Friday, 5 August 2011

Worldwide moves from solid waste to property - Waste Management World

SHAH ALAM: For more than a decade, Worldwide Holdings Bhd, through its Environment Division, has been providing a vital service in solid waste management.




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Worldwide Holdings became one of the pioneer companies in solid waste management when it was awarded a 20-year concession in 1995 by the Selangor government to build and operate a sanitary landfill in Air Hitam, Puchong.


Since 1995, the landfill has received solid waste collected from Klang Valley areas like Kajang, Petaling Jaya, Subang Jaya, Shah Alam, and Ampang.


But when waste from Kuala Lumpur was sent there as well from 2002, the amount proved to be overwhelming.


The Air Hitam landfill was closed after it reached its maximum capacity of more than six million tonnes and solid waste was then diverted to other landfills managed by Worldwide Holdings in Jeram and Kuala Langat.


Worldwide Holdings is now in position to export its expertise.


When Worldwide Landfills Sdn Bhd was established, its expertise was confined to the building, managing and maintenance of sanitary landfills.


Today, the company reaffirms its commitment to conservation and preservation of the environment by expanding its involvement in environmental management.


As a leader in the solid waste management industry, Worldwide Holdings offers a full range of services in sanitary landfill -- domestic waste; inert waste landfill; transfer station; rehabilitation
and upgrading of dumpsites; landfill gas power generation; clean development mechanism; and consultancy.


With the emphasis on an integrated solid waste management system and through its management foresight, expertise and experience, strong balance sheet and available resources, Worldwide Holdings is well positioned to taking up the challenge in venturing into new areas like waste-to-energy operations; composting; material recovery facilities; and transportation and haulage.


In addition to solid waste management, Worldwide Holdings is also involved in property services, including property investment, development and management.


Its portfolio in Malaysia includes Puncak Bestari, Bandar Puncak Alam; Platinum Project, Shah Alam; SA7, Seksyen 7, Shah Alam; Worldwide Industrial Park, Kapar; Worldwide Business Park, Seksyen 13 Shah Alam; and Menara Worldwide, Jalan Bukit Bintang.


Its international property investment portfolio includes Australia Champion Lake in Perth.


Its latest offering is a lifestyle haven - the Subang Bestari's Safira bungalows. Safira, located within the exclusive Laman Permai precint, exudes exclusivity and luxury.


The design theme of "tropical contemporary" features flat and gable tropical roofs with stone walls. The design reflects modern and clean planes that boast natural lighting and ventilation. Featuring spacious living and entertaining areas, there is certainly space for the family to grow.


Senior general manager (operations) Ahmad Azman Azizul Rahman said: "We expect Safira to be well received by the public based on the response from the pre-launch awareness campaign.


"We feel that our products are among the most attractive and competitive in the market. One of the plus points is the relatively large lot sizes for the bungalow houses with average size of 7,000 sq ft."


Other unique feature incorporated in the design is the rainwater harvesting system that stores rainwater for general purpose use like gardening, car washing and general cleaning."


The "guarded housing" concept is another plus factor as security is high on the mind of most house owners.


"Access is limited to two points only and will be guarded round the clock. The development, which is located on elevated ground, provides another natural security feature and the perimeter area are well above the road level.


"Additional incentives are also being offered to buyers."


View the original article here

Thursday, 4 August 2011

Regional District looks to clean up waste disposal - Recycling Raises Waste Haulage

Regional District of Central Kootenay officials say a five-year, $14 million waste management plan adopted by the board last week will save money in the long run.


The plan, headed to public meetings over the next month, includes moving the Nelson and Kaslo transfer stations and consolidating the Nakusp and Salmo landfills at Ootischenia.




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“The cost of the capital projects will in part be paid by efficiencies gained through new equipment,” says resource recovery manager Mike Morrison. “We’re looking at multi-point pick-up that lets us transport materials more efficiently between sites.”


Public drop-off areas at transfer stations, most of which were built in the 1970s and ‘80s, will also receive upgrades.


As for relocating the Nelson transfer station off the waterfront, Morrison says they’ve received several proposals, but haven’t evaluated them yet.


“We’re required by the province to have waste management plans,” he explains. “We did our original plan in 1996, and you’re supposed to update them every five years, so we’re long overdue for a fresh look at everything.”


Morrison says they studied eight different options over a 25-year period, including the status quo, and found that doing nothing was the most costly option, “which established a strong business case for making changes.”


Nelson Mayor John Dooley, the city’s representative on the central waste committee, says the plan has been more than two years in the making, and touches every part of the regional district.


“The [current] system is not very efficient,” he says. “A more efficient system will help us reduce the number of trucks on the road and cost of haulage.”


Nearly a quarter of the capital outlay will be spent permanently capping portions of the Creston, Salmo, and Nakusp landfills. The latter two sites would no longer have daily operations and would be replaced with transfer stations, while garbage will be redirected to Ootischenia.


“The idea of this program is to consolidate, streamline, and reduce the amount of product actually going to the landfill,” Dooley says. “We believe there will be a great reduction.”


The plan further includes provisions for composting yard and garden waste, and is intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and align with zero waste goals.


The regional district currently spends about $6 million per year dealing with garbage and recycling, a figure that has risen as fuel and contract prices have increased.


However, certain work and equipment purchases have been put off pending completion of the plan.


Five open houses are scheduled, including Wednesday, October 27 at the Salmo community services centre, and Monday, November 8 at the RDCK board room in Nelson. Both run from 4 to 8 p.m.


Following the consultation and provincial approval, the plan could be implemented starting next year, with specific projects getting underway in 2012.


View the original article here

Friday, 29 July 2011

Research and Markets: The Refuse Truck Industry in North America: Size ... - Business Wire (press release)

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/7c7ca6/the_refuse_truck_i) has announced the addition of the "The Refuse Truck Industry in North America" report to their offering.



“The Refuse Truck Industry in North America”




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The Refuse Truck Industry in North America: Size, segmentation, competition, growth and trends underlying the manufacture and market of front, rear and side loader refuse trucks and recycling trucks in North America


Household waste generation and its haulage have historically been viewed as recession-resilient activities. However recent studies indicate that households put out less waste for collection during an economic downturn, driven by the economics of recycling and reusing a portion of the waste which previously would have been set out for disposal, as well as encouragement from green initiatives actively promoted by community groups and governmental entities. Zero-waste (no waste sent to landfills) is a target set by many local governments. While this target is still quite some distance away, both waste haulers and refuse truck manufacturers are changing to accommodate this trend.


The refuse truck industry is cyclical in nature, albeit moderately so. With private haulers and local governments being the customers, curtailment of their buying power during a recessionary period negatively impacts demand for the refuse truck industry. Local governments and municipalities are hampered by shrinking budgets owing to lower tax collections, while waste haulers cut back on capital expenditures in the face of rising costs, increasing price pressures and lack of financing. Housing construction is the direct demand driver for waste hauling services, and with this segment being in the stranglehold of a severe recession for the past several years, waste haulers have not seen an increase in demand from new routes.


Despite the above-mentioned factors, the refuse truck industry has not witnessed a significant decline in demand. 2007 and 2008 were strong years for the industry; 2009 saw some decline, but the outlook remains positive.


Alternative fuel-powered refuse trucks are generating a lot of interest, and it is expected that such trucks will increasingly replace the ageing fleet of diesel-powered vehicles. The other area of interest is automation of refuse collection activity. Automation contributes not only towards significant reduction in the direct cost of refuse collection, but also works towards improved driver and operator safety and work conditions.


These and other issues are the subject of this succinct report from SpecialtyVehicles.net (SVN). The report can be put to immediate use for sales and market planning, M&A identification, competitive share analysis, alliances and technology transfer considerations


Key Topics Covered:


A. INTRODUCTION


B. SUMMARY OF MAJOR FINDINGS


C. INDUSTRY CHALLENGES & MARKET OUTLOOK


D. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN PRODUCT & TECHNOLOGY


E. MARKET ANALYSIS


F. COMPANY PROFILES


Companies Mentioned:

Amrep Inc. Bridgeport Manufacturing, Inc. E-Z Pack Manufacturing LLC Edge Manufacturing, Inc. G&H Manufacturing Ltd GCI Environment Inc. GSP Marketing, Inc. Heil Environmental Kann Manufacturing Corporation Labrie Environmental Group Loadmaster Corp. Lodal Inc. McNeilus Truck & Manufacturing Pak-Mor Ltd. Pendpac, Inc. Scranton Manufacturing Co., Inc./New Way Shu-Pak Equipment, Inc. Universal Handling Equipment Co. Walinga Inc. Wayne Engineering

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/7c7ca6/the_refuse_truck_i.


View the original article here

Thursday, 28 July 2011

Waste not, want not - Road Transport

Recent cases have highlighted the penalties operators can face if they fail to observe environmental legislation, particularly with regards to illegal dumping of waste materials or pollution of rivers or streams.


In May the Environment Agency (EA) successfully prosecuted nine haulage companies and individuals involved in dumping construction and demolition waste at a designated area of natural beauty in Kent in 2008. Fines totalling £74,250 were imposed on the offenders.


The defendants, who had failed to notify the Highways Agency about it, pleaded guilty to charges under the 1990 Environment Protection Act.


Last month, in another EA prosecution, Nicholson's Transport of Billingham, Teesside, and a driver, each pleaded guilty to a charge of causing liquid wood preservative and toxic chemical Wolmanit CX 8 to enter a tributary in Sedgefield, County Durham, in June 2009.


The firm was fined £10,000 and ordered to pay EA costs of £1,875, while driver Nigel Draper was fined £300 plus £330 costs.


The Environmental Damage Regulations 2009 now force polluters to prevent and remedy environmental damage they have caused - the "polluter pays" principle.


Serious damage


However, the government says the rules are mainly used for the most serious cases of damage only.


The principle is that if you or your business carry out an activity that causes environmental damage, you will have to remedy that.


If there is a risk of harm from your business activities, you must prevent such damage occurring.


Under the regulations, environmental damage is:


? serious damage to surface or ground water;


? contamination of land where there is a significant risk to human health;


? serious damage to EU-protected natural habitats and species or damage to - sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) or areas of special scientific interest (ASSIs) in Northern Ireland.


The legislation affects hauliers involved in sectors such as manufacturing, construction and demolition, waste management and forestry.


Liam Northfield, FTA media relations manager, says: "Broadly speaking, good transport operators will always be aware of their environmental obligations when it comes to disposing of waste, whether they are general operators or disposal companies.


"We are happy with the current legislation as it does not penalise responsible companies and we would not be in favour of any sort of legislative relaxation."


If a haulage firm has threatened to cause, or has caused, environmental damage it must:


-take steps to prevent the damage (or further damage) occurring;


-inform the EA or other authorities who will say what the company must do to prevent and/or remedy the damage;


-if the EA has to remedy the damage, the firm will have to pay the costs.


In England and Wales, the EA, Natural England, local councils and Environment Secretary are responsible for administering and enforcing the regulations, depending on the type of damage involved.


Responsible bodies


In Northern Ireland, the body responsible is the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA), while in Scotland, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Marine Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage look after the regulations.


If you don't comply with the law, you can be prosecuted, fined and/or imprisoned.


Nick Deal, Road Haulage Association manager for logistics development, adds: "Most of the offences are spillages and companies should have systems in place to deal with these. The principle is the polluter pays, I don't have any issue with that and although the fines can be pretty big, they are there to restore the land."


ENVIRONMENT CIVIL SANCTION ORDERS


New rules allowing environmental regulators in England and Wales to impose civil sanctions on a business committing certain types of environmental offence came into force in England in April 2010 and in Wales three months later.


Environment Civil Sanction Orders are intended as an alternative to prosecution and the criminal penalties of fines and imprisonment.


The government believes the sanctions will make environmental law enforcement more proportionate and reflect the fact that most offences committed by businesses are unintentional.


Civil sanctions will initially cover offences relating to harm to water or wildlife, drainage and waste management.


Regulators can use the legislation to clamp down on businesses committing certain environmental offences.


Sanctions include:


? Compliance notices - written notices to take steps to ensure that an offence does not continue or recur.


? Restoration notices - written notices to restore harm caused by non-compliance.


? Enforcement undertakings - voluntary agreement by business to take corrective action to make up for non-compliance.


? A fixed monetary penalty - a low-level penalty for minor offences fixed at £100 for an individual and £300 for a company.


? A variable monetary penalty - a monetary penalty for more serious offences with a maximum of £250,000.


? A stop notice - written notice to stop an activity which is causing harm.


Environmental regulators with the civil powers - EA and Natural England - will still be able to use civil or traditional criminal punishments at their discretion.


In most cases the regulator will issue a notice of intent to impose the sanction.


The offender can appeal against a civil sanction to an independent tribunal, and subject to the appeal, the offender must pay the penalty.


Legal action will be taken against anyone not paying monetary penalties and anyone not complying with restoration notices or stop notices will usually be prosecuted.


In some cases, the regulator may recover costs of investigation or legal advice. It is important operators admit their mistakes immediately as failure to do so can lead to a heavier fine.


LEGISLATION


? 1990 Environment Protection Act


? Water Resources Act 1991


Environment Civil Sanction Orders


Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2010


Environmental Damage (Prevention and Remediation) Regulations 2009


Environmental Damage (Prevention and Remediation) (Wales) Regulations 2009


Environmental Liability (Prevention and Remediation) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009


Environmental Liability (Scotland) Regulations 2009


Environmental Liability (Prevention and Remediation) (Scotland) Regulations 2008


View the original article here

Tuesday, 26 April 2011

Discovering Essential Things Regarding European Haulage

European haulage is something a lot of people don't understand. Haulage is a worldwide industry that is committed to transporting load or goods via railway or road systems. Usually, it involves transport of ores, coals, and waste on land. It's also known as drayage or cartage. The term can also be used to describe charges imposed upon hauling cargo on lorries, trucks, or carts. People handling haulage are known as haulage contractors, private carriers, or common carriers. Hauliers or haulage companies are equipped with a set of machinery to carry a huge amount of goods. A typical haulier has a warehouse stock, industrial machinery or equipment, a reliable number of pallets, and construction materials.




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Today, the haulage industry has changed as technology has. European haulage industry has to prove itself to clients and consumers. As a matter of fact, it did prove itself to the European market and is still flourishing. Transport of goods and products is extremely important in business. It is usually through this type of delivery that goods are sent right to the recipient. Suppliers generally send load or freight to manufacturers through private shipping or haulage. Haulage contractors are expected to handle the job with reliability or they will eventually lose their clients. Reliability entails on-time delivery and aside from having goods delivered on schedule, the goods must also be delivered safely without any signs of damage.


Back in the day, clients would just have to wait until the goods arrive, but now they can keep track of their cargo through advanced tracking systems. For instance, some hauliers support global positioning system so that businessmen can monitor where their goods are. GPS tracking system has been convenient for both consumers and hauliers and it is used all over the world. It allows both parties to keep track of the items, packages, and goods being transported from the moment they arrive at the warehouse to the moment they are delivered to their proper destination. With this kind of system, the delivery personnel can also be monitored.


Haulage companies do employ safety regulations when handling and transporting hazardous materials. They go through such precautionary measures to keep their workers safe and to reduce possibilities of accidents. Safe transport also ensures that the goods are transported with utmost care. Hazardous materials or chemicals must be held secured inside delivery trucks to avoid possible leakages or spills. Clients or consumers may file charges against a haulier if goods are damaged due to negligence and imprudence.
Hauliers in Europe ensure that they meet client demands and expectations. Hence, they are willing to accept feedbacks from consumers. See if you can check client feedbacks regarding haulage services.


Commercial centers in Europe may choose between full-load and part-load haulage services. There are an impressive number of available groupage services for people who opt for the latter. You can have a private truck or single truck to deliver just your goods or you can opt for your goods to be transported with the other goods. Some hauliers may offer 24-hour or economy delivery depending on the budget of the consumer.


Road haulage is an important aspect of shipment in Europe and it is an essential facet of groupage services. Door to door distribution generally relies upon road transport. Cargos may be shipped via cargo planes or ships but once they reach the ports, haulage trucks come into play. Delivery trucks may face challenges along the road, like bad weather or heavy traffic, but they should be able to carry out on-time delivery.


Much of Europe is a wide piece of land, so road haulage became much of a reliable option for transport of goods. Then again, haulage is also an important aspect of cargo delivery in UK which is detached from mainland Europe. Both Europe and UK combine advanced monitoring technology and reliable roadway and railway system to support their steadfast haulage industry.


Jo is an author and publisher for 'Sims Worldwide Logistics' ( http://www.simsworldwide.com ), an establishment stationed in Stockport, South Manchester, which offers storage and distribution solutions in addition to road haulage to a broad variety of local, regional, international and national customers. If you are seeking a European haulage company which gives quality service with a progressive point of view and a guarantee to quality which is founded on years of traditional values then you should take a look at Sims Worldwide Logistics.

Sunday, 24 April 2011

How Will CPC Transport Training Increase Your Bottom Line

If you own or operate a haulage or coach hire provider then you'll need to be aware about the latest European union laws to control your organization, the Drivers Certificate Of Professional Competence or driver CPC. This happens to be a regulation that requires a basic qualification for first time staff and for current drivers to engage in 35 hours of training over a period of five-years. You do not in fact get a formal certification at the conclusion of the training as you merely have to attend to accomplish it, however it is still a pre-requisite to abide by legal requirements. Safety and health are featured highly in the programs, as you might expect yet, more surprisingly you will also end up being examined on your understanding of safe and efficient driving and also facets of customer care for instance first aid and courteous driving.


There are advantages and disadvantages to the lack of a formal training curriculum obviously. One significant benefit is the fact that, as a company operator, you'll be able to train the employees with your own company needs and objectives in mind - provided that the primary matters are all dealt with. The problem with this to this, nonetheless, is you need to be certain to make sure that all of the appropriate facets of the directive are taken care of, and in the best ratio. Make sure you don't buy training which you don't need and find yourself wasting cash.


That's why it is vital that you work closely along with your coaching company to make sure that the classes they may be delivering are well suited for your enterprise. There are actually lots of advantages to be obtained by organizations, if they put their drivers through the right coaching, like energy cost savings and a reduction in car or truck wear and tear and one recent boss assessment saw 87% of businesses discovering a benefit in improvements in superior road safety.


Most businesses offer continuous training for staff and see the advantages of Drivers CPC training, that it enables companies to supply drivers the same individual skills development. If your business already provides on-going training then you are at an advantage, and you may even customize your present programs to cover the prerequisites of the CPC driver training directives. It may also be feasible, with only a little more effort to supply formal certification such as NVQ's for your drivers.


Coach operators have had to stick to this legislation for quite a while now, and several have in fact developed a good group of in-house training courses and blueprints for success. In recent months, this sector has seen a huge rise in standards of professionalism and quality, as well as cost efficient.


CPC Transport Training is an essential part of becoming a qualified coach driver. If you would like to find out more about CPC Courses In Scotland and then contact Whytes Transport Training.

Saturday, 23 April 2011

If You've Been Laid Off, Or Might Be, Then Start a Small Business Now

The best time to start a small business is probably during a recession because the big boys are laying off people, and are less able to service would-be clients, whereas a new small business has almost no overheads to speak of, and can either take business away from the big guys, or get sub-contracted jobs from them.




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And other big advantage is that a new and very small company has over the big guys is that if you make a mistake then it won't cost very much, whereas just imagine the cost involved in having to recall tens of thousands of cars, or appliances or whatever.


So if you've been laid off, or are already unemployed then this might be exactly the right time to start up a small business, and you might well have almost everything that's needed, and will only have to invest the smallest amount of cash to get things rolling.


And don't be overly concerned that the present economic climate means that it's not the right time to start something, because economic turn-downs most likely offer more pluses than minuses to those that want to start up something small but lucrative, and 92% of existing entrepreneurs say that they started their businesses without ever considering the economic climate.


When you first start out you'll more than likely be a one man or woman band, or be doing it with a family member or friend, and you won't be burdened by, enormous marketing fees and things like HR costs, and what's more, you'll be able to adapt to market changes much faster than the big boys.


There are a zillion businesses that you could start up, and which one you choose will depend on your talents, your available time and having the start up money involved, if any is needed.


It's highly preferable that you enjoy the thing that you're going to spend a lot of time doing, and hobbies are therefore always great things to turn into money making ventures.


Stamp collecting, coin collecting, antiques and first edition books or comics, are obvious ideas that spring to mind but there are there as many ideas as there are hobbies.


If you don't have a specialist hobby, or don't think you could make any meaningful money from the one you have, then the next requirement is that the business be based on something that you do well, or have a particular affinity for.


Nine Ideas For Small Businesses That Require Almost No Investment


1) Animals


If you like animals, then either having them in your home whilst the owner is away, or visiting the owners house to feed and walk them etc. can be very lucrative and the start up cost is next to zero, and should require nothing more than placing ads in local newspapers, or on trees.


* The NAPPS (National Association of Professional Pet Sitters) says that in-home pet-care is one of the fastest growing industries in North America today.


2) Computer Repair


If you know how to repair computers then it's a sure-fire way to make money, because most people have no idea what to do when their computer won't start, they get a virus or can't get onto the Internet. There's hardly any profit in selling software, and not much more in selling hardware and the real profit is in repair which you can do at home or at the customer's house.


3) Selling On eBay


Related to #2 above is selling on eBay and it's good for people that feel comfortable working on computers, but you also need to have a good feel for market prices and to be able to spot a great deal and to be able to buy it fast. Lots of people now work full time on eBay and make a very good living from it.


4) Auto Repair


What happens during a recession is that people either hold onto their cars for longer than they normally would or they buy a used car, both of which are good news for somebody that knows how to fix cars.


If you're an enthusiast then you most likely have a lot of tools already, but it's likely that you'll need to buy more, and having a place to make the repairs will obviously need to be taken into consideration as your neighbors won't take kindly to changing their street into an auto repair shop.


5) Yard maintenance, Landscaping And Snow Clearing


Depending on the time of year and where you live, it's obviously possible to make money from mowing peoples' lawns and even real gardening and landscaping if you have a flare for it, and clearing snow in the winter is hard work but pays well, and none of the forgoing involve any real start up costs.


6) Heating, Air Conditioning And Appliance Repair


I've lumped the above three things together because someone that's good and doing one of them can probably do all of them and they're all good money makers. When a person's freezer or fridge breaks down and it's full of defrosting food then the owner is not going to quibble too much about the price of a quick repair, and the same goes for either a heating or air conditioning failure if the temperature is rising or dropping fast outside.


7) House Cleaning


Cleaning other people's houses might not sound like fun but where there's muck there's money, and it's no longer just the rich that hire somebody to clean once a week or month. Most people seem to have less and less free time rather than more and more, and if you really clean well, then you'll have a fast growing business and will most likely soon be hiring help.


8) Light Haulage


What I'm talking about here is not a moving company, but a business that transports things that won't fit into a regular car or that people don't want to put into their cars, like yard waste, trash or compost etc.


A simple ad in the local newspaper and maybe at the supermarket will soon get people calling you and the money's good, but you'll need a suitable vehicle and a cell phone.


9) A Local Delivery Service


Similar to #8 but for clean things that will fit into a local car, and quite a few people have been making good money from this recently, especially if you're willing to pick things up during regular shop hours and drop them off when people get home from work.


How you should handle the tax side of things is beyond the scope of this article, but it goes without saying that most of the money from all of the above ideas will be cash, and you should be able to make at least reasonable money from all them.


What's more, they would all be better that sitting at home unemployed, and they all offer the freedom of doing things in your own time, and not when you're told to do them.


[http://get-financial-help.org] is one of a small network of sites, and each has one interesting and very popular articles related to personal finance. The author has always been interested in economics and his love and enthusiasm of the subject come through strongly in his articles.