.
489 tonnes’ worth of plastic bags, which are currently used for loose fruit and veg, will be removed
Sainsbury’s chief executive Mike Coupe, said: “We are absolutely committed to reducing unnecessary plastic packaging in Sainsbury’s stores. Our customers expect us to be leading the way on major issues like this, so I am determined to remove and replace plastic packaging where we can and offer alternatives to plastic where packaging is still required to protect a product.”
Geminor secures first RDF export from Iceland
Geminor has signed a contract to handle “the first ever export of treated waste” from Iceland.
The company has signed a five year contract to export secondary fuels, or RDF, from Iceland to an energy-from-waste (EfW) plant in the Netherlands.
Ralf Schöpwinkel, Geminor’s CEO
The waste will be used as a fuel to produce electricity, steam and heat for industry and district heating. The first shipment will leave Iceland this summer, and regular shipments will commence from October.
According to the agreement, a total of 70 000 tonnes of RDF will be exported to the European continent from Iceland in the five years to come.
Commenting on the deal, chief operating officer at Geminor, Ralf Schöpwinkel, said: “Today, all waste on Iceland goes to landfill. This contract means that Iceland now joins many other European countries in making good use of their household waste by sending it to the EU as secondary fuel.”
ADBA welcomes Renewable incentive extension
The Anaerobic Digestion & Bioresources Association (ADBA) has welcomed the government’s extension of the Renewable Heat Incentive’s tariff guarantee deadline for another year, to 31 January 2021.
Due to delays caused by political uncertainty, ADBA said that the existing 2020 deadline was not working for the AD industry.
ADBA said many of its members could have missed out if the deadline wasn’t extended
The Association said its members highlighted that construction and connection times did not sync up with the government’s deadline, potentially leading to developments being abandoned.
Commenting on the news, Charlotte Morton, ADBA chief executive, said: “I am very pleased that Ministers have listened to ADBA, our members and the wider biogas sector in implementing this extension to the tariff guarantee deadline.”
She added: “The existing timeframe was simply too tight for some of our members to complete and connect projects, leaving them at risk of missing out on being eligible for the scheme.
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