After nearly 28 years of general fence sitting; rarely holding an opinion and being easily swayed to and fro by those held by others - (cue: evolution music -Richard Strauss' sunrise fanfare from sprach Zarathustra) I am forming an opinion. About biomass. Well, kind of.
Having spent 8 weeks working on MRW, I have surprised myself by manifesting a fierce fondness for scrap, waste and recycling in general (because the little blighters at the lower end of the quality heap can't stick up for themselves - so don't mess with me) to the general disinterested bemusement of normal people, who don't engage in our dialogue. And I am a newbie to the industry; so I don't claim to be a walking Britannica.
BUT. I have to say I really support the arguement that there exists serious uncertainty around the use of biomass. Yes, it would be great if we could stop feeding landfill holes (and creating great grassy hills to sunbathe on when the weather picks up) and send all non recyclable waste to be burned to generate energy. So what is the point of these biomass plants being built with systems that can only burn high quality, or new/virgin fibre? Am I being dim?
Do we have enough trees to feed these biomass plants - has everyone forgotten that we need trees to be able to breathe on this planet? How long will it be before all the dedicated biomass feedstock trees are fed to the hungry animal and we reach that point of having to wait a year or two for more trees to mature? Or will we start savagely cutting the lives of baby/kiddie trees short to meet the sector's insatiable appetite. A tad dramatic, I'm sure. But, still I must have a point - this is my first opinion; for god's sake.
The waste hierarchy is not all rubbish. There is sense to it. Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. I note the omission of 'Landfill' from this model. So! In my capacity of surrogate protector and advocator for all non recyclable and heavily contaminated waste material, I say this: burn the little blighters.
Showing posts with label Materials Recycling Week. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Materials Recycling Week. Show all posts
Thursday, 4 March 2010
Wednesday, 25 March 2009
WRAP to be single delivery body
WRAP have today announced that they are to be the single delivery body for a range of resource efficiency services. This seems like a good idea to me as it means more clarity and fingers crossed more efficient services.
To see more of this story from MRW
Paul Sanderson, editor, MRW
To see more of this story from MRW
Paul Sanderson, editor, MRW
Monday, 23 March 2009
Energy from waste or incineration?
I chaired a seminar last week and energy from waste was high on the agenda.
Despite my efforts to negotiate a middle ground, it was clear that there was a divide between supporters of combined heat and power plants from the waste industry and engineers and those from the environmental lobby such as Friends of the Earth.
Indeed, it was interesting to see their use of terminology with the waste industry and engineering delegates talking of EfW and CHP and the environmentalists of incineration.
My view is that EfW and CHP has a place in a well structured hierarchy of waste with the usual re-use and recycle etc coming first. Terms such as incineration do an injustice to efficient modern plants as it gives the impression of burning waste with a stack belching out untreated pollutants. Maybe that is why the enviornmental lobby are so keen to use the word incineration.
Paul Sanderson, editor, MRW and www.mrw.co.uk
Despite my efforts to negotiate a middle ground, it was clear that there was a divide between supporters of combined heat and power plants from the waste industry and engineers and those from the environmental lobby such as Friends of the Earth.
Indeed, it was interesting to see their use of terminology with the waste industry and engineering delegates talking of EfW and CHP and the environmentalists of incineration.
My view is that EfW and CHP has a place in a well structured hierarchy of waste with the usual re-use and recycle etc coming first. Terms such as incineration do an injustice to efficient modern plants as it gives the impression of burning waste with a stack belching out untreated pollutants. Maybe that is why the enviornmental lobby are so keen to use the word incineration.
Paul Sanderson, editor, MRW and www.mrw.co.uk
Wednesday, 18 March 2009
Designing out construction waste
I managed to pop along to the Construction Waste Summit yesterday which was attended by representatives from various parts of the construction supply chain. It was interesting to hear their thoughts and concerns on construction waste - and whether the ultimate 'zero waste to landfill' was something that was achievable. (A quick straw poll found that about half of those who attended thought this 'zero waste' goal was achievable and the other half didn't...)
Those who attended seem to think that more collaboration along the supply chain and more awareness among designers about waste would help reduce the amount and impact of construction waste.
A speaker from BDP offered the designer's perspective and made a good point that most waste legislation is aimed at the end-of-life stage and contractors - meaning designers are effectively removed from having to think about waste. In addition, she suggested a lot of designers were not aware of the 'zero waste' concept and the waste hierarchy - something that those further down the waste chain perhaps assume others are aware of.
It raised the question of whether we need to incentivise or put in place regulations to force designers and those at the start of the construction process to think about the impact of their work at the end of the chain?
Andrea Height, MRW, deputy editor
Those who attended seem to think that more collaboration along the supply chain and more awareness among designers about waste would help reduce the amount and impact of construction waste.
A speaker from BDP offered the designer's perspective and made a good point that most waste legislation is aimed at the end-of-life stage and contractors - meaning designers are effectively removed from having to think about waste. In addition, she suggested a lot of designers were not aware of the 'zero waste' concept and the waste hierarchy - something that those further down the waste chain perhaps assume others are aware of.
It raised the question of whether we need to incentivise or put in place regulations to force designers and those at the start of the construction process to think about the impact of their work at the end of the chain?
Andrea Height, MRW, deputy editor
Tuesday, 17 March 2009
Mobius loop
I think if you were to ask people in the UK to identify what is the recycling symbol between the Recycle Now logo and the Mobius Loop logo, most would choose the latter.
There is some news emerging tomorrow which will be positive, but will also highlight the difficulty in communicating the recycling message when the Mobius Loop remains ubiqitous in the minds of the public.
Maybe we'd have been sticking with what was already a well known logo?
Paul Sanderson, editor, MRW
www.mrw.co.uk
There is some news emerging tomorrow which will be positive, but will also highlight the difficulty in communicating the recycling message when the Mobius Loop remains ubiqitous in the minds of the public.
Maybe we'd have been sticking with what was already a well known logo?
Paul Sanderson, editor, MRW
www.mrw.co.uk
Monday, 9 March 2009
Inspiration and innovation
Sometimes you meet people who are brimming with so much enthusiasm it really is quite infectious and gives you back your zest for life. Last week I went along to Ecobuild, a trade exhibition for those involved with sustainable design and construction, and met a number of people who had seen an opportunity, had a vision and made it happen.
There was Simon Greer from Nulife Glass, who had spent about 13 years trying to find a method of taking the hazardous lead out of the cathode ray tube (CRT) glass that is found in old television screens and computer monitors. He was told it wasn't possible, but persevered and has now cracked the problem and proved his solution. This means both the lead and the glass can be reused as raw materials and the glass is no longer hazardous. The glass can go into applications as diverse as cufflinks, wall and floor tiles, kitchen worktops and high-grade aggregates.
Working with one of last year's National Recycling Award winners, GLASSeco, Simon has even used some of the glass he had separated out from old TV screens for making his own kitchen worktops.
Donald Crawley, one of GLASSeco's directors, had equally spent about 10 years of his life working out how he could find a better use for glass waste that was ending up in landfill. MRW magazine has previously covered the story of how he experimented with mixing waste glass with resin in his garden shed to create worktops. A chance break led to him making a worktop for an eco-house featured in Grand Designs and judging by the number of people at his stand at the exhibition, it's a product people are really interested in.
GLASSeco is now working with Chamois, who make kitchens using 100% recycled timber panels, so you can get a truly recycled kitchen.
And finally there was Les Owens, the managing director of BuilderScrap, a website designed to prevent construction waste from going to landfill. The free service acts like a match-maker for those wanting building materials and those with building materials to get rid of. A builder himself, Les knows how builders think and operate, so has made the website 'builder-friendly' and easy to upload photos and information from site.
It's built around the premise of why you would want to pay to have skips of perfectly usable material thrown away when you could give it to someone who wants it for free. Why indeed. All three were a really good example of thinking outide the box and finding innovative solutions. And they were a real inspiration.
Andrea Height, Deputy Editor, MRW
There was Simon Greer from Nulife Glass, who had spent about 13 years trying to find a method of taking the hazardous lead out of the cathode ray tube (CRT) glass that is found in old television screens and computer monitors. He was told it wasn't possible, but persevered and has now cracked the problem and proved his solution. This means both the lead and the glass can be reused as raw materials and the glass is no longer hazardous. The glass can go into applications as diverse as cufflinks, wall and floor tiles, kitchen worktops and high-grade aggregates.
Working with one of last year's National Recycling Award winners, GLASSeco, Simon has even used some of the glass he had separated out from old TV screens for making his own kitchen worktops.
Donald Crawley, one of GLASSeco's directors, had equally spent about 10 years of his life working out how he could find a better use for glass waste that was ending up in landfill. MRW magazine has previously covered the story of how he experimented with mixing waste glass with resin in his garden shed to create worktops. A chance break led to him making a worktop for an eco-house featured in Grand Designs and judging by the number of people at his stand at the exhibition, it's a product people are really interested in.
GLASSeco is now working with Chamois, who make kitchens using 100% recycled timber panels, so you can get a truly recycled kitchen.
And finally there was Les Owens, the managing director of BuilderScrap, a website designed to prevent construction waste from going to landfill. The free service acts like a match-maker for those wanting building materials and those with building materials to get rid of. A builder himself, Les knows how builders think and operate, so has made the website 'builder-friendly' and easy to upload photos and information from site.
It's built around the premise of why you would want to pay to have skips of perfectly usable material thrown away when you could give it to someone who wants it for free. Why indeed. All three were a really good example of thinking outide the box and finding innovative solutions. And they were a real inspiration.
Andrea Height, Deputy Editor, MRW
Friday, 6 March 2009
Low carbon future
There is a summit happening today on the low carbon future. Seems recycling isn't part of it as there is only mentions of energy policies from Lord Mandelson and Ed Miliband.
Who is shouting our to publicise the climate change mitigation impact of efficient waste management or recycling and waste minimisation? Or who should be?
Paul Sanderson, editor, MRW
Who is shouting our to publicise the climate change mitigation impact of efficient waste management or recycling and waste minimisation? Or who should be?
Paul Sanderson, editor, MRW
Wednesday, 4 March 2009
PFI funding can only be good news
We are reporting on MRW today that the Treasury is to put £3.5 billion into waste PFI projects.
Infrastructure is desperately needed in the recycling and waste sector and I am sure this will give a welcome boost when commercial funding is proving hard to come by.
My sources tell me Greater Manchester is on the brink of being signed - I'm holding my breath in anticipation! Once it is, and with this funding boost, we might actually see a great deal more on the horizon such as Merseyside and North London.
See the story in full on MRW.
Paul Sanderson, Editor, MRW (Materials Recycling Week)
Infrastructure is desperately needed in the recycling and waste sector and I am sure this will give a welcome boost when commercial funding is proving hard to come by.
My sources tell me Greater Manchester is on the brink of being signed - I'm holding my breath in anticipation! Once it is, and with this funding boost, we might actually see a great deal more on the horizon such as Merseyside and North London.
See the story in full on MRW.
Paul Sanderson, Editor, MRW (Materials Recycling Week)
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