News updates written by CIWM’s commercial partners.
Bucher Municipal | Bucher Municipal Purchases Land in Dorking, Surrey, for Long-Term Growth and Sustainable Innovation
Bucher Municipal is pleased to announce the acquisition of a significant piece of land from Mole Valley District Council in Dorking, Surrey, UK.
Having celebrated the 100th year on the Curtis Road site last year, this strategic purchase marks a key milestone in securing the future of Bucher Municipal’s operations at the Dorking site, enabling further investment, expansion, and technological advancement.
With the secured land, Bucher Municipal is committed to developing state-of-the-art facilities that will support the introduction of cutting-edge technologies. This investment not only strengthens the company’s presence in the local area but also underscores its dedication to sustainable growth.
By developing the site, Bucher Municipal expects to achieve significant CO2 savings compared to the existing buildings, aligning with its long-term environmental goals.
“We are excited about this acquisition, which represents a pivotal step in ensuring the future of our Dorking site and our continued innovation in the industry,” said Martin Starkey, Managing Director. “This purchase allows us to invest in new facilities, technologies, enhance efficiency, and continue to secure our role in the local economy.”
Bucher Municipal looks forward to working closely with local stakeholders as it embarks on this new chapter of growth and sustainability.
Fleetclear | Cardiff Council makes ‘easy transition’ to Fleetclear Connect
Cardiff Council is consolidating information from its vehicle technology using the Fleetclear Connect platform, which will provide quicker access to vehicle footage and data, and simplify the process of analysis and reporting.
Matt Long, Depot & Infrastructure Manager, Cardiff Council explains: “We are currently trialling 7 vehicles using Fleetclear Connect, which gathers all the data from our vehicle technology, in one place. Feedback from our supervisors is very positive. They find the system very user friendly with a simple, customisable format that means tracking vehicles and gathering valuable data about routes is effortless.
An end-to-end solution Fleetclear Connect brings together all vehicle safety hardware in one place, and combines it with GPS tracking, telematics, advanced data analysis and processing techniques. The system features easy reporting and administrative controls.
Matt commented: “The geofencing tool is invaluable and allows us to search for specific footage from a particular vehicle, in a specific location at a certain time of day, within minutes. We are keen to analyse footage to identify trends, to help us optimise our routes and deal with any issues proactively.”
Cardiff Council has been a customer for over 10 years with Fleetclear cameras fitted to over 90% of its fleet, totalling over 110 vehicles. Fleetclear has also installed camera technology to loading shovels and telehandlers being used at the council’s onsite waste transfer station and Materials Recycling Facility (MRF).
Matt added: “The team at Fleetclear are very diligent and exacting when developing new products and services. Everything is ultra tried and tested, and we are happy to evolve with their new product developments.”
A web-based fleet software system, Fleetclear Connect is a powerful management tool encompassing all aspects of vehicle and driver safety, operational efficiency, and compliance. Suitable for all vehicle types it provides a simplified, user-friendly way to manage vehicles and drivers.
All data is displayed on a dashboard and stored on Fleetclear’s cyber secure servers, where it can be accessed via the internet. Therefore, there are no issues regarding access to the council’s network; any authorised person can access the information they need.
Matt concluded: “Making the transition to Fleetclear Connect is easy as we know everything is on one system. Tracking is integrated and as we are managing thousands of collections each day it’s great to have just one number to call if there are any issues.”
Augean | enfinium and Augean extend strategic partnership to deliver ESG benefits
enfinium, one of the UK’s leading energy from waste (EfW) operators, which is also leading on decarbonisation plans, has entered into a multi-plant arrangement with Augean to collect and treat Air Pollution Control Residues (APCr) from three of its EfW plants.
Augean is the UK’s market leader in the treatment of APCr and has provided APCr collection and treatment services to enfinium since Parc Adfer and Kemsley EfW plants were commissioned.
The new arrangements range in contractual periods from 5 to 15 years and include enfinium’s Parc Adfer and Kemsley EfW plants, as well as enfinium’s proposed Kelvin EfW plant currently under construction in Sandwell, West Midlands.
APCr are residues extracted from EfW plants during their rigorous emissions control process. Augean treats more APCr than any other operator in the UK. The strategic partnership between enfinium and Augean drives best practice and innovation through the recovery of APCr, optimises APCr collection arrangements to reduce road miles and carbon emissions, encourages the use of green fuels, and steps-up on ESG reporting.
In 2023 and 2024 Augean was recognised as a Sector Lead globally in the waste treatment sector by GRESB. GRESB is an independent organisation that provides validated ESG performance data and peer benchmarks for investors and managers to improve business intelligence, industry engagement, and decision-making.
For enfinium, Jane Atkinson, Chief Operating Officer, commented, “Safe and sustainable operations are at the heart of our business. Our renewed partnership with Augean is an important foundation to our day-to-day business of ensuring that unrecyclable waste across the UK is diverted from landfill and used to produce homegrown energy.”
For Augean, Richard Brooke, Chief Executive Officer, commented “Augean is delighted to be selected by enfinium as a strategic partner, extending our APCr treatment services to enfinium’s fleet of EfW plants. We look forward to continuing to add value to enfinium by delivering operational efficiencies, reducing carbon and introducing other ESG initiatives.”
Keenan Recycling | Keenan continues to innovate, becoming the UK’s first waste company to have carbon emissions verified by BSI
Keenan Recycling, a leading provider of sustainable waste management solutions, proudly announces that its baseline greenhouse gas emissions inventory has been formally verified against the internationally recognised ISO 14064-1 standard by the British Standards Institution (BSI).
This achievement marks Keenan Recycling as the UK’s first waste recycling company to have carbon emissions verified by BSI.
The ISO 14064-1 verification by an accredited provider (BSI) validates Keenan Recycling’s robust and transparent approach to measuring and reporting its carbon emissions. This independently verified inventory establishes a reliable baseline against which the company’s Net Zero plan is built, providing a solid foundation for future emissions reduction efforts.
“Our carbon inventory provides the foundation for our carbon reduction planning,” said Fergus Healy, Head of Strategic Development & Net Zero at Keenan Recycling. “Having it verified against ISO 14064-1 by BSI is a significant step in ensuring our emissions reporting meets internationally recognised standards. This achievement further sets us apart in the industry and underlines our commitment to meet our SBTi targets through credible, science-backed sustainability initiatives.”
ISO 14064-1 is a globally recognised standard that provides a framework for organisations to quantify, monitor, and report greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
This verification validates Keenan Recycling’s robust approach to measuring and managing its greenhouse gas emissions, reinforcing the company’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and Net Zero leadership in the waste sector.
NWS | First rail deliveries mark milestone in final disposal of legacy radioactive waste
Major milestone underway as work begins to place new protective layer over historic trenches at the Low Level Waste Repository (LLWR) site in West Cumbria.
Nuclear Waste Services (NWS), which manages the disposal of the UK’s low level radioactive waste, is carrying out important work on the final capping of legacy disposal trenches and vaults to permanently dispose of radioactive waste.
Known as the southern trench interim membrane (STIM) project, this phase of the capping work involves placing a new membrane, or protective layer, over legacy disposal trenches which will remain in place for up to 100 years.
Working collaboratively with civil engineering firm GRAHAM and specialist transport and logistics provider Nuclear Transport Solutions (NTS) the first rail deliveries of 280,000 tonnes of aggregate arrived on site earlier this month and will be delivered over a three year period.
This is a significant achievement in Capping Operations and will lead to the final closure of the Repository which is currently expected in 2135.
STIM will replace a current interim membrane over part of the legacy disposal trenches. This layer will permenantly protect people and the environment while the radioactivity decays.
The first deliveries will arrive between February and March 2025, with eight deliveries expected each week.
Mike Pigott, Repository Site Director, NWS, said: “This is a first of a kind activity in the UK, and it’s fantastic to see the first train load of aggregate arrive by train onto our site.
“This work enables NWS to deliver a safe and secure long-term approach to protecting the environment and people for generations to come.
“Collaboration with Nuclear Transport Solutions’ rail division, Direct Rail Services (DRS), has played a pivotal role for us, with their launch of a new rail service for this project yielding significant environmental benefits.”
It’s first time DRS has used its JNA-Z box wagons, with each train making the journey from Shap quarry to the Repository to deliver over 750 tonnes of material – the equivalent of 36 HGVs.
Gottfried Eymer, NTS Rail Managing Director, said: “Rail is the obvious choice for bulk movements like these, taking many thousands of lorries off the road, reducing congestion, and improving the environment.”
This phase of the project will see 46,000 tonnes of aggregate delivered by 64 trains, saving an estimated 2,320 lorry journeys, that’s over 150,000 miles.
Last year, Civil Engineering firm GRAHAM was awarded a four-year contract for the works, which started in September.
Alastair Lewis, GRAHAM Contracts Director said: “It’s fantastic to see the start of rail deliveries to site, marking the beginning of an extensive program of works.
“We have been managing and carrying out aggregate train deliveries since 2018, and this experience has been invaluable in ensuring a smooth and efficient transition to this new phase of the project.”
NWS has been engaging with the local community with drop-in sessions and site tours to share more details about the work. Plans are in place to mitigate and minimise any associated noise, dust, traffic, ecological and visual impacts through the installation of noise barriers, visual screening bunds and regular noise monitoring of activities.
NWS and NTS are both part of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority group. This is an example of how the NDA group model is facilitating collaboration across operating companies to manage the UK nuclear legacy safely, securely and sustainably.
Wood Recyclers’ Association | WRA calls for urgent clarity over future support for waste wood biomass
The Wood Recyclers’ Association has called for urgent clarity over future support for waste wood-powered biomass plants after the government acknowledged the important role that the technology has to play.
In a written statement published yesterday, Energy Minister Michael Shanks announced support for large-scale biomass plants, including Drax, to transition to carbon capture and storage technology – but excluded smaller-scale biomass plants, such as those fuelled by waste wood.
Richard Coulson, chair of the WRA, said: “Yesterday’s statement by the Energy Minister acknowledges the important role biomass has to play in our energy system both now and in the future.
“Unfortunately, the statement provides no clarity on when similar transitional support arrangements will be offered to biomass generators below the 100MW threshold.
“The UK has a fleet of regional biomass generators with the capacity to compliantly manage 3 million tonnes of our wood waste a year which might otherwise be exported or sent to landfill.
“When combined with the additional volume of other domestic residues which they recover such as poultry litter, then we realise a recovery capacity of 4.6 million tonnes of our own domestic waste. This resource is then recovered to produce 5.4TWh of secure, low carbon energy, sufficient for 1.5 million homes.
“The statement acknowledges that biomass generation helps ensure low carbon security of supply in an affordable manner. It also says that sustainability standards will be strengthened to help build confidence in the sector. The WRA welcomes this approach, as while our members do not have such sustainability concerns from only using our domestic residues as a fuel, for too long our sector has been tarnished with the same concerns and debate.
“Like large scale biomass generation, WRA biomass members provide low carbon energy security for the UK while also delivering in terms of sustainability and providing an essential environmental service. In handling millions of tonnes of residues each year, we also deliver greater value for money.
“It’s critical now that small scale biomass generators are supported with transitional support as they fall out of the RO from 2027.
“With this support, our members can transition to BECCS capturing around 4 million tonnes of carbon per year – equivalent to 17% of the government’s 2035 emissions reduction target.”
Advetec | JWitt gets green light from environment agency to help decarbonise region’s businesses
Radstock-based JWitt Waste Recycling has received its permit from the Environment Agency and has officially begun helping businesses across Bath, Bristol, Somerset and Mendip to reduce their carbon footprint by turning their non-recyclable waste into fuel.
The waste handler is working with biotechnology business Advetec to convert more than 3,600 tonnes of waste into Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF) each year. SRF is a real alternative to fossil fuels, replacing carbon-emitting coal in energy-heavy industries, amongst others.
Processing has started on-site and will see JWitt offering carbon reductions to over 1,000 customers, including retailers, restaurants, industrial estates, veterinary practices, holiday lets, and offices.
JWitt will achieve its goal with the help of the XO22, Advetec’s aerobic biodigester, which can process up to 10 tonnes of unrecyclable waste on-site daily. Advetec’s technology halves the mass of waste and diverts 100% from landfill or low-level incineration. The machine cuts associated greenhouse gas emissions by over 60% and aids the transition towards greater material segregation and extraction.
For every truckload of unrecyclable waste that goes through the machine, 6 tonnes of CO2 – the equivalent weight to an African elephant – are saved as the process digests the organic fraction of the waste using unique blends of bacteria. The reduction scheme has been verified by the Carbon Credit Standards Authority and the floc that’s left will be used as a coal replacement product – each tonne of floc used as SRF will replace 0.5 tonnes of carbon-emitting coal.
Jamie Witt, director at JWitt Waste Recycling, said: “We’re thrilled to go live with Advetec’s technology. It’s transformational for our business, our customers and the region – especially when you consider that processing this waste stream on-site will save almost 500 road miles each week, further reducing our companies CO2 output, as we can divert material previously sent to incineration plant in Avonmouth.
“Advetec is enabling independent waste handlers like us to innovate by offering easy access to alternative fuel offtake markets for the first time. These markets have traditionally been hard to access as smaller waste handlers often lack the volume or consistency of waste or the budget to fund the testing and infrastructure required by off-takers. It’s a game changer.”
Until now, JWitt, like most waste handlers has had to regularly transport waste across the region, which is costly and time intensive. The new on-site solution will help reduce road-related carbon emissions and congestion, further enabling JWitt to not only meet their green goals as a company, but surpass them.
Lee Knott, Advetec’s CEO, said: “As the first waste handler to establish a dedicated food waste collection service in Bath, it’s clear that JWitt has always been committed to actively reducing waste, and our technology will allow them to take their efforts to the next level.
“Now the permit is in place, they’ll turn local waste into a commodity that benefits the circular economy and helps customers accelerate their journey to Net Zero. Biotechnology is a local solution with a real-world impact, helping UK waste handlers become green pioneers in their local communities. We’re proud to give JWitt greater control over cost and carbon and build greater waste-handling capacity into their operations.”
Vision Techniques | Vision Techniques named as finalists in the Red Rose Awards 2025
Commercial Vehicle Safety and Security specialists, Vision Techniques, have been named as a finalist in the Red Rose Awards 2025.
With the awards ceremony, run by Lancashire Business View, just two weeks away on Thursday March 13, the team at Vision Techniques are celebrating their success on becoming a finalist in the Medium Business Awards category.
Managing Director Dave Smith, Finance Director Sarah Wood and Marketing Manager Chloe Wilson visited Burnley Football Club earlier this month to give a presentation in front of a judging panel sharing insights into their company which spans more than three decades.
They are now hoping they are a winner but already feel like they have won just by making it to the final.
Sarah shared what it would mean to the team if they won the award.
She said: “Winning an award would be amazing for Vision Techniques but we also feel like a winner just by making it to the final.
“By winning the award it would help to attract new customers which will then contribute to road safety and fewer fatalities.
“We have evolved into one of the UK’s largest vehicle safety equipment providers, supplying to a wide range of industries including construction, waste management, blue light and more.
“It would be amazing to win because after taking a massive step and investing into Vision Techniques undergoing a management buyout, we are securing employee jobs, continuing to grow and not only bringing sales in each month but achieving a record sales month of over £1m last year.”
The awards ceremony will be taking place at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool.
Vision Techniques are the innovative driving force in vehicle safety and security systems, protecting not only vehicles but also the lives of employees, the public and the environments they operate in.
Loved by some of the largest fleets in the UK, Vision Techniques’ products are influencing and changing safety and security standards across industries daily.
To find out more about Vision Techniques and their newest product, go to: www.vision-techniques.com
Greyparrot | Experts from Suez, IPL and Cheshire West share plans to navigate rising costs and regulatory changes on Greyparrot panel
With the UK waste sector facing strong headwinds, AI waste analytics developer Greyparrot brought together industry experts from Suez, IPL Brightgreen and Cheshire West Recycling to discuss strategies for navigating a challenging 2025.
The panel featured Jonathan Caesar (Suez UK), Jody Sherratt (Cheshire West Recycling), and Jonathan Attwood (IPL Brightgreen), who shared their thoughts on the most pressing obstacles that recovery facilities will face in 2025.
In an hour-long discussion, the speakers outlined their strategies for maintaining healthy margins, guided by lean manufacturing processes and automation.
The challenges recycling leaders are targeting in 2025
From evolving regulation to labour shortages, rising energy costs and changing material composition, the UK’s recovery facilities are contending with a huge range of challenges in 2025.
To understand how different waste organisations prioritise these hurdles, Greyparrot’s Matthew Steventon asked each panellist to identify the most pressing challenge for their business. The variety of answers highlighted how organisations of different sizes are laying out their priorities for 2025:
Jonathan Caesar, a Senior Technical Plant Engineer at Suez UK, pointed to a combination of changing waste streams and delayed regulation as the obstacles he is planning around:
“One of the biggest challenges is changing waste composition, driven by collection and packaging reforms. Extended producer responsibility (EPR), Simpler Recycling, and the deposit return scheme (DRS) will significantly alter waste stream composition. Additionally, policy uncertainty has led to a lack of investment.”
Jonathan Attwood, Head of Technical and Quality at IPL Brightgreen, offered the perspective of a leading plastic sorter and reprocessor. For Attwood, growing compliance-related costs are the biggest influence on strategy in 2025:
“Over the past few years, we’ve seen growing sampling requirements… Staff costs and training are also increasing.
There are positive policies in place to reduce contamination and improve recovery rates, but the industry remains in limbo.”
For Cheshire West Recycling — a local authority trading company handling both collections and sorting — maintaining productivity while keeping costs in control is a key issue. Operations Director Jody Sherratt also cited contaminated waste streams:
“The biggest issue for me is supply quality. The control over feedstock is limited, and councils are often hesitant to engage citizens.
This results in mixed material piles where the origin is unclear — it’s like searching for a needle in a haystack.”
Despite the daunting outlook for waste organisations in 2025, advancements in recycling technology and lean facility management are helping businesses adapt to these evolving challenges.
Automation is becoming a “survival tool” for the waste sector
Following their discussion of the risks ahead, each panellist outlined their growth strategies for 2025.
Some have found inspiration in the lean manufacturing processes of the automotive industry, and plan to balance productivity and product quality in a similar way. Automation emerged as a common solution for finding that balance while protecting margins, especially as the cost of compliance sampling increases with stricter regulation.
With waste composition set to evolve as a result of EPR, DRS and Simpler Recycling, recovery facilities will need to adapt their sorting processes to recover maximum value from the resources that remain in their feedstock.
Caesar, Attwood and Sherratt now rely on AI waste analytics to help them maximise efficiency — but they have deployed the technology in distinct ways that meet their specific operational needs. All three shared their strategies for applying AI-generated insights throughout the webinar.
Greyparrot has made a recording of the webinar available for free, writing that it will help facilities shape their own “waste roadmaps” to thrive in a challenging year for the UK waste sector. Watch the panel on-demand here.
WasteRecruit | Introducing a new blueprint to close the green skills gap
Finding the skills needed to accelerate sustainable business.
If the UK hopes to fill its sustainability ambitions, there’s a big gap to fill. A report by PWC suggests that the shortfall is as much as 200 000 in terms of the skills needed for a clean energy transition.
Add to that the need to decarbonise the construction industry and improve infrastructure resilience, and the gap gets even bigger. We haven’t even started talking about resource management yet. A sector that is rapidly evolving and growing in importance.
It’s this last sector that we can learn from. The industry is almost unrecognisable from what it used to be two decades ago. Back then waste management was about disposal. Now it’s about reuse, recycling, remediation, and reducing waste as much as possible, as quickly as possible. It’s an industry innovating and creating new solutions to manage materials.
With this in mind, taking a traditional approach to try close the green skills gap, seems redundant. Sifting through CV’s, looking for green skills won’t deliver. Investing in apprenticeships and providing training may be effective in a decade or two, but we need green skills now. The industry is growing rapidly, and it needs to in order to meet net zero ambitions and sustainability goals.
If we hope to close the green skills gap much faster, it requires us to do things differently. There’s a new blueprint that is proving to be both efficient and effective. Instead of focusing on the size of the gap and debating on the best way to close it, we can focus on skills. Set aside the CV, it’s not needed. Instead test for skills specific to a role and company.
The new blueprint in action
Many of the new facilities being built for waste material management are bespoke. They’re customised to process materials to maximise outputs and serve specific local area needs. The roles required in these facilities are unique, requiring an ability to do more than merely operate in a facility. Especially with the advanced technologies and processes involved.
The skills needed can’t be found on a CV. But that doesn’t mean that they don’t exist. A blueprint for success can be built by applying the same bespoke approach to recruitment as to the building of the facility with skills as the core focus.
It starts with having in-depth discussions with key stakeholders to understand what the deliverables are for each role. Specifically key behaviours vital to a role as well as credentials. This is then used to develop a SJT (Situational Judgement Test) which is used to assess whether candidates have the right skills, regardless of their background or previous experience.
The SJT uses real world examples to assesses candidate’s approach to specific situations, including how they make decisions and solve problems. This new blueprint for recruitment of green skills is a game changer because it enables candidates with little to no experience in the sector to be assessed on their capabilities.
It is a way to rapidly grow the availability of green skills for commerce and industry because it eliminates bias based on a CV. The process is purely skills based and clearly identifies the best candidates for the role based on assessment scores.
Evidence that the blueprint works:
WasteRecruit, a CIWM Commercial Partner has been pioneering the skills-based assessment approach to recruitment and leading the way in developing green skills for the resource and renewable sectors.
“WasteRecruit’s process not only allowed us to find a great candidate but also ensured that they were well-prepared and had a clear understanding of the role, increasing the likelihood of a suitable match for the post”. – Sarah Troman, Head of Neighbourhood Services, Mansfield District Council
“Working with WasteRecruit brought a fresh approach to candidate searching that enabled us to pinpoint a great fit for our Environmental Compliance Manager position. From initial introductions and job discussions to interviews and the offer stage, the WasteRecruit team was fully engaged, providing valuable support and advice. We received an extensive selection of relevant candidates to consider, and the assessment process streamlined our decision-making with evidence-based insights.” – Lee Thompson, Group Business Development Director
This blueprint for skills-based assessments is 100% bespoke and customisable. Results in 100% retention and 100% positive feedback. Consider the acceleration possible in closing the green skills gap when these are the results that can be achieved.
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