New awards have been launched by City & Guilds, the UK's leading awarding body for work-related qualifications, to help prevent local authorities from falling foul of the Government's stiff recycling targets.
According to new UK legislation, the Government will fine local authorities a minimum of £150 per tonne if they landfill more than their allocation, and there will be extra penalties for breaching the EU Landfill Directive's recycling targets for 2010, 2013 and 2020.
Developed specifically to help those in the front line of the waste recycling industry, the Levels 1 and 2 Recycling Operations NVQs are the first awards to directly address 'waste recycling'. They also respond to the government's plan to create a world class waste management system that will both reduce harm to the environment and preserve resources.
Jim McCartney, product manager for process and manufacturing industries at City & Guilds, said: 'These awards are significant in strengthening quality and standards across the sector. They fit well with the Government's Waste Strategy 2000 which emphasises the need to increase recycling to 25 per cent by 2005-06. Today, we are currently at 23 per cent - still one of the lowest rates in Europe -and will soon have to meet higher targets.'
With the Government's statutory targets to recycle and compost 30 per cent of household waste by 2010, the duties and responsibilities of recycling operatives in the UK have substantially grown. They face increased public participation in waste reduction and often have to deal directly with householders who fail to comply with waste separation requirements.
The City & Guilds waste recycling awards aim to give recycling operatives the necessary skills and competencies they need to improve customer care and safety and keep abreast of changes within one of Britain's fastest growing sectors. It also prepares them for the upcoming statutory register.
McCartney continued: 'Today, more than ever, we need a culture change towards recycling. Everyone – from local leaders and businesses to waste recycling operatives and householders – need to realise that they can make a huge contribution towards Britain's recycling and environmental efforts. If we make sustainable use of the waste that is produced and manage it efficiently, we can provide our generation and the next with a 'greener' and brighter future.'
Worth around £7 billion , the UK waste management industry is responsible for the disposal of more than 400 million tonnes of waste each year – a quarter of which is from households, commerce and industry. The recycling sector is also the most labour-intensive waste management option . For every 10,000 tonnes of waste, incineration creates one job, land-filling six jobs and recycling 36 jobs.
For further information on the Recycling Operations qualifications, please contact City & Guilds Customer Relations on 020 7294 2800.
For further information, please contact:
Nina Roman 0207 294 8054 or email nina.roman@cityandguilds.com