A UK recycling company has achieved 100% materials reuse in a landfill recovery scheme believed to be the very first of its kind in Europe.

Mytum & Selby Recycling has excavated a site which was used to be a landfill site in Goole, East Yorkshire, so they can build a Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) that will open in 2012-13, providing 225,000 tonnes capacity for local authorities and businesses in the area.

Mytum & Selby Recycling’s managing director, Steve Carrie, said: “Landfill is often an issue nobody wants to tackle, but because we have invested in the latest technology, we see it as a great opportunity. At Goole we have been able to treat, reuse and recycle all the old landfill waste to help with levelling, landscaping and building the new centre.”

” The project involved recovering and refining construction materials, and reusing stone and tiling to build the MRF. All plastics, paper and glass were reclaimed and reprocessed. Any remaining food and organic waste was treated at the company’s own organics plant and converted into compost.”

Mytum & Selby will also be looking into other technologies to accompany the MRF on the 17-acre site to create fuels and energy from the residual waste after the bulk segregation process.

BuilderScrap sourced this article from Edie.

The wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton tomorrow (April 29) is not going to burn through as much energy as William’s parents.

A number of different factors are likely to lead to greatly increased demand on the UK’s energy system, but not on the scale of the 1981 wedding of Charles and Diane, according to researchers from the National Grid.

The 1981 event saw an energy surge of 1800 megawatts, that’s the equivalent of 720,000 kettles being boiled at the same time, as the nation stared at TV sets and enjoyed a cuppa.

However, the National Grid control centre is predicting a boiling-kettle-driven pick up in power of between only 1200 and 1600 megawatts when the pair exchanges their vows in Westminster Abbey.

Power will, say National Grid, rise steadily throughout the morning, but as the televised coverage begins there will be an overall decrease in demand as millions of people watch television rather than pursuing their usual, more energy-intensive, activities.

Sudden surges in demand will come after viewers have watched specific moments in the ceremony such as Kate’s arrival and procession up the aisle, the couple’s vows and the moment they appear on the steps of Westminster Abbey as a married couple.

According to the National Grid after these significant moments, viewers will leave their television sets to switch their kettles on, and this activity will result in an increase in demand.

A spokesman said: “While public interest around William and Kate is greater than it has been around more recent royal events. “

“The forecasting team isn’t expecting the impact on demand to be as big as for Charles and Diana’s wedding, which belongs to a different era. “

“The entire forecasting team at National Grid is proud of the role they play in making sure families across the country can enjoy watching this special day.”

There is still likely to be more energy used than for lesser royals Edward and Sophie’s wedding, more recently in 1999, which saw just a 750 megawatt increase.

BuilderScrap sourced this article from Edie.

Businesses could save billions of pounds every year by generating less waste and using raw materials more efficiently.

This figure is published last week by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

The research says that these savings coupled with using energy and water more efficiently, could help businesses save about £23 billion every year

In the research they say improving resource efficiency is of the utmost importance in the transition to a green economy and these saving could be made with very little investment needed.

According to the report, they have found the main obstacles are behavioural, financial and a lack of information.

Environment secretary, Caroline Spelman, said: “Moving to a green economy offers businesses opportunities to grow into the future. Becoming more resource efficient contributes to a business’s bottom line, increases profitability and their capacity to grow.”

“In addition to improving competitiveness, businesses could reduce carbon emissions by 29 million tonnes a year; so it’s a win-win for business and the environment.”

The current recession we’re experiencing has been seen by many as a good time to introduce resource efficiency because as well as help the environment it’s a great way to keep costs down.

A survey for Envirowise found that almost three quarters (73%) of businesses say they have expanded their knowledge of their spending and resource use as a result due to the recession.

At BuilderScrap we understand the cost of waste and the importance of raw materials, not only on the environment but also on the bottom line. In construction it is estimated that approximately 13% of construction building materials which arrive on site end in the skip without ever being used, simply discarded as surplus building materials. This is estimated to have a market value of approximately £1.5 billion.

BuilderScrap sourced this article using Edie.

Figures which have been released by WRAP in its Signatory Report 2011 have shown a significant decreased in the amount of materials in construction and demolition waste being sent to landfill.

The figures come from 32 construction contractors who have signed up to the Halving Waste to Landfill Commitment which is coordinated by WRAP.

Signatories are encouraged to register their baseline and targets within WRAP’s Waste to Landfill Reporting Portal.

The 32 construction contractors monitored and reported their annual performance for construction, demolition and excavation (CD&E) waste.

Those participating in the commitment are some of the UK’s largest contractors and represent a total construction annual spend in excess of £21 billion over the reporting period.

The figures from all 32 companies show an absolute decrease of 28% in the CD&E waste sent to landfill between 2008 and 2009. This constitutes a cut from 3.1 million tonnes in 2008 to 2.2 million tonnes by year end 2009.

The data also showed that the companies had less waste arising relative to construction spend, which indicates that the companies are taking action to prevent building materials becoming waste.

WRAP CEO, Dr Liz Goodwin, said, “Today’s Halving Waste to Landfill figures are just the beginning and give me confidence that industry is working hard and well on track to deliver the target by 2012.”

“In just over two years the Halving Waste to Landfill Commitment has gone from zero to influencing nearly £38 billion worth of construction projects.”

“This demonstrates that the commitment requirements are being embedded within industry and this is delivering great results for business and the environment.”

Currently there are 602 signatories to the Commitment with 280 registered to use the WRAP Waste to Landfill Reporting Portal.  BuilderScrap hopes many more sign up to this commitment to help create a sustainable construction industry.

BuilderScrap sourced this article from Edie.

M&S is introducing sustainable construction techniques into all future builds – as it strives to become the world’s most sustainable retailer by 2015.

The popular chain will open its most eco-friendly store in Sheffield next month, which has been constructed entirely from recycled material.

The Ecclesall Road store is the first of two “sustainable learning” stores the company intends to open. The eco-friendly measures are part of an overall green programme (Plan A) which has been in operation from the group since 2007.

M&S says the learning shops will help deduce “the most appropriate building techniques” – thus contributing to its overall store building programme.

Built on a brownfield site, the Sheffield store has achieved a BREEAM Excellent rating. Bricks for the project came from a disused mill and the floors are laid with polished concrete.

Heat supply will be sourced from the stores’ refrigeration facilities while rainwater will be recycled for the toilets.

Clem Constantine, director of property and store development with M&S, said: “This store represents a big milestone in our sustainable construction programme as we are installing a host of unique technologies and features.”

“The learnings we have taken from building the store will help us achieve our goal of becoming the world’s most sustainable major retailer by 2015.”

Paul King, chief executive of the Green Building Council, said: “Sustainability is increasingly important in the construction and property sector and major companies like M&S have a crucial role in driving that process, particularly given the relationship not just with suppliers, but also with consumers.”

BuilderScrap would like to congratulate M&S on this move and sees it as a very positive sign both for the stores future as well as the future of our environment.

BuilderScrap sourced this articled from Construction Enquirer.

It looks as though everyone’s hard work of campaigning and petitioning to save our forests has finally paid off, with the Government looking to scrap the plans.

The 38 Degrees website has signed up over a half a million people on their site alone. They weren’t alone in their efforts a big congratulations needs to go to the thousands of local groups, up and down the country, who campaigned day and night to get these proposals scrapped.

The 38 Degrees organisation and their members also put in a tremendous effort with about 100,000 of them emailing and calling their MPs trying to persuade them to stop the forest sell off.

Hundreds of 38 Degrees members donated to fund a people-powered You-Gov poll which found that 84% of the public wanted the forests kept in public hands and thousands helped raise almost £60,000 to pay for ads in national newspapers to highlight the You-Gov poll results.

Media Headlines

* Sky News – Forests Sell-Off Plans ‘Facing the Axe’

* Sky News Blog – Forest Sell-Off – “great example of people power”

* Independent – Forest Farce: Cameron to axe sell-off policy

* Telegraph – David Cameron in forest sale climbdown

* Press Association – U-Turn on forests sell-off expected

* Guardian – Forests sell-off abandoned as Cameron orders U-turn

* Channel 4 News – Government expected to abandon forests sell-off

BuilderScrap would like to thank every member who signed the petition and sees this as a great victory for the people.

B&Q have become the new benchmark for sourcing timber they claim to have achieved its goal of only buying timber products from proven responsible sources. Last year they managed to ensure over 90% of their timber products were traceable to responsible sources and now they say they can ensure that 100% of timber in its products can be traces to well managed sources

B&Q started its sustainable timber campaign almost 2 decades ago when it had been challended on the sourcing of its wood. In 1990 it became a founding partner of the Forest Stewardship Council. The firm has been awarded one of the largest chains of custody certifications under both the FSC and PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) schemes.

The company now prides itself on only buying products that are traceable to sources that have met legal, social and environmental standards that have been independently verified. The policy applies to everything from products obviously derived from trees like sawn timber, wallpaper, flooring, doors, furniture, hand tools, books, decking, fencing, firewood, sheds, paint brushes, windows, garden furniture, plywood to those where the wood is hidden like mirror backs, garden tools and baths.

Matt Sexton, director of CSR at B&Q said: “Today is a milestone for B&Q as we show our support for responsibly managed forests. We’ve been working very hard to close the gap and hope that other retailers will follow.”

BuilderScrap soruced this article from Building4Change

The energy company E.on has been granted planning permission to construct a 230MW wind farm off the coast of Humberside.

The department of energy and climate change said the Humber Gateway could provide enough power for 150,000 homes.

Energy secretary Chris Huhne said: “Offshore wind not only provides clean, green, secure energy, the investment that comes with it is great for the UK economy too. A new wind farm off the Humberside coast will be a further jobs and investment boost for the region.”

In September last year Huhne opened the world’s largest offshore wind farm at Thanet, off the Kent coast, which is around a third larger than the Humberside farm.

BuilderScrap sourced this article from Building.co.uk

Morris Homes will build 344 eco homes in the first phase of a long-standing vision to regenerate the South Bank of Peterborough’s River Nene.

The projects aim is to show the entire building industry how huge reductions in carbon emissions can be achieved by using improved design and advanced construction technologies.

Martin Edmunds from Morris Homes said: “We are in the enviable position of being able to create something truly visionary. We believe our proposals fulfil the carbon challenge criteria in an exciting way.”

Morris Homes has worked with sustainable architecture specialist Browne Smith Baker after it was selected as the preferred developer following a national competition as part of the Carbon Challenge programme.

The development will be built to Level 6 of the Government’s Code for Sustainable Homes, and include, a sustainable urban drainage system and carbon zero energy generation alongside retail and community facilities.

The sustainable development will provide a mixture of 63 two-bedroom, 90 three-bedroom and 68 four-bedroom houses plus 74 two-bedroom apartments in a seven-storey block. The apartment block, complete with a grass roof and green walling, will sit above a 3,000 sq ft food store.

Building the social homes elements has allowed the plan to benefit from a £7.8m grant from the Homes and Community Agency (HCA).

Terry Fuller, executive director for the HCA in the East and South East, said: “This is great news for Peterborough and the industry.”

“The ‘zero carbon’ status aims to create new homes and places that are appealing, attractive and point the way to how we could all live in the future.”

“The industry has to respond to climate change and planning approval on this development enables fast-track delivery of more zero carbon homes in England.”

The HCA’s Carbon Challenge programme challenges designers and house-builders to show how Level 6 of the Code can be delivered.

The first Carbon Challenge demonstration development is being constructed at the site of a former hospital at Hanham Hall, South Gloucestershire.

BuilderScrap sourced this from Construction Enquirer.

BuilderScrap employees have signed the petition to save the UK forests.

The Government has proposed to offload 258,000 hectares run by the Forestry Commission which has attracted cross-party criticism and public protest. The campaign and petition, being run by 38 Degrees, is aiming for 50,000 signatories and at the time of writing has 467528.

38 Degrees say:

“Save our forests – don’t sell them off to the highest bidder.

The government is planning a massive sell off of our national forests. They could be auctioned and fenced off, run down, logged or turned into golf courses and holiday villages.

We can’t let that happen. We need to stop these plans. National treasures like the The Forest of Dean, Sherwood Forest and The New Forest could be sold off. Once they are gone, they will be lost forever.

A huge petition will force the government to rethink its plans. If we can prove how strongly the public are against this, they will have to back down. Please sign the petition now.”

38 Degrees was launched in May 2009 with a campaign for a Recall Law. Since then they’ve had some brilliant achievements: their actions have helped save BBC 6Music and helped stop Trident being renewed for at least 5 more years. They’ve also collaborated with great people like the End Child Poverty Coalition, Crisis and Tripping up Trump.

Their aim is to use the latest technologies to make it quick and easy for people to take effective action.  Sometimes this action is online, like signing a petition or sending an email to your MP or the editor of a local paper. Sometimes it’s offline like calling your MP or joining a protest.

If you too would like to sign this petition, then please go to http://www.38degrees.org.uk/page/s/save-our-forests