Day: 21 June 2002

Carrier bag tax brings mixed response from home improvement sector

News that the government is considering a levy on plastic carrier bags has brought a mixed reaction from the home improvement sector, according to an investigation by the magazine DIY Week. While the packaging industry has moved quickly to refute the benefits of such a tax, retailers seem to have little issue with the proposals.

New waste sorting machine could turn around UK’s abysmal recycling record

A new mechanical waste sorting system could allow local authorities to recycle as much as 70% of household waste, with no dependence on the co-operation of householders to sort their own garbage, say its manufacturers.

Another plant eases fridge mountain but DEFRA criticised for handling of issue

A boost for fridge recycling has come in the form of an agreement between a UK waste management company and a European recycling company, who say their combined work can recycle over 150,000 redundant fridge and freezer units per year.

UK is one of the most resource-efficient countries in the EU

The UK has become one of the top five countries in the EU for resource use efficiency and has successfully decoupled economic growth from total use of materials, according to a report commissioned by Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

Business Briefs: waste and water services; mergers in Spain; Basque energy projects; and Latvian CHP

In this week’s European Business Briefs, re-organisation for waste and water services at Suez, Vivendi is to reduce its stake in its environmental branch, a Spanish wastewater company and an electric company are to merge, state aid for Basque energy projects, and a Latvian energy company is to receive a boost from a European bank.

France condemned for poor incinerator standards

The European Court of Justice has condemned France for failing to comply with legislation designed to reduce dangerous emissions from waste incinerators.

Legislation produces best composting levels

Countries with composting legislation and statutory standards in place are the most successful at composting, and the UK is not one of them, according to a new report. Austria, Germany and the Netherlands, however, are among the best.

Central and Eastern Europe – a rising market for water industry business

Central and Eastern European accession countries are providing good opportunities for water and wastewater treatment for companies faced with a maturing western European market, with Bulgaria, for example, required to spend €4.1 billion on replacing half of its water supply network.

Business Briefs: fuel cells; terrorist threats; and bioenergy in Alaska and Canada

In this week’s international Business Briefs, alkaline fuel cells could be in for a boost, a new water management textbook and an anti-terrorism training course, and a new bioenergy agreement for Alaska and Canada.

Human gut bacteria causing disease in Caribbean coral

US researchers have revealed for the first time that a bacterial species associated with the human gut can cause disease in marine invertebrates, following the discovery that such a bacteria is responsible for white pox disease in Caribbean coral.

Punishment for socially irresponsible companies

More than one in five shareholders would sell their shares if they believed the company they’ve invested in has behaved in a socially irresponsible manner, a new report has found.

Tackling global warming would postpone prosperity only two years

By 2100 people around the world will be five times as rich as they are now. The US$1 trillion to US$8 trillion predicted by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change would postpone this wealth by only two years, say two leading climate scientists.

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