News in brief (28/04/23)
Man ordered to pay £6,000 for avoiding £20,000 of fees
The Environment Agency has today (28 April) said it has “successfully prosecuted the operator of an illegal waste site” in Nottinghamshire.
The Agency said the site was ‘illegally storing construction and demolition waste, plus household waste’
The statement explained that Andrzej Harytczak, 38, was fined £941 at Mansfield magistrates’ court on 27 April 2023, and ordered to pay costs of £5,000 and a victim surcharge of £94.
According to the Agency, the court heard that Mr Harytczak had operated a waste site without the necessary environmental permits in Tranker Lane, Worksop, between July 2017 and December 2019. He had avoided paying approximately £20,000 in infrastructure costs and permitting fees, the Agency said
Environment Agency officers launched an investigation following complaints about the site from early 2017.
They discovered that Mr Harytczak was “illegally storing construction and demolition waste, plus household waste”.
The Agency said he was warned on several occasions that this type of activity would require a permit. Despite the warnings, according to the Agency, he continued to operate the site.
A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: “We welcome this sentence from the court that we hope will act as a deterrent to others considering flouting the law.
“This site posed a significant environmental threat due to the high risk of fire and potentially significant impact to local communities and amenities”.
HGV training programme extended
A further 1,300 places have been made available to waste and recycling businesses on the government-funded ‘Skills Bootcamps in HGV Driving’.
The scheme is run by the Department for Transport-funded Driver Academy Group (DAG).
The HGV driver training scheme has been extended, with 1,300 spots open to the waste industry
DAG is a consortium led by HGV training specialist HGVC and comprising workforce solutions group Manpower and trade body Logistics UK.
The majority-funded courses are up to 16 weeks, giving people the opportunity to “build up sector-specific skills”.
First launched in December 2021, the programme has been extended for a further 12 months until 31 March 2024.
Waste and recycling firms can apply here[1] and the courses are open to any business looking to train up any employee with a driver’s license. The training courses are available at 60 locations across the country.
James Clifford, chief executive of HGVC, said: “While the immediate HGV driver shortage has passed, many waste and recycling firms still need more drivers to meet demand. This extension to the Department for Education’s Skills Bootcamps in HGV Drivers offers waste and recycling firms the opportunity to secure 70 per cent funded courses for their employees.
“For employers re-considering training budgets, this is a huge opportunity to train up new drivers or existing staff. While the economy continues to face some major challenges, this scheme really is a lifeline for the sector.”
AO and Brown Recycling arrange free skip for charity
Online electricals retailer AO has partnered with Brown Recycling to arrange for a skip to be donated to a community garden, after AO staff “spruced up the area during one of their ‘make a difference’ days”.
(l-r) Nick Ellis from Brown Recycling and Trish Goodwin from the community garden
Each year, AO employees can swap two days at their desk to do some volunteer work and recently a team of 11 used this at the Rawlyn Road Allotments, in Bolton.
One section of the allotment site is used as a community garden, which is run by volunteers from Bolton GP Federation, along with Age UK Bolton and Bolton Wanderers in the Community.
During their visit, the AO team learned about the need for a skip to help with clearing debris and general rubbish. The AO volunteers spoke to their regular skip provider, Brown Recycling, who arranged for an eight-yard builders’ skip – usually costing £250 – to be delivered to the site free of charge.
Robert Powell, facilities manager at the AO headquarters in Bolton, said: “When we found out what they needed, I knew we had to make it happen.
“Brown Recycling have been kind enough to donate the skip and they have been absolutely amazing from start to finish. As soon as we spoke to them, they were more than happy to help.”
Nathan Ibbs, head of business development at Brown Recycling, added: “When AO approached us for help, we simply had to get involved. We’re all about giving back to local communities and are more than happy to have played our part in helping the team of volunteers get the community garden cleared up.
“The skip will be on site for a week, before we’ll collect it and arrange for safe disposal of the green waste.”
WRAP details findings from ‘home textiles’ report
WRAP has unveiled the results of research it undertook last year into current attitudes and behaviours of UK citizens in relation to home textiles.
People were less conscious about sustainability with house textiles such as bedding and curtains in comparison to clothes
Over 2,000 interviews were conducted with UK citizens aged 18+ who currently own and have purchase decision-making responsibility in their home for at least two of the following 10 homeware items: bed sheets, duvet covers, bathroom towels, fabric tablecloths, fabric curtains/blinds, cushion covers, bedspreads/throws, rugs, duvets, and pillows.
The main findings[2] were that price is the main factor influencing the purchase of home textiles, with sustainability being a much weaker consideration. Additionally, the use of circular business models for home textiles is much less common than for clothing, with only 4% of home textiles purchased second-hand or vintage. The survey also found that home textiles are disposed of mainly through general rubbish, with only 7% of UK citizens repairing the items they own.
The survey further revealed that the average UK household owns 57 home textile items, with a combined estimated longevity of 6.9 years, over two years longer than clothing. However, just over a fifth of these items have not been used in the past year, and the frequency of washing varies considerably across different home textile items.
The report suggests that encouraging consumers to care for their home textiles and exploring circular business models could increase product longevity and limit waste in the sector.
References
- ^ here (www.hgv.academy)
- ^ main findings (wrap.org.uk)