Category Archives: A&A News

RRT Rapid Relief Team

RRT Rapid Relief TeamRRT Rapid Relief TeamWho We Are
Who is the RRT Rapid Relief Team ?

The RRT Rapid Relief Team is a volunteer, not-for-profit organisation, set up to support local communities in times of need; We do this by serving food and drinks to emergency services personnel, helping out at homeless missions and support work for other charities.
The core service of RRT is to provide quality catering and refreshments efficiently. This benevolent relief is offered to persons in need with compassion and care by our teams of willing volunteers. Our volunteers are dedicated to providing compassionate, friendly and effective help. RRT members are part of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church (PBCC).

RRT Rapid Relief TeamOperations

RRT is a global organisation with teams in Australia, UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand and Europe.

RRT has replicated the Organisational chart in every state or region globally to ensure uniformity in our offer to the community. Our teams are generally the same size, follow the same protocol, carry the same equipment and have access to a central source of supply.
Our teams have attended courses for Risk Management, First Aid, WH&S, Food Handling , Food Safety Supervision, and much more.

To read more about the RRT Organisation please go to http://www.rapidreliefteam.org/

Aluminium pack recycling records best ever performance

Aluminium pack recycling records best ever performanceAluminium pack recycling records best ever performance

Packaging waste recovery data shows reported aluminium packaging recycling’s highest ever quarterly performance at 23,330 tonnes.

Aluminium pack recycling records best ever performance

Packaging waste recovery data shows Aluminium pack recycling records best ever performance at 23,330 tonnes.The Q3 results are the direct result of adjustments made to the accreditation process, following lower than expected tonnages in Q1 and Q2, and increasing volumes of aluminium packaging recovered from incinerator bottom ash (IBA) being reported through the system.

An estimated 18,800 tonnes is required in the final quarter to achieve the 2015 recycling target.

Rick Hindley, executive director of the Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation (Alupro) said: “Alupro has consistently advocated streamlining the reprocessor/exporter accreditation process and these changes have had an immediate effect. With more reprocessors coming on stream we are increasingly confident that aluminium will not only achieve the 2015 recycling target, but also that in future the figures will be a more accurate picture of the amount of aluminium packaging recycled in the UK or exported for recycling. We are very pleased to see that new reprocessors are becoming accredited to the system and are grateful to Defra and the national environment agencies for working to bring about these changes.

“We knew that 2015 would be a period of adjustment following changes to the aluminium protocols which came into effect in January. This is the first set of data since further revisions were introduced to the protocol which allows PRNs to be issued on 70% of the non-ferrous material recovered from incinerator bottom ash. We are increasingly confident that the 2015 recycling target will now be met.”

Corrugated is not part of the waste problem, says trade association

Corrugated is not part of the waste problem, says trade association

Corrugated is not part of the waste problem
IT’S a myth that eliminating corrugated packaging will automatically reduce the amount of waste in the food supply chain. Corrugated is not part of the waste problem insists the Confederation of Paper Industries (CPI), which is supporting its stance with recycling figures and information on enhanced production processes.
The trade association is hitting back at claims from some quarters that used corrugated is a waste material, when in fact most of it is recycled, and made into new packaging. It actually has a very low impact on the planet thanks to a recycling rate of over 80%.
CPI’s Director of Packaging Affairs, Andy Barnetson, said: “To say that using alternative packaging may result in ‘less corrugated’ misses the point. Corrugated is single trip but has such a high recycling rate that it doesn’t substantially impact on the waste problem.
“Our industry has always invested in recovery and recycling processes. Corrugated is fully recyclable through a closed loop system, so landfilling of corrugated must be viewed as a last resort. Such a versatile, easily recycled product should be recovered wherever possible, in order to make the most of the resources which went into its production.”
The Corrugated Packaging Industry in the UK has been instrumental in driving down waste within the supply chain, even before the Courtauld Commitment was introduced. It is a pioneering force in sustainable, lightweight, recyclable papers that do not compromise the integrity of goods in transit, and ensure that they arrive still in top condition.
In today’s challenging economic climate, it is quite right that supply chains are being scrutinised in an effort to drive down costs and meet environmental objectives. But when developing packaging solutions, many factors must be taken into account including transport efficiency.
With the advent of modern corrugated processes, such as new flutings that offer up to 23% storage space saving, the Corrugated Packaging Industry is offering extremely space-efficient packaging which is leading to better use of pallets, resulting in fewer vehicles on the road.
Boxes need to be designed to fill Lorries from floor to roof. If every single lorry on the road was filled to complete capacity, the savings in fuel costs and CO2 emissions would be huge. Corrugated can adapt itself to product after product. By contrast, alternative packaging options do not have this flexibility and as a result are not as space efficient.
Corrugated may not have all the answers, but it is the most widely used packaging material in the UK and has helped deliver goods to market safely for over a hundred years. It should not be considered as waste but as the safe and sustainable packaging solution that it has always been, insists the CPI.

Oxobiodegradable plastics and bioplastics sectors continue to face off

The war of words has continued between Oxobiodegradable Plastics And Bioplastics Sectors.

Oxobiodegradable Plastics And Bioplastics Sectors

The Oxobiodegradable Plastics And Bioplastics Sectors Association (OPA) has reiterated that the EN13432 standard is irrelevant to their plastics because it is a standard for testing biodegradation in the special conditions found in industrial composting facilities”.

The key component of the EN 13432 standard is the need to recover packaging waste on the basis of industrial composting.

“Oxo-biodegradable plastic is designed to biodegrade if it gets into the in the open environment, and no reputable oxo-biodegradable additive supplier would claim that it will comply with EN13432. Suppliers of any kind of plastic do not however print anything on products made with their plastic. This is done by the companies whose products they are,“ the OPA said in a statement.

The OPA has accused European bioplastics of lobbying for the hydro-biodegradable plastics industry, and claimed it needs to consider misleading marketing claims.

“For example their plastic is marketed as compostable, and an ordinary consumer would therefore believe that it converts into compost – when in fact EN13432 requires it to convert into CO2 gas within 180 days. This contributes to climate-change but creates nothing of value for the soil.

Secondly, their plastic is described as bio-based which would lead consumers to believe that it is derived wholly from vegetable matter when in fact these plastics are made with up to 40% petroleum-derived material.

Thirdly, their plastics are described as renewable, but they are not renewable when you consider the fossil fuels consumed in the agricultural production and polymerisation processes.”