Sweeptech wins tender to supply Cardiff County Council with Roadsweeper and Gully Wet Waste Recycling Facility – June 2010

Having successfully competed in Cardiff County Council's procurement competition we have supplied the Council with our patented recycling facility. In the short time of operation the Council has reported welcomed improvement in both discharge conditions for the operators of its 25 vehicle fleet and possibilities of delivering up to circa 90% recycling, including composting.

Details of our facilities and their benefits can be found on the following link     http://www.sweeptech.co.uk/wet-waste-recycling-centres

Sweeptech wins Gatwick Airport airside tender contract with Shell UK Oil Products Limited – May 10

We are delighted to report we have secured a lengthy support cleansing contract with Shell to service their Gatwick Airport fuel facility.

Sweeptech wins tender for Balfour Beatty Mott McDonald's Area 4 ‘Cleansing and Associated Works' contract – May 2010

We are pleased to report we have secured this decent contract through demonstration of commitment to customer service and innovation.

Sweeptech supplies Olympic construction site Tier 1 waste contractor with Wet Waste recycling equipment – April 2010

We have provided a major European waste contractor with equipment that has delivered them a compliant and sustainable waste recycling solution on what is widely considered to be one of the world's most high profile construction sites, with the aim of delivering zero waste to landfill.

Sweeptech secures it own Airside Operators Licence – March 2010

This facility allows our business to support our clients and their contractors and suppliers with waste management support airside at Gatwick Airport on a 24 hour 7 day a week basis, with the ability to get airside on very short notice.        

New improved penalty powers for UK Environmental Regulators - Nov 2009

The UK Government is proposing to give extensive new powers to the environmental regulators in England & Wales (including the Environment Agency) to deal with environmental crime.   It is particularly evident in the environmental sphere that the level of fines and other penalties imposed by the courts has not had sufficient deterrent effect.  The new powers would derive from the Regulatory Enforcement and Sanctions Act 2008 which aims to give regulators in specified sectors a more efficient and effective toolkit of civil penalties to improve regulatory compliance.

The new penalties could be imposed by the regulator itself (without court involvement) although the regulator would need to follow criminal standards of investigation and proof and there would generally be a right of appeal.  Some of the new penalties are quite novel in the environmental field:

• Fixed Monetary Penalties – to be used for minor breaches;
• Variable Monetary Penalties – to be used for more serious offences.  In particular there is the possibility that these could be used to remove any financial benefit from non-compliance, e.g. by allowing penalties up to 10% of turnover (as in competition cases); and
• Enforcement Undertakings – whereby companies agree with the regulator what action is to be taken – further regulatory action would ensue if these are breached.

Other types of penalty are already contained in certain environmental legislation but not in all cases and the new powers will therefore provide a more consistent suite of penalties:

• Stop Notices
• Compliance Notices
• Restoration notices

Criminal prosecution will be available to back up these new penalties where necessary.  In addition, the Government intends to strengthen the courts' sentencing powers for criminal offences, and sentencing guidelines. These changes aim to align more closely the new civil sanctions and the softer end of the criminal sanctions (e.g. fines that can take away financial benefit, publication of offences).

If introduced, these new measures are likely to see environmental compliance placed higher up the board room agenda, particularly if regulators are active in imposing significant monetary penalties.


Landfill Tax increase changes from 1st September 2009

It was announced in the 2009 Budget that HMRC will be making a number of changes to the landfill tax legislation which will take effect from 1st September 2009. The materials to be used for the following activities will be subject to tax:-

Daily cover;

• Temporary haul roads;
• Temporary hard standing;
• Cell bunds which are not part of the engineered containment;
• Temporary screening bunds;
• Material placed against the drainage layer or liner of the disposal area to prevent damage to the layer or liner;
• Temporary storage of ash (including pulverised fuel ash and furnace bottom ash).

As a result of the changes to this legislation, and with effect from 1st September 2009 any material disposed of at landfill as waste, or is to be used for any of the above purposes, will be liable to landfill tax.

The rate of tax charged will be determined by the individual status of each waste type. Common default position will be to charge landfill tax at the higher rate of tax unless the criteria for the lower rate of tax (i.e. inert materials) is satisfied. For material to be classed as inert material it must be listed in the Landfill Tax (Qualifying Material) Order 1996 and the material must be accompanied by a waste transfer note declaring that the material is inert. For mixed loads the quantity of active material in an otherwise inert load can only be incidental. Anything above this and the whole load will be considered active.

For more details on the legislative changes, please refer to www.hmrc.gov.uk