Green wash new year

Happy new year!

Did you see the echo tonight talking about the battle for cardiff council and the parties manifestos.... how green are they ...plenty of greenwash there. Where is the Green party?
Battle to stop incinerator is stepped up but not in Cardiff (Scotsman)..A PUBLIC meeting has been organised by residents fighting plans to build a massive £140 million waste incinerator. (same bunch) Viridor Waste Management is set to submit ...

Greenwash from New Labour http://www.climatechangewales.org.uk/ Wow!! No mention of open cast mining at Ffos y Fran, East Merthyr on the Go green online A CLIMATE change website for Welsh people launched by Environment Minister Jane Davidson. Read
http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/news/cardiff-news/2007/12/31/go-green-online-91466-20298932/

Tories promise sensible transport schemes? Plaid are 'to get the city moving again'?

Shell and Gallons of Greenwash article

Energy Companies' Gallons of Greenwash
Source: The Guardian (UK), December 11, 2007

"Shell, the oil company that recently trumpeted its commitment to a low carbon future ... has quietly sold off most of its solar business," reports Terry Macalister. "The move, taken with BP's decision last week to invest in the world's dirtiest oil production in Canada's tar sands, indicates that Big Oil might be giving up its flirtation with renewables." A Shell spokesperson said the company's solar operations were "not bringing in any profit." Shell still invests in some wind farms and biofuels operations. Pratap Chatterjee questions the environmental impact of "the world's largest bio-diesel facility," which Finland's Neste Oil plans to build in Singapore. "The scheme could exacerbate global warming," he reports for CorpWatch. The "$800 million plant will use palm oil," boosting "demand for new palm oil plantations that displace environmentally sensitive forests." Chatterjee is also skeptical of General Electric's "clean coal" claims. "'Clean coal' technologies are only marginally more efficient [at reducing emissions] and far more expensive. Others ... are still on the drawing board and may never work."

East Moors Steelworks Danger

According to the Western Mail the East Moors Steelworks is the second
highest emitter of dioxins in Wales and the fifth highest emitter of
particulates.

http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/news/wales-news/2007/12/08/revealed-our-
biggest-polluters-91466-20222285/2/91466-20222285/2/

EA served an Enforcement Notice on the company in 2005.

Incinerators can burn big holes in public purse!

News from elsewhere

Incinerator burns hole in public purse
Almost £2 million of taxpayers' money has been spent on legal fees for a controversial incinerator.
The Argus | General news - http://www.theargus.co.uk

Sustainable waste policy is possible
By Philip Booth(Philip Booth)
Over the last couple of months I have been working more on our waste policy - see draft earlier on this blog for 9th November with photos of a monster incinerator - we are getting closer to completion. Today I helped draft a letter that ...
Ruscombe Green - http://ruscombegreen.blogspot.com/

Local councils advised to 'burn ' rubbish!!!

Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) fails to take the iniatative letting Wales down with their reaction to WAG's announcements of 70% recycling targets for 2025. Their recommendation to LAs is.... (you've guessed it!) "Energy from Waste", i.e. in all probability incinerators. Taking the least environmentally friendly option!

Let’s Recycle 23.10.07

The Welsh Assembly Government has asked local authorities in the Principality to consider increasing their recycling/composting rate to 70% by 2025.

Doing nothing beyond the current 40% recycling aim by 2010 is not an option because beyond that date the EU targets are set higher with the threat of fines if we do not meet them

Jane Davidson, Welsh Assembly Government

But council chiefs have reacted with scepticism and said the target would be "massively challenging" and "heroically ambitious", especially without massive investment.

Jane Davidson, the minister for environment, sustainability and housing, proposed the new rate at a meeting with council leaders and chief executives, last week. She said Wales had to "look at a harder focus" for targets in the future to combat climate change, reduce reliance on unsustainable landfill and meet EU targets for reducing biodegradable waste to landfill and boosting recycling.

Ms Davidson added: "Doing nothing beyond the current 40% recycling aim by 2010 is not an option because beyond that date the EU targets are set higher with the threat of fines if we do not meet them," she added.

The proposal would see the recycling rate rising from 40% in 2009-10 to 52% in 2012-13 to 58% in 2015-16, to 64% in 2019-20, and to 70% by 2024-25.

Wales hit a recycling/composting rate of 27.6% for 2006/07, beating its target of 25%. The Welsh Assembly announced a recycling funding injection of £14 million earlier this month, which also included setting up Wales's first plastic recycling unit (see letsrecycle.com story).

However, local authorities have reacted with caution to the minister's proposal to boost the recycling rate to 70%. The Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) chief executive Steve Thomas said: "We have to be realistic about what is achievable. The 70% target outlined by the Minister for 2025 is massively challenging for local authorities, even heroically ambitious.

He added: "If targets are to be the way forward then firstly the Assembly Government must look at whether it has the powers itself to bring about the massive cultural shift in consumer and producer behaviour that is needed and secondly whether commensurate levels of waste funding are available." The Association, which represents the country's 22 councils was also concerned about how funding could be provided to help local authorities meet the target.

Related links

· Welsh Assembly

· Welsh Local Government Association

Mr Thomas explained: "Whatever option we choose will require massive and increased investment. A recent report highlighted that an additional £86m was needed for local authorities to meet the 2010 diversion targets. Yet based on last week's Comprehensive Spending Review local government will only see a 0.8% real terms growth increase for waste management next year and 2% the following year."

He added that councils would be meeting with the Assembly Government to discuss all the options and that they were looking at energy-from-waste as "potential solution" to the waste problem.

PROJECT GWixDD ? What a Waste say Cardiff Friends of the earth?

Give us a zero wate strategy cardiff!!

PROJECT GWixDD ? What a Waste?

Despite the apparent universal coverage of the city's "Green Bag" scheme,
the recent opening of some new " Bring Sites",and and a fully-opperational
Mechanical Recycling Facility [MRF], Cardiff is still only managing to
recycle 27% of its household waste. Though this figure is in line with EU
Landfill Dirrective targets, the figure required by 2009-10 is 40% ?

The recently-reported practice of transporting recycled material long
distances for processing in the Third World is in NO waygood for the
environment.

Whilst the amount of Cardiff's waste continues to grow at about 5% per
annum, available landfill capacity at Lamby Way will last barely a year.
Even if a suitable replacement landfill site was available, the Council
cannot afford to wait 5 years in order to follow the necessary planning
procedure, [which is a legal requirement], in order to commence

operations. Given this difficult situation, [which somebody at the Council
must have seen coming a long time ago], its hardly surprising that other
methods are being considered. Building a massive incinerator in Cardiff
Bay, [otherwise known as Project Gwyrdd], is one way to deal with the
Residual Solid Waste [RSW] from half a dozen Local Authorities in SE Wales

This approach is unacceptable to Cardiff Friends of the Earth on the
grounds of,

• Excessive cost;
• Reducing the need to maximise the recycling of finite,valuable resources.
• Health risks from pollution and increased traffic.
• . The increased need for transport.
• Sheer waste of finite resources.
  

An alternative method would be to adopt a " Zero Waste" strategy, thereby
concentrating local authoritie's limited resources on maximising waste
reduction and re-use projects, in order to minimise the amount of RSW
requiring landfill.

Cardiff slight problem with contaminated recycling!

This is what happens when you collect interminged rubbish ...its difficult to recycle!!!

Title: UK-Cardiff: recycling equipment
Ref: 000000001949175
Document Type: Invitation to Tender Notice
Date Published: 30/11/2007
Deadline Date: 17/12/2007

Title: UK - Wales: recycling equipment
Document Ref: 1949175
Published on: 30-Nov-2007
Deadline: The deadline for responses is 17/12/2007.
Contract Type: This is a supply contract. Language: English Country:United Kingdom Notice

Type: Invitation to Tender Notice - Accelerated restricted procedure
Regulations: This document is regulated by theEuropean Supplies Directive 93/36/EEC. Source: Notice published in theEuropean JournalTitle attributed to the contract by the contracting authority: Supply and installation of equipment for the removal of organic material and shredded paper from recycled glass. Supply and installation of equipment to remove organic material from glass which has been through a material recycling process. Glass currently being recycled ranges from 60 mm to dust which requires the removal of organic material and shredded paper. The shredded paper is approximately 10 mm x 5 mm and is produced by industry standard cross cut shredders. Equipment is required to remove the contaminanation to less than 2%.CPV: 29241400.

Waste exported & dumped in Wales!

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2538880044

on discussion board..

Joe Llywelyn Griffith Blakesley says

In a similar vein, there is an implicit jurisdictional loophole in the national statutory instruments that implement the EU Waste Directive into UK law which means that _landfill_ waste that crosses national borders is not added to anyone's quotas.

The practical upshot of this is that English local authorities (esp. Liverpool) export their _landfill_ waste to Wales (and, to some extent, vice versa) in order to hit their targets for recycling vs. landfill and thereby not be subject to the statutory fines.

An example of such dumping in North Wales is the unlawful activity of Merseyside Waste Holdings (a wholly owned corporation of local authorities in Liverpool and the Mersey) which has been supported by the current Welsh Assembly Government (and about whose actions Rhodri Morgan has repeatedly lied and contradicted himself in my presence ) in their destruction of great-crested newt habitats on a European Special Area of Conservation at Hafod Quarry, Johnstown, Wrexham, in violation of international criminal law (and in such a way that they are unable to comply with the terms of their existing planning permission) and aided and abetted by constablPublish Postes of North Wales Police.

Unfortunately, the pre-May opposition parties reneged on a promise (made in response to a lot of lobbying) to boycott the penultimate WAG budget unless WAG removed the licenses for Hafod and similar projects.

• 
  

Latest coverage of welsh waste scandal!

Welsh recyclate heading east (04/12/2007)
MoreThanWaste - Northallerton,England,UK
People's good intentions could be compromised by the fact that some of the waste ends up being shipped half way round the world" Cardiff, Wales: Councils in ...

City waste heads to the Far East ic Wales, United Kingdom - 3 Dec 2007 Cardiff council was forced to own up to sending recycled materials to Indonesia, China, and India. And the council has come under attack from an Assembly ... Plaid calls for help to get Welsh-speakers off dole ic Wales, United Kingdom - 2 Dec 2007 WELSH speakers should be given Government help to improve their reading and writing skills and get them into work, Plaid Cymru said last night. ... Welsh recyclate heading east (04/12/2007) MoreThanWaste, UK - 4 Dec 2007 "This has grave implications, not only for the exploitation of the workers who pick through the rubbish, but also for the environment. ... Nationalists demand Welsh recycling review letsrecycle.com, UK - 4 Dec 2007 Plaid Cymru - the Party of Wales - is calling for a review of Welsh Government policy on recycling, following research conducted by the Party showing which ... Authorities must improve Daily Post, UK - 4 Dec 2007 LOCAL authorities across Wales are under the cosh – and rightly so – for packing our recyclable rubbish off to the four corners of the world. ... Rubbish from North Wales sent all over world Daily Post, UK - 3 Dec 2007 RUBBISH which North Wales people are told to leave by the kerb for recycling is being packed in ships and sent halfway across the globe. ... Rubbish from North Wales sent round the world for recycling Daily Post, UK - 2 Dec 2007 HOUSEHOLDERS in North Wales who sort out their rubbish for kerbside recycling are unwittingly sending plastic, textiles or glass half way round the world, ...

Cardiff Dumping our plastic bags in India!

Recycling waste shipped overseas http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7123969.stm
How disgraceful is this! Pressure group Greenpeace called for a ban on packaging recovery notes (PRNs) for waste exports. Greenpeace campaigner Mark Strutt said: “It is a cop out for companies responsible for recycling their waste to send it abroad. The proximity principle stands. It is highly questionable whether there is an environmental benefit to sending waste to be recycled in China.

“We are an industrialised country and are perfectly capable of dealing with our own waste. China should not have to accept the environmental impact of recycling. People have to ask themselves why it is cheaper to send waste abroad – is it due to cheap labour and lax environmental controls? And how do we know waste is actually being recycled when it is that far away?

“We would like to see a ban on exported waste under the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations. Companies sending waste abroad should not get PRNs.”

Crack down on exports of illegal waste

Authority outraged as its waste is sent to India

Battle erupts over calls to halt frenzy of waste export to Asia

Contaminated recycling – is the real issue co-mingled rubbish?

The type of recyclables generated in co-mingled sacks is of terrible quality. It’s so contaminated only the Far East market will touch it. And even they are becoming increasingly frustrated. Co-mingled waste has been shunned by European paper mills for some time so why are councils here wanting to use this method? It’s ridiculous.

See article below
Cardiff denies quality issues …"No quality issues" as revolutionary Cardiff MRF eyes new equipment
Cardiff’s two year old materials recycling facility (MRF), has already put in a tender to upgrade its equipment “to remove organic material and shredded paper from recycled glass”. When it opened the council run Cardiff MRF at Lamby Way was touted as a technological revolution but equipment to improve the quality assurance of its glass waste stream is being bought (June 14 2005 mrw.co.uk).
In the tender, procurement officers argue that “changing market conditions mean that without further cleansing the residual product will have to go to landfill and incur council fiscal penalties… Equipment is required to remove the contamination to less than 2%.”

Welsh recyclate heading east (04/12/2007) MoreThanWaste, UK - "This has grave implications, not only for the exploitation of the workers who pick through the rubbish, but also for the environment. ...

Nationalists demand Welsh recycling review letsrecycle.com, UK - Plaid Cymru - the Party of Wales - is calling for a review of Welsh Government policy on recycling, following research conducted by the Party showing which ...

Authorities must improve Daily Post, UK - LOCAL authorities across Wales are under the cosh – and rightly so – for packing our recyclable rubbish off to the four corners of the world. ...

City waste heads to the Far East

ic Wales - United Kingdom
Leanne Wood, AM for South Wales Central, said she was concerned the council initially denied it sent waste abroad following her Freedom of Information ...
See all stories on this topic

Councils admit exporting recycling
ic Wales -SEVEN councils in Wales have admitted exporting large quantities of household waste to be recycled thousands of miles away. Politicians last night warned ...

Cardiff County Council said 5.4% of its total recyclables consisted of cardboard that went to Indonesia and China. A further 2.1%, plastic bags, went to India, and 0.12%, mixed plastics, went to China.
See all stories on this topic

The UK's new rubbish dump: China | Special reports | Guardian ...

The current price for sending a standard 26-tonne container of waste plastic to China, he said, is about £500. The Tanjin Songzi Import and Export Trade ... www.guardian.co.uk/waste/story/0,12188,1308278,00.html - 46k -