CIWM & ISB Global – UK Waste Industry Software Review & Alignment Research Project
ISB Global extends its thanks on behalf of CIWM to anyone who recently took part in the UK Waste Industry Software Review & Alignment Research Project, of which the first phase the “CIWM Focus Group” was completed on November 22nd 2022.
Although the Focus Group sample was small, ISB Global says it thought that it reflected the UK industry well. The output from both the preceding questionnaire and the focus group session discussion was “hugely beneficial” in driving software vendor relationships and waste industry alignment forward, ISB Global says.
ISB Global has now formally closed the questionnaire. However, if anyone would like insight into the questions asked and to understand what subject matter was discussed you can still access and answer the questionnaire. ISB Global says that any answers would still help work towards a better understanding of the sector.
ISB Global says the team received some excellent information from the questionnaire and the focus group session. One of the key themes in the answers and discussions from the sample is that the industry wants to engage and understand software technologies in greater depth to drive efficiencies, ISB Global says.
ISB Global says it would like the opportunity to find out more about what industry professionals thought and to engage with them on an individual level to understand their challenges.
The organisation says they’re in the process of analysing a lot of results and intend to look at individual answers to understand any patterns between certain industries and the challenges answered and discussed.
ISB Global has announced that the next phase of the research project should begin on Tuesday 28th February at 10am. This will be a webinar where we take details from the questionnaire and focus group and present them to a wider audience for more feedback based on a further hypothesis developed.
After this, ISB Global says it should be ready to draft and release the report and implement changes that will drive the industry forward and create those digital efficiencies that were discussed.
Register for the Webinar here: https://info.isb-global.com/ciwm.
Bucher Municipal introduce the MaxPowa V120
The latest addition to Bucher Municipal’s range of truck-mounted sweepers, the MaxPowa V120, is designed to excel in heavy-duty and public works applications whilst maintaining exceptional quality and performance, the organisation says.
Mounted on a 3-axle, 26t GVM chassis the MaxPowa V120 offers a large 12 m³ capacity hopper, carries up to 6700 litres of water and allows a 10,000 kg payload ensuring on-station time is optimised, Butcher Municipal says.
Butcher Municipal continues that one of the “most innovative” features of this latest product is the Tri-plate fan impellor which has been designed to handle the enhanced power from the new JCB 129 kW engine, also launched with the MaxPowa V120.
This new patent-pending fan design, together with an updated cooling pack and Bucher Municipal’s Smoothflow technology all combine to deliver “outstanding” pick-up performance in the toughest of conditions, Butcher Municipal says.
Part of the V series family, the V120 is available with a full range of options including the new “Broomvak” brush assist sweepgear allowing higher speed pickup performance or low fan rpm operation.
Butcher Municipal says that public works applications typically require high-pressure washing and full-width suction and the modular platform means that these options, already offered on the MaxPowa V80, are carried over to the new V120.
The full-width nozzles together with the high-pressure water option provide 100 litres @ 200 bar resulting in high-performance cleaning to achieve “Back to Black” results, a key requirement on highway and construction projects, Butcher Municipal says.
Butcher Municipal says wearing parts are modular and common across the V series sweeper range providing ease of maintenance and operation.
The organisation says that all V series come with the Bucher Connect facility as standard. It continues that this platform allows users to digitally view their sweeper’s performance.
Butcher Municipal says users can view jobs, compare fuel consumption, plan routes and see where the sweeper is performing the best with the “detailed” online touch point.
WasteRecruit announces Lisa Selby de Haan, MCIWM as recruitment consultant
WasteRecruit says it is pleased to announce that Lisa Selby de Haan, MCIWM has joined the team as a consultant.
Lisa has been working in the waste management sector for over 17 years, 15 of which were with local authorities across the country. Along with her experience, she has several professional and academic qualifications which provide a broad spectrum understanding of the waste industry, WasteRecruit says.
WasteRecruit says the aim of bringing Lisa on board as part of its recruitment team is to focus and work in partnership with Local Authorities to assist them to find great talent for their teams whether on a permanent or interim basis.
Commenting on the announcement, Lisa Selby de Haan, said: “Coming from a local authority background I am aware of the challenges faced with ongoing budget cuts and that managers must find creative and resourceful ways to support front-line services more efficiently.
“This is where we can partner with you to take the pressure off all that is involved with recruitment, improve management information and ensure that there is more awareness of spend.”
WasteRecruit says its process can be tailored as required from the complete recruitment cycle to just part of it, such as a review of the job description.
This tailored service means that Local Authority managers can depend on the organisation as an innovative partner for their recruitment and resource management, WasteRecruit says.
Commenting on the appointment, Managing Director Nick Eva said: “I’m so pleased that Lisa has joined the team. She will be the Local Authorities’ first point of contact on anything from queries about our services to discussions over interim positions.
“We’ve already proven how we save Local Authorities money, and Lisa will take this message to every council in the country.”
Feature:
How technology is turning unrecyclable waste into a coal replacement product
In the face of mounting global pressure, punitive legislative change, rising costs and rapidly depleting natural resources – we must eliminate waste and keep all materials and products in use for as long as possible, Advetec argues.
Making this change relies on fresh thinking and a collective ability to see waste as a valuable resource, rather than merely a costly byproduct of our behaviour. It’s a process that can be achieved with technology, says Dr Stephen Wise, Chief Strategic Development officer at biotechnology business Advetec.
Challenging the status quo
To meet the UK’s pledge to be carbon neutral by 2050, the UK must reeducate itself about residual or unrecyclable waste – an often untapped, misunderstood and sometimes even forgotten, waste stream.
Unrecyclable waste is waste that can’t be recycled due to the presence of organic matter. Typically, this accounts for 50% of the waste recycling plants receive and so it’s sent on to landfill or for incineration instead.
Sending waste to landfill is, of course, the least desirable option. It releases vast quantities of greenhouse gas such as methane, produces leachate which requires treatment and omits offensive odours which are harmful to the environment and public health.
Sending waste to incineration recovers energy, but as the process combusts everything, it increases carbon emissions. Unlike mainland Europe, most UK conventional mass burn EfW plants are not connected to a heat offtake, which means they’re much less efficient than you’d expect, at only 40-50%.
Tolvik Consulting’s 2022 report ‘Response to Call for Evidence on Inclusion of EfW in the UK Emissions Trading Scheme’, estimates that with fossil content accounting for 30-60% of residual waste, the impact on EfW gate fees is likely to increase between £13 and £51 per tonne. As Mixed Residual Waste typically contains 60% carbon – gate fee increases could be expected to reach the top of this range.
A better way
Currently, only 9% of the country’s waste is used to benefit the circular economy. However, unrecyclable waste certainly does not have to add to the carbon problem. It is an untapped commodity.
By passing unrecyclable waste through a unique aerobic digestion process, the organic fraction is stabilised and reduced. This means if it must go to landfill, it will not break down further and release greenhouse gases, odour and leachate. The process also typically halves the mass of the waste, which means there’s less to dispose of, so fewer diesel miles. These are significant gains for waste handlers, but its most exciting potential is that aerobic digestion turns this waste into Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF).
SRF produced from this unrecyclable waste stream has greater value than SRF produced from recyclate because it moves waste once considered without value back into the circular economy. Because the digestion process increases the waste’s thermal value, it has a higher calorific value and a biogenic carbon fraction, so is optimally suited to replace carbon-emitting coal in energy-intensive applications, such as powering kilns for cement production.
As cement production is one of the most energy-intensive industries in the world, responsible for 6 to 7% of global CO₂ emissions, there is strong demand for a carbon-friendly alternative to fossil fuels to help reduce GHG emissions and support greener cement production.
The cement industry example indicates the scale of demand for lower-carbon alternative fuels, but there are wider financial incentives, too. The cost to send waste to conventional mass burn EfW can vary significantly regionally, and is due to increase, whereas sending it as an SRF for either blending with other materials or direct use, reduces offtake costs by 40%.
Entering the SRF market
The SRF market is growing year after year. A reliable UK offtake network and strong EU export market should give waste handlers reassurance that biotechnology will not only create new waste handling capacity, deliver cost certainty and reduce carbon, but also return a once ‘value-less’ waste stream to the circular economy.
Despite this, many waste handlers struggle to see the potential of their waste.
Consequently, entering the SRF market can be perceived as difficult, especially when it comes to proving the quality and consistency of waste-derived fuel as required by off-takers. There are strict control parameters to ensure that the composition of the SRF meets customer compliance obligations.
Moisture, caloric value, ash, and chlorine content all make a difference in the chosen off-take route. However, guaranteeing SRF has the same characteristics every time needn’t be difficult. Biotechnology and the aerobic digestion process offers the control and consistency required to make the offtake route reliable and sustainable.
Building certainty into operations
For waste handlers keen to explore the growing SRF market, there are two initial steps to take. The first is to take a holistic view of how technology could help to decarbonise operations and deliver cost certainty. The second step is to establish whether your unrecyclable waste is suited to SRF and which off-takers are most compatible, with the help of a specialist partner.
So, with rising gate fees, a waste handling capacity gap, rising exports despite a planned ban, potential complexity surrounding the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) and EfW, as well as growing demand for improved accountability and carbon reduction – it is time for a change. We must stop viewing unrecyclable waste as something at the end of its useful life, and recognise it as an alternative fuel source. It is time to harness innovative waste technologies in the pursuit of a truly circular economy.
