FEATURE
and bottles.
John Clewes, commercial manager for
RRM said: “The Directive is in place to meet
some very serious concerns about the
environment; it’s about tackling the sheer
volume of waste being sent to Landfill. Our
services are designed to do just that.
“For example, we wash more than
300,000 glass bottles each year from
laboratories. Out commitment to recycling
these bottles and diverting chemical
packaging away from landfill is widely
appreciated by our customers and has
earned us a ‘Green Apple award’ from the
LIFTING THE BURDEN OF
‘PRE-TREATMENT’
T
he latest amendments to the EU or segregating waste) Institute of Waste Management.
Landfill Directive have shifted • Treatment must change the “We are happy to help any laboratory
focus and responsibility. Whilst characteristics of the waste... that is struggling to meet the new Landfill
the chemistry sector is used to • ...in such a way as to reduce its requirements and even ‘hold hands’ with
dealing with the complexities of volume, or reduce its hazardous those that need a little guidance - it’s what
hazardous waste, organisations nature, or facilitate its handling or we have been doing for many years.
must now consider how they dispose of and enhance its recovery. “Now, as part of the PHS group, we
‘pre-treat’ general waste - to include This essentially means that businesses have been able to invest further in our site
chemical packaging materials. are being tasked to segregate waste and which will be hugely beneficial to our
Taking effect on October 30, the next ensure that, wherever possible, this waste is customers and can supply a range of
stage of the EU Landfill Directive means recovered and recycled. environmentally beneficial services that are
that UK organisations are facing new One company that is perfectly placed second to none.”
challenges when it comes to dealing with to assist organisations tackle these issues is The commitment of both RRM and the
their waste. These Regulations are arguably PHS Wastemanagement. It has a national PHS Group to sorting difficult waste streams
the most significant piece of waste operating network of pollution prevention and facilitating the improved recovery and
legislation since the Control of Pollution Act control (PPC) sites and has further boosted recycling of waste is in complete
of 1974. its commitment to the recycling of difficult accordance with the latest ‘pre-treatment’
Rather than being an issue primarily of wastes with the acquisition of Recycling and requirement of the Landfill Directive. RRM’s
concern to waste operators and local Resource Management Ltd (RRM). services were originally designed to help
authorities, the Directive now firmly places One of the most respected names in laboratories handle their waste in an
the onus on the waste producer to take specialist chemical and packaging recycling environmentally conscious manner and
responsibility for their waste. By banning services, RRM has now become part of the reduce the amount of waste being sent to
liquids and ‘untreated’ waste from Landfill, PHS Group. This acquisition, along with landfill - both key aims of the new
the aim is clearly to help the UK tackle the that of De-Pack, Europe’s only dedicated, Landfill Directive.
estimated 434 million tonnes of waste 100 per cent aerosol recycling site, Clare Noble, managing director for
currently produced each year; organisations underlines the company’s pledge to PHS Wastemanagement commented: “it is
are now obliged to consider how they providing a totally ‘green’ service by in everyone’s interest that we dramatically
dispose of their ‘general’ waste. helping laboratories across the UK meet the reduce the volume of waste we throw away
The main mechanism of this regulatory challenges of the Landfill Directive. and challenge our perceptions of what it
shift is the Directive’s obligation to ‘treat’ Now known as PHS Wastemanagement means to look after our environment.
waste prior to landfill and ensure that it Chemical Division, the Warwickshire-based “RRM has, for more than ten years now,
meets the so-called ‘three-point test’: business, trading since the early 1990s, has offered a service that is both unique and
• Treatment must involve a physical, built a solid reputation through its unique respected within the chemical and university
thermal, chemical or biological services to laboratory and chemical waste laboratory sectors. Many laboratories and
process (which can include sorting recycling; specialising in the recycling of chemical waste producers are now looking
laboratory and pure chemicals packaging. to fulfil the requirements set out by the
By manually segregating each Landfill Directive by turning to the tried and
constituent element of waste, the new trusted services that we offer.”
PHS division achieves a level of recovery “PHS is looking to build upon the
and recycling previously unknown in the outstanding reputation of RRM to continue
chemical waste sector. The company is supplying services that not only helps our
unique as it recovers and disposes of customers meet their legal obligations, but
liquid chemical waste while also also improves their organisation’s
ensuring that all packaging materials are environmental performance and generally
recycled, including cardboard, polystyrene makes their lives easier.”
SUSTAINABLE FM | NOVEMBER 2007
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