The waste management sector is among the top five sectors in the UK with the smallest gender pay gap, according to new figures.

More than 10,000 large firms (including the public sector) have provided details of pay figures within their organisations. The findings show three-quarters (78%) pay men more than women.

Companies with more than 250 employees filed data based on a snapshot of their payroll taken on 5 April 2017. This is now a requirement and will be repeated on a yearly basis.

Senior executive vice president, Veolia, Estelle Brachliano – “We are proud of our programmes to increase diversity and inclusivity and this report, which accurately depicts our gender pay gap helps to show we are heading in the right direction”

The gender pay gap is the difference between the average hourly pay of women and men. It is not the same as equal pay, which compares a male and a female who work in the same or similar jobs, or carry out work of equal value.

The gender pay gap looks at overall average pay based on gender, regardless of job role, geographic location, market forces, grade or other influences on rates of pay.

Among the worst sectors for this pay gap are the financial and construction sectors – among the best is the waste sector.

Figures show “water supply, sewerage, waste management and remediation activities” achieved a median of 6.9% and a mean of 5.5%.

The median rate of pay is the middle salary, when average hourly rates of pay are ordered from lowest to highest. The median gender pay gap figure is the difference between the middle hourly rate of pay for men and women. The mean pay gap figure is the difference between average hourly earnings.

Worst Sectors For Gender Pay Gap

1. Financial and insurance activities: 25.9% mean; 22.1% median
2. Construction: 21.6% mean; 22.1% median
3. Mining and quarrying: 21.1% mean; 19.6% median
4. Arts, entertainment and recreation: 19.6% mean; 3.7% median
5. Information and communication: 19.4% mean; 18% median

Best Sectors For Gender Pay Gap

1. Water supply, sewerage, waste management and remediation activities: 5.5% mean; 6.9% median
2. Public administration and defence; compulsory social security: 8.2% mean; 7.6% median
3. Accommodation and food services: 8.4% mean; 1% median
4. Human health and social work activities: 9.8% mean; 1.7% median
5. Transportation and storage: 10.3% mean; 6.7% median

Waste management firm, Veolia, published a report that sets out the combined gender pay gap information for employees of VES UK plc, Veolia Water UK Ltd, Veolia Energy UK plc, and their UK respective subsidiaries.

In preparing the report, it analysed pay and bonus data for more than 13,000 employees.

It shows a mean pay gap of -5.5% and a median gap of 0.18%, indicating female employees are on average paid more than male.

Senior executive vice president Estelle Brachliano said: “We are proud of our programmes to increase diversity and inclusivity and this report, which accurately depicts our gender pay gap helps to show we are heading in the right direction.

“In 2017 we were recognised for our efforts in hiring more employees from diverse social backgrounds, including NEETs, ex-o enders and former military personnel by winning Veolia’s Global Social Initiatives award for Social Equity and Diversity. We are also advancing our apprenticeship, female-focused leadership and STEM programmes.

“My commitment is to ensure that these continue to improve the makeup of Veolia here in the UK and Ireland to ensure a successful and sustainable future for our workforce.”

Some companies missed the deadline (4 April) and have yet to reveal their data. Those that fail to publish their data face penalties.

To see published figures on gender pay gap in the sectors CLICK HERE

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As part of the drive to increase the circular economy global resource management company, Veolia, is launching an online trading platform that makes it easier to sell and buy organic resources. 

Designed to save users time and money, BioTrading will provide businesses the opportunity to better leverage the 100m tonnes of raw materials and biofuels we produce every year.

The first of its kind, Veolia’s new BioTrading website will be a sales and auction marketplace that connects buyers to the rest of the value chain and finds the best deal for their organic resource needs, recycling them into new products or green energy.

Unlike other parts of the economy, there is no price comparison or trading platform for organic resources and buyers and sellers currently waste time and money navigating a confusing marketplace.

“By operating as an agile trading platform it is a financial and environmental win-win for both buyer and seller. For the UK, it means more waste can be turned back into resources, boosting sustainability, delivering value and promoting a more circular economy.”

By dealing directly, the website will enable sellers get a good price for their product and gain maximum value from their waste and process by-products, and buyers will benefit from having access to a central platform boasting transparent and fair prices.

Commenting on the launch of the website Raquel Carrasco, Organics and Technology Director at Veolia UK said: “Our new BioTrading website is the missing link for the UK’s organic resources and represents a real step forward in innovation.

“By operating as an agile trading platform it is a financial and environmental win-win for both buyer and seller. For the UK, it means more waste can be turned back into resources, boosting sustainability, delivering value and promoting a more circular economy.”

The service is aimed at anyone who has resources, or requires them, such as farming, water, construction, food and drink, anaerobic digestion, and the biodiesel and bioethanol industry.

A wide range of resources will be made available on the website including food waste, food for redistribution, industrial organic by-products, agricultural wastes, biodiesel and bioethanol residues, sewage and industrial sludge and wood. To ease logistics buyers can also make use of compliant haulage services if required.

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To help JD Wetherspoon cut food waste and save costs, Veolia has implemented a food and coffee ground recycling scheme that will result in approximately 11,500 tonnes of food waste avoiding landfill and help J D Wetherspoon reach their 100% diversion target.

Following successful mobilsation, the food waste stream will now be used to produce green energy, while increasing recycling rates and reducing general waste using advanced technology.

It will also provide 3,450 MWh of renewable energy each year – enough to keep 1,641 beer fridges cool or power 35,937 lights running for 24 hours a day all year round. This contributes to the UK’s renewable energy targets, while reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Veolia’s contract is set to cover the entire J D Wetherspoon Plc estate consisting of approx. 900 pubs, hotels and bars. Services will include: food waste and glass recycling as well as general waste and J D Wetherspoon will have the option to utilise Veolia’s data insight to drive resource efficiencies, including:

• Individual recycling and waste collection data, for site specific recycling and diversion performance monitoring
• On-board computers and handheld devices that deliver ad-hoc collection tasks to teams in the local area
• Route optimisation tools to ensure the associated carbon footprint of vehicles is constantly monitored and improved
• And a 24/7 customer hub enabling access to performance monitoring, so customers can take control of site specific data and analysis. The hub also incorporates an instant chat messaging service, providing an additional communication option direct to Veolia’s customer service team.

Estelle Brachlianoff, Senior Executive Vice-President Veolia UK & Ireland, said: “It is vital we treat unavoidable food waste sustainably and recognise both the environmental and economic benefits that can be produced by converting it into ‘green energy’ as part of a wider recycling scheme.

“As one of the most well-known names on the High Street, we’re proud to be working with the team at J D Wetherspoon and supporting them in achieving their goals of zero waste to landfill and protecting the environment by taking care of their recycling and general waste sustainably.”

‘We are pleased to highlight our commitment to a genuinely sustainable future by entering into partnership with Veolia UK for the management of our general waste, food waste and glass recycling”

Wetherspoon’s contractor performance manager, David Willis, said: “Wetherspoon is committed to leading the hospitality industry into a sustainable future. In line with our work with the Sustainable Restaurants’ Association, we take very seriously our commitment to minimise waste and opting for recycling wherever possible.

‘We are pleased to highlight our commitment to a genuinely sustainable future by entering into partnership with Veolia UK for the management of our general waste, food waste and glass recycling.

“We are proud to announce our goal of zero waste being sent to landfill by the end of 2018, a target that we are well on the way to achieving. Currently ten per cent  of the United Kingdom’s waste is exported to the EU and to Asia for processing, further adding to the carbon footprint of the producer. All Wetherspoon waste that is managed by Veolia will be managed within the UK, further reducing the carbon impact of our pubs and hotels.

“In addition, we are also continuing to innovate in partnership with Veolia UK to enable wider use of our recyclable products, increasing the amount of sundry items that are manufactured from recycled products such as drinks trays or garden furniture.”

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Veolia London has announced that its ​Recycling Fund for Communities will double the money for community projects that have a positive impact on plastic waste. 

Veolia is a founding member of the UK Plastics Pact and the UK’s leading provider of plastic waste solutions. In London, it collects and sorts the material for residents and businesses, and has invested in state of the art recycling infrastructure, including a bespoke plastic recycling facility at Dagenham to keep pace with demand.

Rachel Jay, Veolia – “Through our fund we aim to find Londoners who are passionate about protecting resources and their local environment, and empower them to realise their ideas.”

Launched in 2017, the ​Recycling Fund for Communities supports grassroots projects that protect the environment and encourage people to do the right thing with their waste. This year’s increased funding for plastics reflects Veolia’s long-standing investment in the plastic economy, and its ongoing support of the communities in which it operates.

Rachel Jay, Community Support Manager for Veolia in London said: “To make a real difference we need to work with communities, not just for them. Through our fund we aim to find Londoners who are passionate about protecting resources and their local environment, and empower them to realise their ideas.

“Since we launched in 2017 we’ve seen 18 amazing projects come to life through our donations of cash, volunteers, equipment and materials. This year we have doubled the maximum pledge available to £2,000 for entrants who are focusing on plastic waste as part of their project.”

This ​World Environment Day (Tuesday 5th June) Veolia is inviting Londoners to the ​Recycling Fund Launch 2018, ​an event ​for people with ideas for protecting resources and improving their local environment.

Attendees will be able to tour Veolia’s recycling facility in Southwark to see what happens to their plastics and other recyclables after collection. There will also be an opportunity learn more about the ​Recycling Fund for Communities and talk to Veolia’s team about getting their project funded, as well as getting other kinds of support such as materials, equipment or volunteers.

Anyone seeking funding for projects that protect the environment or inspire people to do the right thing with their waste is eligible to atten​d. Places are limited, f​or more information and to sign up to the free event visit ​recyclingfundlaunch2018.eventbrite.co.uk​.

Those who can’t make the event are still able to apply for funding online via our website www.veolia.co.uk/london/recyclingfund​.

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Bristol City Centre BID (Business Improvement District) is entering into a partnership with Veolia to deliver a new waste collection service to city centre businesses that aims to improve commercial recycling and improve street aesthetics.

Available to over 780 business in the city centre, the new waste collection service, which starts this month, is one of the key initiatives the BID has chosen to focus on since its formation.

Bristol City Centre BID is a recent initiative which formally came into existence in November 2017. Its mission is to drive Bristol city centre forward, using its £1.2m annual budget.

It is hoped the service will save businesses money, improve street aesthetics and drive up recycling rates. Levy payers across multiple sectors will be able to access the service, although it will also be possible for smaller businesses that aren’t required to pay the levy to opt into the service, so long as they make a contribution to the BID.

Bristol City Centre BID Development Manager, Keith Rundle – “The new service delivers great value for our levy payers and we are confident that the needs of our local businesses will be met. It will improve the streets of Bristol city centre for everyone by helping to address some key issues around waste being left out overnight.”

A collaborative service model has major benefits for users of trade waste collection services. Consolidating the market helps to improve collection logistics and allow cheaper and more frequent collections. A central contract with the BID ensures that the waste collector is held to a high standard of service and can’t exploit its strengthened position in the market to the disadvantage of businesses.

The BID selected Veolia through a competitive bidding process, designed by environmental consultants Eunomia, which looked at both price and quality of service. Veolia will be collecting a range of material streams, with residual and mixed recycling collections available seven days a week (once the service is fully established). As more levy payers join the scheme, additional services such as evening collections will be made available.

Businesses aren’t obliged to join the scheme, but by voluntarily working together the BID hopes that they will repeat the success of similar schemes elsewhere in the UK – for example, over 60% of businesses in Bath have opted into a similar waste collection contract. All participating businesses will have access to dedicated Veolia account manager, ensuring their individual needs are met.

Bristol City Centre BID Development Manager, Keith Rundle said: “The new service delivers great value for our levy payers and we are confident that the needs of our local businesses will be met. It will improve the streets of Bristol city centre for everyone by helping to address some key issues around waste being left out overnight.”

Bristol City Centre BID will play an ongoing role, monitoring how Veolia performs against a number of key performance indicators which include reducing the number of missed collections and increasing recycling rates. The BID will also work with Veolia to resolve any service issues and ensure that prices stay low over the lifetime of the contract.

Terence Davies, Veolia’s Regional Development Manager for the South West said: “We are delighted to have this opportunity to work with Bristol City Centre BID. We are excited to see what we can do to drive the city centre forward over the next few years.”

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Fourteen community groups from across Merseyside and Halton have received combined funding of £115,000 from the Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority (MRWA) and Veolia Community Fund 2018/19 to help boost recycling, reuse and waste prevention in the region.

Tthe Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority (MRWA) and Veolia Community Fund 2018/19 has been running annually since 2006. Some of the projects funded include:
• The reduction of food waste through cookery clubs and growing local produce
• Re-using and upcycling unwanted furniture
• Creative sewing classes to encourage textiles re-use
• Creating a school garden green space with used plastic bottles
• A pop-up re-use shop selling donated goods
• Refurbishing and redistributing furniture, clothes and tools

Successful applicants have been awarded up to £25,000 for schemes which operate across Merseyside and Halton, and up to £8,000 for projects which work solely at local authority level.

Graham Morgan, Chairperson of MRWA, said: “Giving local groups the opportunity to get involved in looking after their environment can only bring benefits to all and can help us appreciate items as valuable resources rather than something which otherwise might be just thrown away.

“These projects can have a significant impact on their local community and make Merseyside and Halton a cleaner and greener place for us all to live and work.

Carl Beer, Chief Executive of MRWA, said: “The successful applications made it clear that they understand the importance of resource efficiency and community education. We’re really looking forward to seeing what they achieve.”

This year projects must tackle one or more of the four priority household waste materials which have been identified by MRWA as key, namely Food, Plastics, Textiles and Furniture. An analysis of waste in Merseyside and Halton in 2016 highlighted that a greater amount of these materials could be re-used or recycled.

The impact of the 2017/18 Fund saw 12 projects deliver 28 full time equivalent jobs (created or safeguarded), participation by 479 volunteers, 29,178 people directly engaged and 1024 tonnes of waste material diverted from landfill*.

The Liverpool-based Neighbourhood Services Company Ltd (NSC) which operates Home Farm at Croxteth Park benefitted from the Community Fund in 2017. The project used money to rescue old and unwanted wood to renovate animal dwellings, as well as enlisting the help of adults with learning difficulties to transform the raw materials into new products which are available to buy in the Craft Shop at the farm. Lisa Jennions, NSC Manager, said: “The ongoing support from MRWA has been invaluable in enabling us to deliver recycling and reuse activities at Home Farm. The project is extremely popular with visitors and it’s great to see new life breathed into what was previously ‘waste’.”

Projects have until March 2019 to deliver their schemes.

The post MRWA Delivers £115,000 Funding To Local Community Groups appeared first on CIWM Journal Online.

At its Ellesmere Port site global resource management company, Veolia, is now using advanced energy storage to improve the energy and environmental performance of its dedicated High Temperature Incinerator, HTI.

One of the most technically advanced in Europe, and the largest of its type in the UK, Veolia’s HTI facility is optimising energy efficiency and balancing the national grid with the latest cutting-edge lithium-ion battery technology. By proving the capabilities on this type of site for the first time it highlights the potential future advantages for a range of energy intensive industries.

Treating 100,000 metric tons of hazardous waste at 1,200°C Veolia’s plant securely disposes of everything from laboratory waste, liquids and gases and contaminated electrical equipment. With the aim of reducing the grid demand from local heavy industry and nearby towns, the company realised that by introducing lithium-ion battery technology on the site it could lower demand on the local network.

Richard Kirkman, Veolia UK and Ireland – “This innovative project will help support the national ambition to decentralise, decarbonise and digitalise the grid whilst supporting overloaded grid networks.”

The technology provides cost savings by charging the battery during low cost off-peak times and using the stored electricity when peak electricity rates apply. Because of its unique reaction speed, and fast acting controls, it provides continuous stability for the National Grid by adjusting power flows at each millisecond to balance the surplus or lack of energy on the network.

Based on the latest lithium-ion technology the battery unit is capable of delivering 500kW/385kWh, equivalent to the energy required to power 1,000 homes or the output from 100,000 standard AA size batteries. It also provides a safeguard to the plant to maintain the essential load in the event of a power outage, and has the potential to export power to the grid.

Commenting on this project, Richard Kirkman, Chief Technology & Innovation Officer at Veolia UK and Ireland said: “This innovative project will help support the national ambition to decentralise, decarbonise and digitalise the grid whilst supporting overloaded grid networks.

“As a working test-bed it has proved how the technology can help similar industries significantly improve their energy costs. On a wider scale the installation also shows how Veolia can leverage flexibility in power consumption and generation to generate extra savings, and give industry greater energy security as we transition to more renewable energy.”

Balancing the demand for secure electricity supplies is now a key issue as the UK moves to using more renewable wind power that is inherently more intermittent than fossil fuels. Already working across a range of industries Veolia’s energy management solutions can reduce power consumption and carbon emissions, and guarantee future energy security.

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Morrisons Commits To Action Against Plastic Pollution

Morrisons has announced a number of measures to reduce plastic pollution as well as committing that by no later than 2025 all of its own-brand plastic packaging will be reusable, recyclable or compostable. 

Morrisons will also be one of the signatories to WRAP’s UK Plastics PACT, an industry initiative which aims to transform the way businesses use plastic and prevent plastics polluting the environment.

The company is taking steps to reduce plastic pollution which include:

• Allowing customers to use their own containers for meat and fish from the Morrisons’ Market Street Butcher and Fishmonger counters from May.
• Working through all of its own brand products to identify, reduce and remove any unnecessary plastic packaging.
• Trialling the effect of removing plastic packaging from fruit and vegetables in a number of stores. The aim is to look at how plastic packaging, which keeps food fresh, can be reduced without increasing food waste.
• Making more packaging recyclable. One of the first pieces of packaging to be replaced will be black plastic trays, used for fresh meat and fish. They will be phased out by the end of 2019.
• Fitting drinking water fountains into new stores. Morrisons has already made water freely available in its cafés for customers who want to refill their water bottles.

Plastic reduction work already completed includes:

• Morrisons no longer buys plastic drinking straws
• Morrisons now only buys cotton buds with paper stems rather than plastic ones
• Morrisons no longer sells 5p single-use carrier bags

Veolia Brings First Electric Street Cleansing Vehicles To London Streets

Veolia has introduced its zero emission electric street sweeping vehicles – its first in London and the UK – to Lambeth. 

The five new electric sweepers have been purchased instead of diesel alternatives and between them will save 78 tonnes of carbon dioxide from entering the environment each year.

That’s the equivalent of 33 passenger cars being removed from the road.

A successful trial of the sweepers in Lambeth confirmed the electric vehicles maintained the same work performance as diesel, while eliminating emissions to zero and bringing additional benefits such as less maintenance, lower noise output and a 70% reduction of water use.

Veolia has been trialling alternative fuel solutions for its vehicles since 2012 and is now ideally placed to support its customers as London moves towards the Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) targets being introduced in 2019. 

New Technology To Help Clear LCD Waste

A partnership of researchers, recyclers and engineers have united their expertise to solve the LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) stockpiling issue in Europe.

The ALR3000TM machine processes 60 LCD screens per hour and is modular for scalability. A commercial full-scale unit has been developed across a three-year Eco-innovation project called ReVolv, by a consortium led by Votechnik and the University of Limerick.

LCDs contain hazardous substances and are currently largely disassembled manually, making the process slow and expensive and resulting in the stockpiling of LCD screens at recycling plants across Europe. LCDs are subject to an EU Directive that stipulates that the mercury and liquid crystals must be removed, so it is essential that they are treated correctly.

Globally, there were 217mLCD televisions sold up to the end of 2013. These have an expected lifespan of around 8 years which means these products are now in the
waste stream and requiring treatment

The machine quickly and safely removes components containing hazardous substances from the LCDs, such as mercury containing lamps, and presents the separate fractions of the non-hazardous materials ready for recycling. These materials include in-demand critical raw materials like indium and other valuable materials, for instance the plastics contained in the screens.

The technology is currently being demonstrated in Ireland and is available for potential customers to see in action.

Walk For WasteAid 2018 Raises Over £10,000

The Walk for WasteAid 2018 has raised over £10,000 to support better waste management around the world.

More than 100 supporters turned out for the 25km walk across the city of London on Saturday 23 June, zigzagging across the River Thames from Putney to Tower Bridge.

WasteAid Head of Communications, Zoë Lenkiewicz, said: “Waste management is a hugely neglected area around the world. Our annual fundraiser draws attention to the issue and the positive work being done by WasteAid to share recycling know-how with poorer communities, and we’d like to say a massive thank you to everyone involved in this year’s successful Walk for WasteAid.”

This was the third Walk for WasteAid, and the first in London, with previous years seeing supporters climb Mount Snowdon and Scafell Pike.

The walkers started at Putney Bridge, and were hosted at Vauxhaull City Farm for lunch. Wybone leant litter pickers so walkers could clean the streets of London on their way, and Veolia collected the waste at the end of the walk.

Everyone who made it across the finishing line received a 3D printed medal made from recycled plastic by Singular MARS, with recycled ribbon donated by TRAID. London food waste fighters Day Old provided snacks at the end using food that would otherwise have gone to landfill.

JD Wetherspoon Partners With Fareshare To Reduce Food Waste

One of the UK’s largest pub chains has partnered with food redistribution charity FareShare to reduce its food waste and support those at risk of food insecurity.

JD Wetherspoon, which owns 880 pubs across the UK, has committed to not only donating but also delivering quality surplus meats, chips, ready meals and desserts to FareShare.

So far, the pub chain has provided surplus food provisions amounting to over 1.7 tonnes – equivalent to a phenomenal 4,000 meals. The donations have supported more than 100 charities and community groups which include homeless hostels, breakfast clubs and domestic refuges.

Wetherspoon has now agreed to provide regular deliveries of quality meat, ready meals and potatoes to five FareShare regional centres including Hull, Speke, Manchester, Preston and Newcastle. The food will be provided to the centres on a trial basis until July – and if successful, could be rolled out to the rest of the country.

Food provided by Wetherspoon has become surplus as a result of menu changes and damaged outer cases which, although not harming the food, are costly to rework for commercial sale.

Annual figures recently released by FareShare revealed that the charity is now helping to feed a record 772,000 people a week – 60% more than the previous year. With one in eight people in the UK going hungry every day, Wetherspoon’s donations will be of great value and use to local frontline charities across the five regions.

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Veolia has appointed Gavin Graveson as executive vice president of UK & Ireland for Veolia, succeeding Estelle Brachlianoff who has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer for Veolia group based in Paris.

As Veolia’s chief operating officer, public and commercial in the UK, Gavin has been instrumental in building and developing municipal and commercial services, combined heat and power and recycling and treatment facilities, including the company’s thirteen major integrated waste and recycling infrastructure contracts.

Gavin Graveson, said: “As we face the challenges of preserving the environment and serving growing populations, communities need to be bolder and recognise the circular economy is the right model to deliver a sustainable future.

Gavin Graveson – “As we face the challenges of preserving the environment and serving growing populations, communities need to be bolder and recognise the circular economy is the right model to deliver a sustainable future…”

“We must take action and set out long-term goals and commitments to use our resources more efficiently to meet these ever increasing demands in a more sustainable way.

He adds: “Over the last six years the UK and Ireland business has been transformed under Estelle’s leadership in line with the group’s ‘Resourcing the World’ strategy. By integrating our water, waste and energy businesses, we have better positioned ourselves to tackle the key environmental issues of our time – climate change, resource scarcity and energy costs.

“It’s an exciting time; we are pioneers with the opportunity to champion real change and I very much look forward to advancing the major progress Veolia has made as a producer of resources, and a strategic partner in helping its customers solve the sustainability issues they face.”

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The post Veolia Appoints New Executive Vice-President For UK & Ireland appeared first on CIWM Journal Online.

Veolia will collect 120m coffee cups for recycling in 2019 – a dramatic 300% increase from this time last year, following a successful 12 months pioneering its in-store service across the UK with the world’s most recognised brands; Costa, Starbucks, McDonald’s and Caffè Nero.

Aspirations from these leading chains have been matched by Veolia’s innovative collection and sorting solutions, where coffee cups are segregated in store to prevent contamination, ensuring a smoother, more effective process. Encouraged by the programme’s success, we will continue to work with our customers to reach as many people as possible.

Veolia is already supporting Costa on its cup recycling programme that aims to recycle as many disposable cups as Costa sells by 2020. For every tonne collected for recycling, Costa provide a financial supplement. This helps to subsidise further collections and cup recycling initiatives.

Alongside the national scheme, we have also piloted a solution in partnership with Westminster City Council and Heart of London Business Alliance, to make recycling coffee cups even more convenient for busy people on the move. Street sweepers and dedicated bins situated in the heart of London have helped us to collect 100,000 coffee cups which may otherwise have been littered or included in general waste streams.

Richard Kirkman, Chief Technology and Innovation Officer, Veolia UK & Ireland says: “With a storm rightly brewing over disposable coffee cups in recent months, Veolia has responded by intensifying its efforts across the country to collect, sort and recycle millions of coffee cups which would otherwise be discarded. Our in-store and on the go solutions have real potential to capture every coffee cup in the country.

“We’re heading in the right direction, but there is still plenty more to do, with millions of disposable cups still not entering recycling streams. To continue this progress, more organisations need to provide in-store solutions and more consumers to use them.”

Veolia is the leading coffee cup recycler in the country with facilities which process, clean, separate and bale disposed coffee cups ready for recycling. With a number of different service options, ranging from using a post-back service where coffee cups are sent from stores to our facilities, to bulk collections from customer premises, Veolia now has the most cost effective national service in the UK for cup recycling, providing an unrivalled, consolidated end-to-end service for coffee cup recycling.

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The post Veolia Breaks New Ground Recycling 120m Coffee Cups appeared first on CIWM Journal Online.

A new partnership between Veolia and the Baker Street Quarter Partnership (BakerStreetQ) follows the development of the Smarter Recycling Scheme, which aims to simplify waste management and assist businesses in meeting their green goals.

Veolia has been selected as one of two waste providers to support the BakerStreetQ’s targets of improving air quality and increasing recycling rates.

Veolia brings a strong track record to the partnership. Its involvement with neighbouring Business Improvement District, Heart of London Business Alliance, has seen a reduction of over 800 vehicle collection movements in the area each week.

It has also introduced Good To-Go, the on-street recycling scheme for take away cups that has already diverted over 100,000 cups for recycling, and hopes to offer similar developments for the Baker Street Quarter Partnership.

“Westminster suffers from some of the worst air pollution in London, mainly due to the large volume of traffic, so we’re looking forward to implementing solutions to improve this crucial issue.”

Pascal Hauret, Regional Director for Veolia London said: “We’re serious about solving environmental challenges and bringing positive change to communities. We’re extremely proud of the successes we’ve had with Heart of London Business Alliance and we look forward to working with the Baker Street Quarter Partnership to help make a difference there as well.”

Cllr Tim Mitchell, Westminster City Council cabinet member for environment and city management, said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Baker Street Quarter Partnership and Veolia, helping local businesses recycle more effectively and efficiently. Westminster suffers from some of the worst air pollution in London, mainly due to the large volume of traffic, so we’re looking forward to implementing solutions to improve this crucial issue.”

The Smarter Recycling Scheme is designed to minimise vehicle emissions by having fewer waste collection providers on the streets, while providing additional local benefits including reduced traffic congestion and discounted service costs for businesses who take part.

In addition to the air quality improvements, the initiative will focus on capturing all recyclable items for reprocessing, and will ensure non recyclables are diverted to energy recovery, not landfill.

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The post Veolia Detects Solution To A Cleaner, Greener Baker Street appeared first on CIWM Journal Online.

Veolia is to trial innovative electric refuse collection vehicles (RCV) charged by power derived from the waste they have collected.

The project in Sheffield will see two 26 tonne RCV converted from diesel to electric power in a scheme to accelerate the transition to zero emission heavy goods vehicles.

In the future these vehicles are set to be charged using the electricity generated from the non-recyclable household waste that fuels the city’s Energy Recovery Facility, a world first, Veolia says.

“By recharging the vehicles from the Energy Recovery Facility this approach also show how local authorities and the public sector can drive sustainability and use green energy to address their environmental challenges.”

Converting the RCV, which need replacing, is an effective way of extending the life of an existing vehicle by changing the diesel engine for electric power. The project is backed by a grant from the Innovation Funding Service (Innovate UK) which will enable two repowered RCV to be trialed over the next two years.

The lorries will be powerful enough to negotiate 25 percent gradients on hills even when fully loaded, and are expected to be converted and operational by the end of the year. The project will also convert an additional two RCV that will be used in trials in London.

Demonstrating Veolia’s commitment to reduce emissions this latest move to decarbonise vehicles follows the recent introduction of zero emission electric street sweeping vehicles, another first for the UK. The five new electric sweepers will save 78 tonnes of carbon dioxide from entering the environment each year which is the equivalent to removing 33 passenger cars from the road.

The company has also introduced electric powered eco-vans to hospital contracts in Liverpool and Southport to make hospital day-to-day work more environmentally friendly. These are recharged using the low carbon electricity generated by the hospital combined heat and power (CHP) plants managed by Veolia.

Other low emission compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles operate in Camden, where they carry out graffiti removal, and these vehicles refuel from Veolia’s brand new compressed natural gas (CNG) refuelling station.

Commenting on this latest innovation Gary Clark, Veolia’s UK Fleet Director, said, “This project highlights Veolia’s strong commitment to clean air initiatives as we look to improve the environment in our cities. By working closely with our customers to deliver fleet solutions that lower emissions we help them ensure they deliver real value for money, and limit costs for local tax payers.

“By recharging the vehicles from the Energy Recovery Facility this approach also show how local authorities and the public sector can drive sustainability and use green energy to address their environmental challenges.”

With a focus on supplying green energy the Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) in Sheffield, generates electricity for the National Grid and heat for the city’s award winning district heating network. Configured as a combined heat and power plant it also supplies heat and hot water to over 150 buildings including the Town Hall, Crucible Theatre and Weston Park Museum. Sheffield’s approach means that it sends less than 1% of its household waste to landfill, one of the lowest figures in the UK.

Veolia collects Sheffield’s non-recyclable household waste (black bin waste) and sends this to the Energy Recovery Facility, where it’s burnt to produce enough electricity for over 22,600 homes.

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A visit to ​Wonder Day at the Veolia Integrated Waste Management Facility (IWMF) will help fill more than the minds of the curious. With a rare opportunity to see what happens to recycling behind the scenes, visitors will also receive clarity on which items should fill their bins, just in time for Recycle Week (24-30 September).

The Veolia IWMF in Southwark is one of the most advanced recycling facilities in Europe. Its state of the art technology allows for over 230,000 tonnes of recycling and waste to be processed annually, making a visit to the facility a favourite during Open House.

This year Wonder Day supports the Recycle Week theme ​‘Recycling. We do. Because it Matters.’ by filling the day with recycling insights and free entertainment for the whole family to enjoy, including guided tours of the facility, interactive exhibits, upcycling workshops, children’s games, ​performances and ​much more.

“At present, too many recyclables end up in our general waste, so we invite visitors to see the collective results that come from their individual recycling efforts. With Recycle Week just around the corner, we hope Londoners visiting the facility will be inspired to make sure as much of their waste as possible ends up in the right bin!”

Fabrice Bouchon, General Manager at Veolia said: ​“Wonder Day provides a unique opportunity for members of the public to see what happens to their recyclables after they are collected.

“At present, too many recyclables end up in our general waste, so we invite visitors to see the collective results that come from their individual recycling efforts. With Recycle Week just around the corner, we hope Londoners visiting the facility will be inspired to make sure as much of their waste as possible ends up in the right bin!”

Cllr Richard Livingstone, Cabinet Member for Environment, Transport Management and Air Quality, said: ​“Wonder Day really is fabulous fun for the whole family and a great opportunity to learn how the facility has helped Southwark have the lowest level of waste that ends up as landfill of any inner London council.

“Last year saw more than a thousand visitors follow the fascinating journey that household waste and recycling takes to become green products and energy and there will be JCBs and big trucks, birds of prey display and craft workshops to add to the excitement.”

To find out how you can attend visit here.

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New research by Veolia reveals that the vast majority of people – 93%, think plastic bottles should contain recycled content and most are also willing to pay an average of 2.5p more for it.

Survey results published in Plan For Plastics, a new report launched today by Veolia and plastics experts, RECOUP, describe an indisputable gap between what recycled content the public expect to be in plastic products and the reality.

• 93% of consumers think plastic bottles should contain recycled content
• 55% of people think the majorityof a bottle should be recycled content

Plastic bottles and packaging generally uses less than 15% recycled content – a significant distance from meeting consumer expectations.

In Plan For Plastics,Veolia outlines three ways the UK can turn plastic into an environmental success story:

• Simplify recycling to remove confusion
• Standardise packaging so a product is recyclable by design
• Increase the use of recycled content in the manufacturing of new products

The public have given a stamp of approval to the recycling industry, being prepared to pay an extra 2.5p for bottles containing recycled content – while 87% think plastic bottles should be recycled in the UK. This is the green light for greener manufacturing.

Veolia already recycles over 10,000 tonnes of plastic bottles in the UK every year and is calling on manufacturers and Government to remove the bottlenecks to greater recycling rates.

Richard Kirkman, Chief Technology and Innovation Officer, Veolia UK & Ireland says: “Plastic packaging can be complex but increasing recycling rates can be simple. Veolia is in a unique position, holding a bird’s eye view over the end-to-end plastic recycling process, and in this report with industry experts RECOUP, we recommend three clear ways for the UK to become a champion of plastic recycling – both environmentally and economically – setting the standard for the next decade.

“The British public have told us they expect plastic bottles to be made of recycled content. We see 50% recycled content for plastic bottles and 30% for plastic packaging as realistic ambitions for every manufacturer to aim for within the next 10 years. When more packaging is both recyclable and made from recycled material, it will be the shift needed for recycled plastic to become mainstream.

“Veolia is planning to invest £1 billion in recycling and recovery infrastructure in the UK over the next five years. It is up to designers, manufacturers and Government to ensure supply matches our stake; so more plastic is collected and sorted to a higher quality standard. We owe it to future generations to make circular and sustainable living this country’s priority.”

Stuart Foster, Chief Executive Officer, RECOUP says: “There is more focus on plastic and sustainability than ever before, and that needs to be matched with action and progress.

“With circular economy and extended producer responsibility currently under debate, this is the ideal time to acknowledge the key issues and challenge current thinking.”

Click here for the full report.

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Unilever and Veolia have announced that they have signed a collaboration agreement to jointly work on emerging technologies that will help create a circular economy on plastics across various geographies, starting in India and Indonesia.

According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, just 14% of the plastic packaging used globally is collected for recycling after use, with 40% ending up in landfill and a third in fragile ecosystems.

In 2017, Unilever made an industry leading commitment to ensure that all its plastic packaging will be designed to be fully reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025. To help create an end market for this material, the company also committed to increase the recycled plastic content in its packaging to at least 25% by 2025. These targets are driving real change in the business – in particular how packaging is designed for recyclability and reuse.

“There is an undeniable need to transform the current way plastic packaging end of life is managed in order to reduce significantly its environmental footprint. It will take a collaboration of a new kind between all the actors of the value chain.”

In reaching this important agreement, Unilever and Veolia acknowledge that the issue of plastic waste is a shared responsibility that requires bold action across the value chain to develop and scale up collection and reprocessing infrastructure, which is critical in the transition towards a circular economy.

The work will focus on material collection, which will help channel recycled content back into the value chain. Veolia will work with Unilever to implement used packaging collection solutions, add recycling capacity and develop new processes and business models through this partnership in various countries.

Marc Engel, Unilever’s Chief Supply Chain Officer, commented: “The scale of the plastic waste issue is getting worse, not better, with the production of plastics expected to double over the next two decades. We all have a lot more to do to address this critical issue and we hope that by partnering with Veolia, a world leader in waste management, we can take meaningful strides towards a circular economy.”

Laurent Auguste, Senior Executive Vice-President of Veolia for Development, Innovation and Markets, commented: “There is an undeniable need to transform the current way plastic packaging end of life is managed in order to reduce significantly its environmental footprint. It will take a collaboration of a new kind between all the actors of the value chain.

“With this global partnership, Veolia and Unilever join forces in various geographies around the globe and, from the collection to the recycling, take a leadership role to redefine a responsible and sustainable future for packaging”.

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The post Unilever & Veolia Sign Collaboration Agreement On Sustainable Packaging appeared first on CIWM Journal Online.

The growing success of the circular economy, and the real benefits the approach is delivering to the UK economy has been highlighted with the publication of Veolia’s latest Sustainability Report.

Veolia says its £1.5bn investment in UK recycling and energy infrastructure is enabling customers to save money, secure supply chains, and achieve major CO₂reductions.

The report details how Veolia is using innovation to advance sustainability for businesses and the public sector. With a focus on manufacturing green products and energy, and developing tailored solutions for resource efficiency, the company now saves over 2m tonnes of CO₂emissions for its customers, it says.

With the UK grid stretched, Veolia is contributing to energy security and lowering energy costs using 496 MWe of low and carbon neutral energy supplies for industry, healthcare, commerce and communities – enough electricity to power 1.2m homes, according to the report.

This includes helping the water industry to become energy self-sufficient and deriving renewable gas supplies, electricity and heat from food waste and manufacturing by-products.

“Real Advances”

During 2017 the company made significant progress to increase social inclusion with 35% of operatives recruited from groups such as NEETs (not in education, employment or training), ex-offenders and former military personnel.

The apprenticeship scheme has expanded with 220 people completing the programme last year and over 300 in training.

At the launch of the report, Gavin Graveson Executive Vice-President of Veolia UK & Ireland said: “This report includes examples of our partnership working and highlights the real advances we have made, the benefits we deliver to our customers’ bottom line and the communities we live and work in, and our employees.

“We believe, now more than ever, is the time to make a step change in the approach to carbon emissions and we plan to fund this growth with a planned further investment of £1 billion by 2022. By driving this innovation we are creating new skills and jobs, and delivering wider social impact for all.”

“Innovation over the last few years has given us an unprecedented opportunity to minimise resource use, guarantee energy supply and cut climate changing emissions, and this is reflected in our progress.

“We believe, now more than ever, is the time to make a step change in the approach to carbon emissions and we plan to fund this growth with a planned further investment of £1 billion by 2022. By driving this innovation we are creating new skills and jobs, and delivering wider social impact for all.”

With growing numbers of businesses already diverting 100% of waste from landfill, Veolia has extended this approach to its decommissioning operations and recycled 98% of the 80,000 tonnes of materials received from the North Sea.

Key recent examples of recycling include converting 60,000 tonnes of used glass into home insulation and recycling 21 million disposable coffee cups, to producing 10,000 tonnes of food grade plastic from recycled milk bottles. The company is also helping the water industry preserve essential water resources using advanced data driven technologies that now reduce water leakages from an industry average of 22% to below 4%, it says.

To see a copy of the report click here

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The waste and resource sector is projected to single-handedly save over 200m tonnes of carbon emissions between the years 2023 – 2032, with more than 10% contributed to the UK’s anticipated carbon budget shortfall during this time period, according to research conducted by Veolia and Imperial College.

Veolia says it expects to deliver over 8 million tonnes of this total.

The UK won’t fulfil its carbon reduction commitments at current rates of emission mitigation, the research suggests, but the waste and resource sector is “powering ahead” with a variety of energy saving solutions to redress this imbalance.

These include:

• Energy Recovery Facilities (ERFs) to use district heating – currently there is only 215 megawatt (MW) of district heating capacity in UK ERFs. If ERFs utilise their ability to deliver district heating to local business and residents it could generate 530 MW of heat; cutting carbon emissions by 570,000 tonnes and saving the average homeowner £90 per year through lower heating bills.
• Recycling 500,000 tonnes of plastic waste – this includes films and pots, tubs and trays. Better design in manufacturing combined with upgrading recycling facilities will help save over 1 million tonnes of CO₂
• 50% of all diesel trucks, vans and cars in the waste/resource sector to be replaced by electric – currently only a handful of diesel trucks have been converted to electric. Making this change will improve air quality as well as contribute to long term climate goals. Saving 400,000 tonnes of CO₂in emissions.

Richard Kirkman, Chief Technology and Innovation Officer, said: “Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is essential to controlling climate change. Veolia, and the resource sector more broadly, has the technology at its disposal and the willpower to ensure not only Britain upholds its carbon commitments but is the bellwether for green and sustainable alternatives.

Professor Nick Voulvoulis, Imperial College London – “The sector can facilitate the transition to a green, zero waste economy, maximising the retention of the energy and materials embedded in waste, contributing to the decoupling of economic growth from natural resources.”

“Our research suggests the waste and resource sector will save an additional 23 million tonnes of CO₂ by 2032 – a significant portion of the carbon budget shortfall. If other sectors are to make similar contributions, if we as a nation and as a planet are to make sustainable choices, it is critical we calculate the cost of carbon on our natural world. Currently we’re scratching the surface with initiatives to curb carbon – to overturn the shortfall, we must think long term but act today.”

Veolia says it is already at the forefront of green innovation:

• At 50 water treatment works, we harvest renewable energy from sludge helping to create self-sufficient water treatment sites
• In our plastics facility in London we process 300,000,000 bottles (HDPE) turning them into high quality food grade pellets for manufacturing
• We transform around 248,000 tonnes of food waste by-products from manufacturing to generate renewable heat and electricity on site – removing the need for thousands of waste vehicle movements per year

By manufacturing green products and energy, and developing tailored solutions for resource efficiency, Veolia is carbon positive and now saves over 2 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions for its customers.

Professor Nick Voulvoulis, Professor of Environmental Technology, Imperial College London led the research commissioned by Veolia: “While effective new strategies and policies are urgently needed to ensure that UK  greenhouse gas emissions continue to fall, the Waste and Resource sector offers a great potential to reduce the carbon shortfall in the country’s 4th and 5th carbon budgets and to combat climate change.

“The sector can facilitate the transition to a green, zero waste economy, maximising the retention of the energy and materials embedded in waste, contributing to the decoupling of economic growth from natural resources.”

For the full research, click here.

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Members of Unite employed by waste management provider, Veolia UK, in Cheshire, are set to begin a series of strikes beginning on Friday 21 December, in a dispute over unpaid shifts.

The workers, who are employed at the company’s Ditton Road Widnes depot, are employed on a contract which requires them to undertake five shifts in seven days, Unite says. It says the workers are not paid if they work a sixth shift in a seven day period.

Veolia has disputed this, saying it has a payment system guaranteeing 48 hours pay per week, even if the full 48 hours are not worked.

The result of the industrial action ballot, delivered a turnout of 92% with 78.3% in favour of strike action and action short of strike action. Unite says it undertook a “last ditch” attempt to avert strike action but the talks failed to reach a resolution.

The first 24 hour strike will be held just before Christmas on Friday 21 December with further strikes also called for Christmas Eve (24 December) and then on Thursday 4 and Sunday 7 of January 2019. A series of overtime bans will be in place either side of strike days.

Unite regional officer Steven Gerrard – “If an agreement cannot be reached then strike action will have a serious impact on rubbish collections from a number of well-known high street brands including McDonalds, Boots, Wetherspoons and Asda, which could have serious environmental considerations.”

The commercial companies, located throughout Cheshire, who will be affected by the strike action include household names McDonalds, Boots, Wetherspoons and Asda. The non-collection of waste at the outlets is likely to swiftly cause environmental health concerns, the union says.

Unite regional officer Steven Gerrard said: “We are extremely disappointed with Veolia’s management given that they attended a meeting with Unite on Thursday 5 December 2018 but totally failed to address the concerns of our members.

“As a result, Unite’s workers have absolutely no option but to go ahead with strike action which will begin shortly before Christmas.

“It simply defies belief that Veolia thinks it is acceptable for workers to be unpaid for undertaking an extra shift.

“If an agreement cannot be reached then strike action will have a serious impact on rubbish collections from a number of well-known high street brands including McDonalds, Boots, Wetherspoons and Asda, which could have serious environmental considerations.

“Unite is committed to exploring all options to resolve the current situation and will remain open to talks up to and beyond the strike action, however the company must come up with a reasonable offer to resolve the dispute.”

Phil Gilmour, Regional Director Veolia UK said: “Veolia disputes that workers are not paid for hours that they work – we have a payment system guaranteeing 48 hours pay per week, even if the full 48 hours are not worked.

“It is disappointing that the Union is planning industrial action, especially as this matter continues to be discussed with National Officers of all the Trade Unions involved. The next meeting is scheduled at ACAS on Tuesday, 11th December.

“In the event that the industrial action takes place, we will make every effort to mitigate disruption to our customers.”

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The post Veolia Employees Plan Waste Collection Strikes Over Christmas appeared first on CIWM Journal Online.

An alliance of global companies from the plastics and consumer goods value chain today (16 January) launched a new organisation with an aim of advancing solutions to eliminate plastic waste in the environment, especially in the ocean.

The cross value chain Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW), currently made up of nearly thirty member companies, has committed over $1 billion USD with the goal of investing $1.5 billion over the next five years to help end plastic waste in the environment.

The Alliance aims to develop and bring to scale solutions that will minimise and manage plastic waste and promote solutions for used plastics by helping to enable a circular economy.

The Alliance membership represents global companies located throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. They include Proctor & Gamble, Veolia, SUEZ, Shell and Total.

David Taylor, Procter & Gamble – “This new alliance is the most comprehensive effort to date to end plastic waste in the environment. I urge all companies, big and small and from all regions and sectors, to join us.”

David Taylor, Chairman of the Board, President and CEO of Procter & Gamble, and chairman of the AEPW said: “Everyone agrees that plastic waste does not belong in our oceans or anywhere in the environment. This is a complex and serious global challenge that calls for swift action and strong leadership.

“This new alliance is the most comprehensive effort to date to end plastic waste in the environment. I urge all companies, big and small and from all regions and sectors, to join us.”

The Alliance is a not-for-profit organisation that includes companies that make, use, sell, process, collect, and recycle plastics. This includes chemical and plastic manufacturers, consumer goods companies, retailers, converters, and waste management companies, also known as the plastics value chain.

The Alliance has been working with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development as a founding strategic partner.

Ending Plastic Waste

The Alliance today also announced an initial set of projects and collaborations that reflect a range of solutions aimed at helping to end plastic waste:

Cities Partnership

It will partner with cities to design integrated waste management systems in large urban areas where infrastructure is lacking, especially those along rivers which transport vast amounts of unmanaged plastic waste from land to the ocean.

This work will include engaging local governments and stakeholders, and generate economically sustainable and replicable models that can be applied across multiple cities and regions.

The Alliance will pursue partnerships with cities located in high plastic leakage areas. The Alliance will also be looking to collaborate with other programs working with cities, such as Project STOP, which is working in Indonesia.

Circulate Capital 

Funding The Incubator Network by Circulate Capital to develop and promote technologies, business models and entrepreneurs that prevent ocean plastic waste and improve waste management and recycling, with the intention of creating a pipeline of projects for investment, with an initial focus on Southeast Asia.

Global Information Project 

Developing an open source, science-based global information project to support waste management projects globally with reliable data collection, metrics, standards, and methodologies to help governments, companies, and investors focus on and accelerate actions to stop plastic waste from entering the environment. The Alliance will explore opportunities to partner with leading academic institutions and other organisations already involved in similar types of data collection.

United Nations 

Creating a capacity building collaboration with intergovernmental organisations such as the United Nations to conduct joint workshops and trainings for government officials and community-based leaders to help them identify and pursue the most effective and locally-relevant solutions in the highest priority areas.

Renew Oceans 

Supporting Renew Oceans to aid localised investment and engagement. The program is designed to capture plastic waste before it reaches the ocean from the ten major rivers shown to carry the vast majority of land-based waste to the ocean. The initial work will support the Renew Ganga project, which has also received support from the National Geographic Society.

Driving Progress

In the months ahead, the Alliance will make additional investments and drive progress in four key areas:

1. Infrastructure development to collect and manage waste and increase recycling;
2. Innovation to advance and scale new technologies that make recycling and recovering plastics easier and create value from all post-use plastics;
3. Education and engagement of governments, businesses, and communities to mobilise action
4. Clean up of concentrated areas of plastic waste already in the environment, particularly the major conduits of waste, like rivers, that carry land-based plastic waste to the sea.

Veolia CEO Antoine Frérot, a vice chairman of the AEPW said: “Success will require collaboration and coordinated efforts across many sectors – some that create near-term progress and others that require major investments with longer timelines.

Antoine Frérot, Veolia – “Success will require collaboration and coordinated efforts across many sectors – some that create near-term progress and others that require major investments with longer timelines”

“Addressing plastic waste in the environment and developing a circular economy of plastics requires the participation of everyone across the entire value chain and the long term commitment of businesses, governments, and communities. No one country, company or community can solve this on their own.”

Research from the Ocean Conservancy shows that nearly 80 percent of plastic waste in the ocean begins as litter on land, the vast majority of which travels to the sea by rivers. In fact one study estimates that over 90 percent of river borne plastic in the ocean comes from 10 major rivers around the world – eight in Asia, and two in Africa. Sixty percent of plastic waste in the ocean can be sourced to five countries in Southeast Asia.

“While our effort will be global, the Alliance can have the greatest impact on the problem by focusing on the parts of the world where the challenge is greatest; and by sharing solutions and best practices so that these efforts can be amplified and scaled-up around the world”, said Peter Bakker, President and CEO of World Business Council for Sustainable Development.

Members

BASF, Berry Global, Braskem, Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LLC, Clariant, Covestro, Dow, DSM, ExxonMobil, Formosa Plastics Corporation, U.S.A., Henkel, LyondellBasell, Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings, Mitsui Chemicals, NOVA Chemicals, OxyChem, Procter & Gamble, Reliance Industries, SABIC, Sasol, SUEZ, Shell, SCG Chemicals, Sumitomo Chemical, Total, Veolia, and Versalis (Eni).

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Waste management firm Veolia has been fined £1m after a worker was run over and killed.

Canterbury Crown Court heard how, on 18 October 2013, Veolia ES (UK) Limited’s employee Mr John Head suffered fatal injuries when he was run over by a reversing refuse collection vehicle (RCV) whilst he was walking across the yard, at the Ross Depot Waste Transfer Station in Folkestone. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the incident found that multiple vehicles, including RCVs and articulated lorries, were manoeuvring around the yard with no specific controls.

The HSE says the company failed to adequately assess the risks involved in the yard and did not implement “industry recognised control measures” to protect employees.

Veolia ES (UK) Limited of Pentonville Road, London has been found guilty after a trial of breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The company has been fined £1 million and ordered to pay costs of £130,000.

HSE inspector Kevin Golding said: “This should be a reminder to all industries, but in particular, the waste industry, to appropriately assess the risks and implement widely recognised control measures to adequately control manoeuvring vehicles, in particular reversing vehicles and restrict pedestrian movements around vehicles.”

A Veolia spokesperson commented: “Veolia fully respects the decision of the jury and today’s sentencing. We deeply regret the events that resulted in the death of our long-standing employee, John Head, and apologise to his family and friends.

“This incident occurred in October 2013 and the site and business has since made significant changes and improvements to the way we operate, as we continually strive to improve the safety of our operations and most importantly our employees.

“We take health and safety very seriously in respect of our staff, our customers and the communities in which we operate, and we are committed to achieving the highest standards across all our sites.”

Further guidance can be found at Vehicles at work

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