News updates from CIWM’s commercial partners.
Keenan Recycling | University of Liverpool’s net zero ambitions boosted by key partnership
A Russell Group university’s quest for net zero has been accelerated by the UK’s largest food waste recycling company.
The University of Liverpool, which appointed Keenan Recycling at the start of the academic year, says early indications are that 60 tonnes of food waste will be going to anaerobic digestion (AD) plants and converted into renewable energy.
The energy generated will be equivalent to 5,250 students being able to fully charge their phones or power 320 televisions for a full year.
Keenan is also in the process of replacing its transport fleet with eco-friendly trucks powered by compressed biomethane, which will further reduce the university’s scope three (indirect) emissions later in 2024.
With data to the end of January highlighting more than 24 tonnes of food waste collected, University of Liverpool’s waste and recycling officer for facilities, residential, and commercial services, Sam Hay, is excited to see the partnership flourish.
He said: “We averaged 1,354 tonnes per year of general waste between 2009 and 2019, a total which was reduced to 910 tonnes in 2022/2023.
“The objective for 2025 is 677 tonnes, which would see a reduction of 50 per cent from the 10-year average.
“Across the calendar year the total food waste that can be recycled could be 60 tonnes and that is a huge positive for our waste reduction targets.”
Keenan Recycling, which was engaged via the TUCO framework, worked closely with the university to have more than 900 food caddies and 55 external bins put in place across 12 locations as students arrived on campus at the start of September.
Sam continued: “It was a tight timetable, but together we managed to have it all set up, and the students could begin recycling their food waste from day one, which was important.
“As we continue to segregate our food waste, our general waste will reduce and that will also have an impact when it comes to expense.”
Whilst Sam and the university are encouraged with the positive results, they are “made up” with the entire service provided by Keenan, which aims to have a fully decarbonised fleet by 2030.
“They acted quickly so we could start the process, but there has been so much more in terms of provision,” he said.
“Keenan weighs each bin on collection, which means we are provided with an accurate figure for every single one. This gives us the opportunity to compare data and performance at each of our buildings, identifying any opportunities for improvement.
“The data is available to us on Keenan’s online portal, which means we can access it whenever we like and can use it to pull off reports.
“Emission data is also available, so we can track our carbon savings compared to the traditional disposal route of incineration with energy recovery.
“I’ve also been very impressed with the customer service we have received, with somebody always at the end of the phone or available via email, meaning any issues have been resolved in a timely manner.”
Claire Keenan, director at food waste specialist Keenan Recycling, said: “We are thrilled to be playing such a crucial role in the university’s journey to net zero.
“We pride ourselves on our service, so to hear about the positive impact that our activity is having on the daily operations in Liverpool is wonderful.”
Food waste down the drain? Not anymore in Wales! Get ready for new recycling rules
Attention Welsh businesses! As of 6 April 2024, new regulations have come into force at workplaces across Wales to separate their recyclables, just like households already do. This is a significant step towards a more sustainable Wales, and Keenan Recycling is here to help your business make a smooth transition.
What’s changed?
- Separate bins are mandatory: Single bins are a thing of the past! Businesses will need dedicated bins for paper/card, glass, metal, plastic, and cartons (including coffee cups).
- Food waste gets special treatment: Premises producing more than 5kg of food waste weekly need a dedicated bin. Food waste disposal down the drain is strictly prohibited.
- Other banned items: Unsold small electrical/electronic equipment and unsold textiles also have separate disposal methods.
- Mixed waste is out: Mixing recyclables with general waste is not allowed.
Why is this happening?
Wales is a leader in recycling, and these new regulations aim to build on that success. By separating waste streams, we can increase recycling rates, reduce landfill use, and contribute to a greener Wales.
How can Keenan Recycling help?
Keenan Recycling offers a user-friendly food waste recycling service specifically designed for businesses. We provide clearly labelled bins, frequent collections, weighing of your bins, bin rinsing and transparent reporting to help you track your progress.
Don’t get caught off guard
Contact Keenan Recycling today to discuss your specific needs and ensure your business is compliant with the upcoming regulations. Together, we can create a more sustainable future for Wales!
ISB Global | UK cleantech ISB Global deepens SAP ties as it pursues growth in key international markets
ISB Global’s WR1 software platform is named “SAP ready” with seamless integration, future-proofing and industry-specific features for waste management operators.
ISB Global, the UK-based provider of software to waste management operators around the world, is strengthening its partnership with multinational enterprise resource planning software company SAP (ETR: SAP) as it looks to continue to disrupt the waste management industry on a global scale.
As a part of this process, ISB Global has been named as a SAP Industry Cloud Partner. In addition, ISB’s flagship software platform Waste and Recycling One (WR1) has been named as a SAP Industry Cloud certified solution for waste management. ISB Global is already a certified SAP partner and global application development partner.
SAP Industry Cloud approved solutions are identified by their potential to digitally transform industries and sectors and encourage innovation. SAP approved solutions are tailored to meet the specific technical and operational needs and requirements of a range of industries such as manufacturing, retail, healthcare, financial services, utilities – and waste management.
Commenting on the news, Miquel Carbo, Director for Water & Waste Management at SAP’s Utilities Industry Business Unit, said, “ISB Global’s WR1 represents a cutting-edge, industry-specific solution crafted by a dedicated team of experts committed to revolutionising waste and recycling management in the cloud. With this Industry Cloud partnership, ISB Global and SAP now possess a powerful tool to deliver a robust joint cloud-based offering, enabling waste and recycling companies to scale, adapt with agility, and prioritise their core business operations.”
ISB Global Chief Commercial Officer Pritesh Pattni said, “Being named as a SAP Industry Cloud Partner boosts our visibility among SAP customers and underscores our credentials as a SAP-ready strategic partner. Our WR1 software platform underwent rigorous evaluation to ensure it meets SAP’s exacting quality standards. Customers can be confident in WR1’s reliability, scalability and compliance. The WR1 platform stands alone as the only complete, fully integrated SAP-ready solution for waste management operators worldwide.”
Achieving SAP Industry Cloud approval provides significant operational benefits to ISB Global’s existing WR1 customers and prospective new ones. It ensures seamless integration with other SAP systems and also third party applications. This gives users an interconnected and unified SAP-based IT environment that includes enhanced features for optimising business processes: and which helps users manage data better and so make better decisions.
SAP Industry Cloud approval also shows that the WR1 solution is aligned with SAP’s own roadmap for future updates and new innovations, future-proofing the platform and ensuring its continuing value and suitability for customers. WR1 users can expect ongoing SAP support plus access to the latest advancements in SAP’s cloud technology.
Pattni went on, “Waste management and recycling is becoming an increasingly complex and large-scale industry that involves multiple moving parts along with important regulatory and reporting obligations. To properly manage this complexity, waste operators need to automate and digitalise their operations and back-office processes.
“Being named as a SAP Industry Cloud certified solution underscores the WR1 platform’s effectiveness in meeting the particular operational needs and challenges of the waste management industry. It also reinforces ISB Global as a provider of industry-specific solutions that meet the highest technical standards and requirements, and which are superior to generic off-the-shelf ERP products and systems.
SAP Industry Cloud solutions like WR1 must meet stringent criteria to be named as “SAP ready”. It must solve a specific business problem of one or more industries, either as an extension of an existing end-to-end process already in the SAP portfolio of business solutions: or as a new, self-contained process.
It must also be a Public Cloud solution – that is, available to customers in the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model via any one of the public cloud Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) providers like AWS, Google Cloud Platform, Microsoft Azure and others
In a move that signals a deepening of this partnership with SAP, ISB Global CEO Chris Williams will co-host an exclusive online SAP Espresso Session alongside SAP’s Director of Water and Waste Management, Miquel Carbo, on 10 April at 1600hrs CET. The session will delve into WR1’s capabilities and its transformative impact on the waste industry. Interested parties can register here to join the conversation.
North Devon welcomes new recycling fleet
A convoy of 16 brand new kerbside recycling vehicles has arrived in North Devon ready to carry out weekly collections across the district.
The vehicles, all manufactured by Romaquip, have been supplied by the council’s vehicle and workshop partner, Specialist Fleet Services Ltd (SFS). In September 2021, North Devon Council joined forces with Somerset West and Taunton Council in a procurement exercise and awarded a 7-year contract to SFS for the provision and management of over 200 vehicles.
Romaquip Kerb-Sort vehicles are designed ergonomically to maximise the range and volume of materials that can be collected directly from people’s homes. There are seven fully enclosed compartments, to eliminate the risk of litter and to enable every category of material to be stored separately. When safe to do so the vehicle can even be loaded from both sides simultaneously and to optimise load space plastics, cans and cardboard can be automatically compacted.
Councillor Ian Roome, Leader of North Devon Council: “The arrival of our new fleet marks a significant step in our commitment to sustainability. These vehicles enhance our recycling efforts, ensuring a more efficient and eco-friendly collection process for the benefit of our community and the environment.”
Bob Sweetland, Managing Director, SFS said: “We are pleased to be able to provide North Devon Council with this fleet of vehicles, which will help to maximise the amount of recycling that is collected, in an efficient and safe way.”
Matt Patanden, UK Sales Manager, Romaquip: “Romaquip is extremely pleased and grateful for the opportunity to supply the new fleet into North Devon District Council (NDDC) through SFS. Both NDDC & SFS are long standing customers of ours and we appreciate the continued support we receive from both parties. These vehicles, from our 2024 range, will help to future proof collections as they are configured to address the ever-changing recycling habits of residents.”
SFS celebrated its 30-year anniversary in 2023 and has an extensive track record in delivering fleet and workshop management solutions to local authorities across the UK. The company runs a nationwide network of workshops and operates its own specialist vehicle hire division, CTS Hire, for the provision of short to medium term municipal vehicles.
