Date: 24 November 2007 14:16

GROUND FORCE STAR CEMENTS START OF GROUND BREAKING SCHEME

Celebrity builder, Tommy Walsh, of television's Ground Force, is set to help 
launch a groundbreaking scheme to recycle trade waste in Cambridgeshire.

The celebrity will launch a new trade waste recycling initiative 
specifically aimed at small and medium enterprises (SMEs), such as builders, 
at the Donarbon waste management park in Waterbeach on Monday 19th November.

As a group, the Councils in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough have been 
awarded a grant from the BREW (Business Resource Efficiency and Waste) 
programme to develop this trade waste recycling initiatives in the area.

One problem small businesses have in particular is disposing of limited 
amounts of waste for recycling without having to pay a minimum gate fee, 
which can prove expensive.

This new scheme allows small businesses, which have an account with Donarbon 
to deliver any amount of waste that will then be sorted for recycling and 
only charged for the weight of waste delivered. Donarbon will accept waste 
from small traders for recycling at its Waterbeach and Alconbury transfer 
stations.

The sorting and recycling of the trade waste will also enable companies to 
meet new legal requirements to not landfill untreated waste which came into 
effect at the end of October.

Tommy Walsh, who recently worked on the construction of an eco-house in 
March which is currently being shown on the Discovery Channel, said, "I am 
glad to see councils and private waste companies working together to help
companies recycle more of their waste. My work over the last few years has 
shown me how much we need to do to help combat climate change, and recycling 
is an activity we can all get involved with to help the environment."

In addition, the BREW grant is being used by Cambridge and Peterborough City 
Councils to start trade recycling collections from businesses in their area 
and by the other councils to investigate setting up similar services in the 
other towns in Cambridgeshire, and Cambridgeshire County Council is 
coordinating work to raise awareness amongst SMEs about ways to reduce and 
recycle waste through training days, company visits and information 
booklets.

Cambridgeshire County Councillor John Reynolds, Lead Member for Planning and 
Regional Matters said: "The Government have asked councils to take a lead in 
assisting local businesses to reduce and recycle their waste, not just for 
environmental reasons but because it makes economic sense too, and we are 
happy to take this lead."

Mark Davenport, MD for Donarbon Ltd. said, "We are happy to work with all 
the councils in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough to recycle all types of 
waste in the county."

John Reynolds