New Scheme Drives Graduate Recruitment At Viridor
Viridor has more than quadrupled its graduate intake with the development of a new scheme designed to attract and retain top talent into the waste sector.
The company has welcomed nearly 30 graduates across the new Functional Specialist Programme and existing Graduate Management Trainee Scheme, which matches graduates to areas of business growth.
Jennie Godfrey, Group Head of Talent at Viridor’s parent company, Pennon, said: “Our sector needs to recruit a massive 40% more people than it currently employs by 2027 if it is to fill the expected skills gap.
“We have taken specialised roles, such as in environmental health and safety, to develop future leaders in this space.”
The scheme has given graduates the opportunity to visit a host of Viridor sites to increase their understanding the business and its specialist facilities across the UK.
The success of the scheme, which is open from 1 April to June 1, means the company has ambitious plans for growth, with a further 30 more graduates planned to be recruited in 2019.
World Heritage Site Boosts Recycling Capabilities
Renowned tourist attraction Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal has boosted its recycling process with the investment in a waste baler from Riverside Waste Machinery.
The RWM75 machine is now being used to assist the team in the everyday baling of large volumes of cardboard waste, from across all areas of the 674-acre historic estate. The bales are then collected for recycling by the organisation’s waste contractor, Biffa.
Located in Ripon, North Yorkshire, Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden is a National Trust property – designated as a World Heritage site in 1986 – which enables its guests to explore miles of trails and footpaths surrounding the 900-year-old Abbey and Georgian water gardens.
Receiving over 400,000 visitors annually, the tourist attraction – housing three food outlets and a large visitor centre containing a shop and restaurant – prides itself on all elements of its conservation work and efforts to help the environment, so is well-practised in the baling process.
At high season and during school holidays, the busy estate produces 10 bales of cardboard per week, each weighing around 75kg. These are then stored under cover, before collection occurs.
James Jenner, Senior Facilities Co-ordinator at Fountains Abbey said: “The benefits of the baler include keeping the cardboard under control and freeing up space on the land, allowing ease of collection and also helping with the green views of the Trust.
Urbaser Wins Waltham Forest Contract
Environmental services company, Urbaser, has been announced as the new provider of neighbourhood services for the London Borough of Waltham Forest.
Urbaser has been working with the Borough since 2013 carrying out street cleansing and grounds maintenance.
The new 8-year contract to provide neighbourhood services includes waste collection and has an option to renew for a further eight years.
Although the contract will begin in October 2019, initially services will continue as normal and there will be no immediate alterations to rounds or collection days. Urbaser will continue to collect glass, paper, cardboard, cartons and plastic as well as food and garden waste.
From Spring 2020 residents will be able to recycle even more, as new items are added to doorstep collections. These include textiles, household batteries and small electrical goods.
At this point Urbaser plans to introduce new collection vehicles and work over a longer day to make the service even more efficient. This may lead to a review of collection days and householders will be given ample prior warning regarding any proposed changes.
Longer Hours For Merseyside Recycling Centres
Merseyside residents will have the opportunity to recycle more from Monday 1st April as the region’s Household Waste Recycling Centres open for an extra three hours every day.
The 14 Recycling Centres, which are provided by Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority (MRWA) and operated by resource management company Veolia, will be switching to their summer opening hours, meaning they’ll be open from 8.00am until 8.00pm*, seven days a week.
The Recycling Centres are situated throughout the region with all 14 available to use for all Merseyside householders. They accept all sorts of household materials for recycling, from batteries, cans and cardboard, through to garden clippings, glass bottles, wood, and white goods. They also accept lesser known items such as takeaway coffee cups, clothes, hard plastics and electrical items.
A Van Permit scheme is in operation at all the sites meaning if you are planning to use a van or large trailer then you will need a Permit. Permits can be obtained free of charge by calling 0151 236 0305 or visiting www.merseysidewda.gov.uk.
The Recycling Centres are open every day of the year, except for Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
Energia Group Announces €50 Million Bioenergy Agreement
Energia Group, one of Ireland’s energy providers and infrastructure investors, has announced a commercial agreement to process 70,000 tonnes of Panda organic waste annually, at Energia’s €50m new bioenergy plant currently being completed at Huntstown in north County Dublin.
The overall processing agreement is expected to be worth up to a total of €50 million to Energia.
Panda will begin supplying organic waste to Energia starting from June 2019 as the environmentally friendly new plant begins its commissioning phases. The waste will come from Panda’s black and brown bin collection services across the Greater Dublin Area.
Energia’s new Bioenergy Plant, located beside the company’s existing two major power stations at Huntstown in north Dublin, will begin full operation by the end of 2019 and will generate 4.8 Megawatts of electricity per hour. Work is underway to connect the new plant to the national grid’s electricity distribution system.
The plant will use anaerobic digestion to convert organic waste such as food waste, into methane rich biogas which will then be used to generate renewable electricity.
Elements of the material remaining after the process can be used as organic fertiliser for crops and gardens. When fully operational, it will be one of the largest anaerobic digestion plants on the island of Ireland.
