With news on: FCC blames Brexit impact on UK revenue slide; Cambridgeshire councils make changes; Biffa hazardous waste update; Andusia joins Recycling Association, and; Mid UK mock fire day
FCC blames Brexit impact on UK revenue slide
Spanish-based FCC Environment has reported a 16.3% drop in revenues from its UK environmental services division – blaming the slide on the depreciation of sterling after the Brexit vote.
FCC has suggested the fall in revenue is also due to construction of its Greatmoor EfW
The findings are reported in FCC Citizen Services’ 2016 earnings report – which shows the Group’s financial performance across its international environmental, water and infrastructure arms.
While the earnings of the Group improved overall by 2.3% in 2016, the business saw a slump in revenue and a total 4.5% decline in its environmental services division.
FCC provides a number of waste and recycling services via its environmental arm in the UK, including household collections, energy from waste plants and household waste recycling centre operations.
According to the FCC update, the drop is largely due to the ‘depreciation by sterling (-11.4%) as a result of the Brexit vote, and another was the completion of construction work on treatment plants following the commissioning of the Buckinghamshire plant in June’.
The company has also claimed the winding down of its UK landfill business has had an impact.
Cambridgeshire councils to roll out streamlined service
New bin collection days for residents in Cambridge city and South Cambridgeshire councils will take effect later this month (27 February) in a bid to streamline cross-boundary working.
The two councils already share a single management structure and workforce, with the new bin rounds expected to create fuel savings and create up to £700,000 in savings over three years.
The collections will mean a change in sequence to how recycling and refuse bins are emptied every other week, but the frequency of the rounds will remain unaffected.
Cllr Mark Howell, South Cambridgeshire district council cabinet member with responsibility for waste, said: “I’m pleased to see the new collection days being rolled out. It’s a change but a good one to streamline operations and manage the growing demand on the waste service, enabling the sharing of our services to bring real benefits.”
Cllr Peter Roberts, Cambridge City’s executive councillor for Environmental Services and City Centre, added: “The changes are part of our plan to make common sense savings and manage the growth in the area while maintaining a high level of service for residents.”
For more in-depth discussion of the latest trends in waste collections, be sure to check out the 2017 Collections Conference here.
Biffa integrates hazardous waste acquisitions
Biffa has continued to consolidate its hazardous waste business with a period of integration following the acquisition of Enviroco and PHS Group’s chemical treatment divisions in 2015.
Biffa has bolstered its hazardous waste division
The company can now provide specialist services at nine dedicated facilities, including aerosol recycling, fluorescent tube recycling, pollution prevention products and chemical treatment.
Biffa acquired both businesses in autumn 2015, with the PHS deal including the sale of Chemical Waste business in Burscough, Stevenage and Atherstone, De-Pack in Loughborough, Recyclite in Attleborough and Spill Control in Tamworth.
The purchase of Enviroco’s division followed, which saw Biffa take control of the company’s hazardous waste fleet and its waste transfer facility in Sheffield (see letsrecycle.com story).
Following the acquisitions, Biffa now covers ‘85% of UK postcodes’ and allows it to provide multi-sector solutions for disposal of hazardous waste, the company says.
Scott Millns, business director at Biffa, said: “Disposing of hazardous waste compliantly requires expertise and specialist knowledge and we now offer a wider range of products and services to ensure our clients’ compliance with applicable hazardous waste regulations.
“Hazardous waste is an important area for us and with our bolstered offering we have created an ideal platform for further growth.”
Andusia joins Recycling Association
Andusia Recovered Fuels Limited has joined the Recycling Association, becoming the trade body’s first independent RDF exporter member.
The business claims its membership will help highlight the growing importance of the RDF sector, and ‘bring a new dynamic approach’ to the organisation.
The Recycling Association already includes merchant bodies, waste firms and brokers, including Veolia and Biffa which also export volumes of refuse-derived fuel to the continent as part of wider operations.
Stewart Brackenbury, director of Andusia RFL, said: “Being the first Refuse Derived Fuels business within the group, we look forward to adding our expertise for the benefit of the association and ensuring our RDF producers recycle as much of their waste inputs as possible, as we currently don’t see RDF and recycling being mutually exclusive.”
Recycling Association chief executive, Simon Ellin, added: “Andusia complement the diverse membership of our organisation and their acceptance into our organisation reflects the key role that they play in supporting many elements of our membership.”
Mid UK fire trial hailed a success
An exercise day simulating responses to a waste fire at Mid UK Recycling’s sites has been hailed a success by the company.
Training underway on the Mid UK exercise day
Mid UK gave a tour of its Caythorpe MRF to Lincolnshire firefighters and other regional agencies including the Environment Agency, Police, East Midlands Ambulance Service and public health authorities.
The agencies then took part in a ‘training exercise without a crew’ at Brant Broughton Fire Station to simulate responses to a waste fire.
Finally, an evening exercise took place at Mid UK’s Ancaster facility – the site of a previous severe waste fire for the company – which involved four fire pumps and on-site training, plus a desk top exercise of a fire scenario.
Chris Mountain, managing director of Mid UK Recycling, said: “The event went very well and allowed agencies and firefighters to see our site operating and recognise some of the potential risks that we face.”
He added: “Exercises such as this play a crucial role in ensuring the best procedures and practices are in place should anything occur in the future.”
The post News in Brief (08/02/2017) appeared first on letsrecycle.com.
Source: letsrecycle.com Waste Managment
