Why Waste Haulage Can be Unexpectedly Dangerous and Tips for Garbage Hauliers and Clients

Image by sleepinyourhat via Flickr

You'd think that guns and ammo would be higher on our list of dangerous haulage loads than waste haulage, but there are potentially much worse haulage loads than those, to be transporting.

Bio-hazard waste and active substances are classified into levels one to four, with four being the worst or most hazardous. Level one loads might be chicken pox infected or similar substances, and are handled with gloves. However, level four substances are incredibly infectious, highly dangerous and usually need full hazmat suits to be handled. Loads that are labelled as bio hazards are very dangerous to transport, but are very import for scientific, medical and research purposes. Contracts for hauling these types of waste are just for the big companies which have the expertise.

The Other End of the Scale Truck and Dog" Outfits

However, lot of bulk short-haul garbage transport work is done with self employed people, known as "truck and dog" outfits, this includes road & general construction material / fill / waste haulage. The extensive use of 1-4 tonne trucks (as big as you can go on a car/1A licence) may be worth mentioning for house clearances and urban home de-cluttering. Most contractors put everything in commercial vehicles because of the legal situation - we don't look at using motorcycles but in countries like Vietnam and India mush waste is still transported while balanced on remarkably small vehicles.

In traditional haulage and freight transportation a driver gets a load, and takes it from point A to point B – for example from New York to Fresh Fields Landfill (now closed - but it is an example which is well known). The shipping company gets paid, the orderer gets the garbage shifted. Seems simple and profitable. But when the driver gets back after the delivery, the vehicle is empty and the journey is a waste of time and money. And this is where Trans Freight Exchange for backloads, comes in in most freight haulage. Unfortunately, no such thing can be done for most wastes due to the costly need for a high level of cleaning needed for the stage of the trip back from the garbage dump.

The waste haluier will however usually endeavor to match users looking for haulage with freight services making similar journeys to carry the fullest loads. By utilizing spare capacity of vehicles running on the road, this helps reduce the number of otherwise wasteful journeys needed to transport the wastes. This leads to less Carbon Dioxide emissions being emitted from delivery trucks, lorries and vans.

Garbage Haulier Tips

Garbage Hauliers are Encouraged to:

- Create an excellent brand name or keep a good record according to the type of haulage business that you have. To mention a few, the types of hauling business include general haulage work, specialist haulage services, such as livestock transport, waste disposal, parcel, and car transport; warehousing and distribution services, and supply of vehicles. Focus on your field of specialty and excel among the rest of your competitors by delivering reliable, safe, quick, and efficient service.

- Always sheet over domestic wastes trucks to prevent spillage en-route.
- Adopt a courteous driving policy with their drivers.

Choosing a Waste Haulier

While looking at different Road haulage companies, you should stick to carrying out a comprehensive research which will definitely help you in choosing the best haulage company for your goods. The movement of materials supplies and waste can each come with their own specifics, costs and properties. The transportation cost differs greatly with each material and each industry needs to look at what they are shipping and what the different road transport companies will offer. With the rising fuel prices all over the world, the transportation cost has raised a lot over the past few years. So, you need to be very choosy in making a right selection by considering all the factors precisely.

Normally these services are used for transporting iron ore, coal, supplies, and waste material is a small market sector so you will need to seek out specialists with large bulker vehicles for efficiency. Road haulage service also amounts to carrying agricultural equipment, international, tankers, temperature controlled transport, tipping and constructing, warehousing and distribution. The cost incurred in loading such raw material into the machines at the site where the waste is created and then transporting the same to the processing site is part of the service cost and the haulier will need details of turn-around times.

What to do if You Have a Hazardous Waste that Needs Haulage

The most hazardous types of haulage are unlikely to be taken on the usual commercial carriers. It's highly unlikely that you could pick up a backload when dealing with substances that are radioactive for example, so these types of haulage are also unlikely to be taken on freelance. Nuclear loads (which can include fuel rods, waste or weapons grade radioactive materials) need very specific types of carrier to withstand both the radiation and any possibility of high-jack.

2012 Edition of the eBook "Introduction to Waste Technologies" Reviewed

"Hot New Information About This Rapidly Developing and Expanding Business Sector for Newbies"

New products and services are consistently coming on the web. It's tricky to keep up with them all.


We all do become bored with the continual notices for new releases, and often just stop listening to them. Since there's so very little of worth in the great majority of offers thrown at us, we become quite cynical and tired of them, routinely just dismiss them all. Most times this is an O.K policy.

Infrequently though, there can be exceptions...

You'll find sudden nuggets of value in-between your junk offers. As an example, there is a product in the waste technology and Mechanical Biological Treatment ( MBT ) subject area which has just been updated fro 2012, named "An Introduction to Waste Technology" that shows a whole lot of promise as a great source of understanding about what happens to our garbage once if leaves our homes.

It's been dreamed-up and developed by Steve Last, who's now offering it for sale.

So let me know, why you think it is getting attention and gaining a following? Generally speaking, what it has been doing now is gradually selling since it was last updated in 2008.

You'll find 3 unique strengths which make "An Introduction to Waste Technology" stand proud of its competition, 3 principal positive aspects that buyers mention in their many testimonials.

• The first is an author who knows his subject and waste treatment process.
• 2nd are the flow charts and
• 3rd are the tables of advantages and drawbacks for each waste technology described.

See the sales page for secure payment at PayLoadz here.

See the fuller review at:
A review of the New 2012 Edition of the "Introduction to Waste Technologies" eBook

Kane Haulage appeals against concrete crushing ban - Road Transport

Kane Haulage has lodged an appeal against a council enforcement notice, ordering it to stop crushing concrete at one of its depots in St Albans.

The haulier was served with a notice by Hertfordshire County Council on 16 June to cease processing concrete at its facility in the Old Station Yard, Redbourn and remove all associated waste, following complaints and a petition from nearby residents.

Kane - authorised for 50 vehicles and 10 trailers - removed the concrete crushing machinery the same day the notice was served.

In a statement, the council alleged that Kane had been carrying out unauthorised concrete crushing without planning permission, causing disruption for local residents.

A county council spokesman confirmed to Motor Transport that Kane has appealed against the notice, with a date for the appeal hearing yet to be set.

Kane Group was unavailable for comment.

View the original article here

Hauliers Gain Expanding Market in UK Waste Management Sector Valued at £7.5 billion - letsrecycle.com

A report which attempts to bridge a ‘gap’ in knowledge about the size and value of the UK waste management sector has been published by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

By far the largest proportion of Gross Value Added in the waste sector is generated from waste collection, according to Ekosgen
It estimates that the sector contributed £7.5 billion to the UK economy in 2010/11– considerably higher than the latest £5 billion official estimate from 2009. It also estimates that the waste management sector accounts for 128,000 jobs, up from the official figure of 94,000 in 2009.

The ‘From Waste Management to Resource Recovery: A Developing Sector’ study, released last week (September 1) was commissioned because the government believes there are ‘considerable’ opportunities for businesses to exploit as the UK moves towards zero waste. But, as there is a shortage of information in this area, the department asked economic development consultancy Ekosgen, in association with Emma Buckman Associates, to research what exactly the waste management sector is and how big it is.

The report explains: “There is limited data about the composition and size of the waste management sector and its economic contribution to the UK economy. This study was commissioned by BIS to help address this gap and identify the types of actions the Government could take to create the conditions for growth.”

For its research, Ekosgen conducted an online survey of 1,251 companies (representing 1% of the sector) and consulted industry experts at organisations such as the ESA and WRAP and local authorities. It also drew on Environment Agency data and other data sets to create a picture of the industry as a whole.

The report begins by defining the waste sector as that which comprises the following ten activities: Re-use of products to divert waste at source; collection and transport; brokerage of waste; sorting and storing; disposal through landfill; disposal through incineration; treatment of waste; processing of recyclate; composting; energy recovery.

However, it notes that the waste sector ‘bleeds’ into many other sectors – including haulage, health, farming and food and drink. It therefore suggests "that the sector is best viewed as comprising a core group of organisations which generate their income from waste management activities and a much wider peripheral group who perform it as a secondary or subsidiary function”.

Ekosgen chart showing employment in the waste sector according to activity
Key report findings include:

• There are a total of 128,000 Full Time Equivalent’s (FTEs) in the core waste management sector.

• Waste management generated approximately £7.5 billion Gross Value Added (GVA) -including the 16 largest companies. These 16 companies generate a GVA of £1.55 billion. and employ 27,500 FTEs (18% of the core workforce). By far the largest proportion of GVA is generated by waste collection, accounting for nearly half (46%) in 2009.

• Over half of the sector’s employment is within three sub sectors: (i): carrying and collection (22%); (ii) processing of recyclate (17%); and (iii) sorting and sale of waste or scrap (17%).

• The sector generates an average GVA per employee of £58,200. This ranges from £32,800-£99,800 across ten main activities, from low intensity activities (composting) to those with considerable infrastructural investment/capital intensity (energy recovery).

• Over the ten year period from 2006-2016 the sector is predicting steady growth recovering to 2006 levels in 2013 with steady growth to the 2016 period.

While the report focuses more on the commercial sector, it also looks at municipal waste management. The study found that approximately 22,175 people were employed by councils in waste management (64% in waste collection, 18% in recycling), with a public sector waste management ‘turnover’ of an estimated £3.33 billion.

Here, the report notes that the withdrawal of PFI funds and concern over long-term commitments meant that councils might move away from developing large-scale waste treatment infrastructure in future, in favour of smaller facilities which do not require so much long-term capital commitment and are often easier to secure local support for. This has particular implications for large-scale incinerators.

The report notes: “Stakeholders suggest that the absence of PFI credits for waste infrastructure and concerns over committing waste streams for such long periods will make smaller energy from waste facilities more popular in future years.”

In terms of collection, meanwhile, the report notes that many councils do not benefit from the value of recyclables as they are risk averse and prefer to let their contractors receive any monetary value for them. This, the report claims, is one reason why the net costs of waste management amongst councils is increasing and it suggests that councils partnerships can help.

In the report, Ekosgen also looks at drivers for change in the waste industry. The consultancy highlights the ‘fundamental’ role that new technologies such as gasification and anaerobic digestion have in waste management, alongside the implications this has for the workforce and required skills.

Experts, the report notes, also expect to see an increase in recovery and reuse of household and commercial and industrial waste in future years, as well as more local authority partnerships.

Ekosgen was also asked in the study to assess the barriers to growth in the waste sector and how the government may address these.

Barriers identified included difficulty in securing planning permission for new waste management infrastructure, lack of clarity surrounding renewable energy policy and electricity market reforms, difficulties accessing finance and the current economic climate.

The report suggests that a simpler, cheaper way of getting permits for waste operations and a refined planning system could help the sector develop, alongside recycling incentives for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs),

View the original article here

Final Push; for WEEE TV Advert Campaign - letsrecycle.com

By Nick Mann - The organisers of an industry-backed campaign to promote WEEE recycling using TV advertising have launched a ‘final push’ to raise more funding for the initiative before the advert is screened at Christmas.

The advert has been funded by over 40 companies from across the waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) industry, including reprocessors, compliance schemes, waste management companies and haulage firms.

The WEEE TV advert is set to be screened at Christmas.

In total, £45,100 has now been raised towards buying advertising slots to screen the advert, which can be viewed here. Last month, the organisers set a target of at least £32,000. The initiative is being co-ordinated by WEEE reprocessor SWEEEP Kuusakoski, with donations being encouraged via the website http://www.weeeconnect.co.uk/.

SWEEEP Kuusakoski’s contracts manager Justin Greenaway described the amount raised to date as “staggering”, but told letsrecycle.com there was now a “final push” to secure more members of the campaign.

It is understood that there is a particular focus on signing up a couple more large companies, although Mr Greenaway stressed “it does not matter how modest your contribution is”, noting that just £100 would purchase enough airtime for an additional 28,000 viewers.

According to Mr Greenaway, the current total raised means that, “based on last year’s viewing figures our budget could communicate right now to 12.68 million people”.

The next step for the campaign is to purchase airtime, with aim of funding being collected until the end of September 2011. This would allow advertising to be purchased in mid-October, when slots for Christmas screenings on nationally-broadcast channels like ITV, Sky, Channel 4 and 5 become available.

The TV advert campaign was originally launched last year (see letsrecycle.com story) to raise public awareness of WEEE recycling and, in particular, to increase small WEEE recycling rates.

SWEEEP Kuusakoksi was joined by eight other WEEE businesses - including reprocessors and compliance schemes - to fund the production of the advert, which was unveiled in March 2011 (see letsrecycle.com story).

Plans to screen the advert at Christmas were confirmed last month (see letsrecycle.com story), and Mr Greenaway said the campaign had continued to attract members since then.

The most recent funding members are batteries recycling company G&P Batteries and compliance scheme Clarity, who both signed up this week, bringing the total number of co-funders to 43.

The initiative is being co-ordinated via the WEEE Connect website, which details the supporters for the initiative and what it hopes to achieve

Mr Greenaway said: “You can’t fail to be impressed with the enthusiasm that the recycling industry has taken to the TV advertising concept.

“A further two companies have committed to co-fund already this week and interest is coming in from many more companies. Even agency recycling staff companies are helping to co-fund: more WEEE equals more staff, so you can follow the logic.”

He added: “This is the industry’s chance to stand together to solve a four year old lack of WEEE public awareness – apathy makes no business sense at all.”

Among the campaign’s co-funders, Dr Philip Morton, chief executive of the REPIC compliance scheme, said: “I am delighted with the quality of the advert and everyone involved is keen to have it widely shown. The plan is to get the ad on TV around the Christmas period, a time we believe will have maximum impact as consumers buy new and hence discard many old electrical items

His sentiments were echoed by Martyn Parfitt, compliance manager for the Electrolink compliance scheme, who said: "Electrolink are proud to be supporting the use of television advertising to increase the wider knowledge and understanding of WEEE recycling.

“Increased awareness will go a long way to help maximise the amount of WEEE recycled in the UK and help prevent valuable resources reaching landfill."

Karl Grieg, General Manager for WEEE Operations at DHL Envirosolutions, added: “We are pleased to be a lead partner in this exciting industry initiative which we hope will further improve public awareness. It is good to see the WEEE industry work together with a common objective."

View the original article here

£20k a Month Added to Blaenau Gwent Waste Bills includes Waste Haulage- South Wales Argus

2:50pm Friday 9th September 2011

BLAENAU Gwent will have to pay an extra £20,000 a month to have its waste dumped in Swansea, the council has revealed.

The Argus exclusively reported on Wednesday how Blaenau Gwent council is having to send waste to NPT Recycling, in Swansea, after its Silent Valley site in Cwm was shut down by the Environment Agency.

At the time, the council refused to disclose how much waste is being transported and how much it is costing.

NPT Recycling Ltd confirmed it had made an arrangement with Silent Valley to dispose of 350 tonnes of domestic waste a week between now and April.

The council released a statement following the Argus’ report, confirming Silent Valley had entered into this contract and that this would cost an extra £5.40 per tonne of waste. This includes haulage costs, the bulking of waste and gate fees.

The contract up until the end of March would therefore cost an extra £139,500 (or £20,000 a month) above the council’s original budget of £1,607,025.

The waste is not being taken to the Swansea site by council lorries, but by articulated lorries from a haulage company which can each carry around 20- 23 tonnes per load.

The cost has been identified as one of the “significant cost pressures” faced by the council, which aims to save £9m over the next four years.

But a council spokeswoman said savings could be made if it remained with NPT Recycling beyond next March as the waste is no longer going directly to a landfill site and so the council would avoid any increase in landfill tax.

She said the council, with its partner Torfaen council, was currently working on obtaining a contract for treating and disposing waste which would start in 2013.

Silent Valley was shut down last month, after traces of toxins such as mercury, nickel and ammonia were found leaking from the waste into groundwater.

Environment Agency Wales said there was no risk to the public, but stopped the site taking waste. It is not clear when the site will re-open.

View the original article here

Haulage companies fined for tipping at Cornish farm - Insider Media

A group of West Cornwall hauliers and director of a skip hire company have been ordered to pay nearly £100,000 in fines and costs for illegally tipping thousands of tonnes of waste at a farm near Helston, the Environment Agency said.

According to the agency, about 9,000 tonnes of construction and demolition waste were dumped at Trenoweth Farm in Gweek. The operators of five local haulage companies appeared at Truro Crown Court for sentencing.

Offenders were fined, told to pay back costs and ordered to pay back profits they had made from their criminal activities under the Proceeds of Crime (POC) Act.

The Environment Agency said Michael Leah received a 12-month prison sentence suspended for two years and was ordered to pay £50,000 under the Proceeds of Crime (POC) Act, plus £4,000 in costs.

It said at the time of the offences Leah was director of a haulage and skip hire company and operated a licensed waste transfer station at Ludgvan near Penzance.

The Environment Agency said that an investigation revealed that during 2007 and 2008 Leah had illegally dumped waste, including asbestos, at three separate sites including two farms and a residential property at St Ives.

The court heard Michael Leah's company, Leah Ltd, has since gone into liquidation.

The agency said Leah claimed he had only deposited three lorry loads of subsoil at Trenoweth Farm, but was unable to verify this by supplying the relevant waste transfer notes. He was also unable to provide documentation for all asbestos entering and leaving his waste transfer station prior to March 2008, it added.

His site manager, Mark Outram from Penzance was ordered to carry out 250 hours unpaid community work and pay £3,000 costs.

Five companies were also involved in offences at Trenoweth Farm and had earlier pleaded guilty to illegally depositing and disposing of controlled waste.

Broad and Sons from Manaccan in Truro was convicted of dumping 2,176 tonnes and fined £2,500 for four offences, plus £4,080 payable as POC. Maen Karne Aggregates from Truro was convicted of dumping 1,875 tonnes of waste and fined £2,250 for four offences, plus £3,750 POC.

St Pirrans Trucks from Camborne was fined £2,000 for three offences, plus £4,860 POC for dumping 1,620 tonnes of waste. Harts Haulage Ltd from Redruth was fined £1,800 for dumping 1,500 tonnes of waste in four offences, plus £3,000 POC. And Michael Mudge Ltd, from Prazein Camborne, was convicted of dumping 1,280 tonnes of waste. It was fined £1,600 for four offences plus £3,200 POC. Each company was also ordered to pay £2,000 costs.

Redwynn Sterry, from the Environment Agency, said: "This case demonstrates how important it is for those who handle waste to make full and adequate checks in respect of where waste is deposited. Simply taking the word of a so called ‘site agent’ or landowner is unacceptable.

"The range of sentences shows the courts take the illegal disposal of waste very seriously. The agency will use the Proceeds of Crime Act to ensure any profits obtained through waste crime are confiscated rendering illegal activities pointless."

View the original article here