UPDATES

GENERAL UPDATES

The Community Recycling Network UK and London Community Recycling Network Annual Conference and Exhibition

Dates for your diary: Wednesday 4 and Thursday 5 June.

Full programme and further information on this event taking place in central London will soon be available. Exhibition space bookings: events@crn.org.uk, 0117 942 0142.

Changes to waste management licensing

On 6 April 2008, the Environmental Permitting Regulations come into force. They combine Waste Management Licensing (WML) and Pollution Prevention and Control (PPC) into one new, streamlined scheme called Environmental Permitting.

If you've got a Waste Management licence or PPC permit, it will automatically become an environmental permit on the 6 April 2008. You don't need to reapply, and you won't be sent a new one. The conditions and subsistence fees stay the same.

If you hold an exemption from WML, then from 6 April 2008, you will instead be exempt from environmental permitting. There are some changes, for example to paragraph numbers and to the regulation of hazardous wastes.

Contact: 08708 506 506  enquires@environment-agency.gov.uk

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/business/1970146/1970198/1970207/

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/business/1745440/1745496/1906135/?lang=_e

Reconomy CIC

The four leading 'third sector networks' have come together to create a jointly owned company to enable them to work together more effectively. Furniture Re-use Network (FRN), Community Composting Network (CCN), Community Recycling Network (CRN UK) and London CRN (LCRN) will continue with their own work, and the new company will be the vehicle for closer working where that is appropriate.

The company - Reconomy CIC, has now been formed and should bring valuable opportunities to the network organisations as well as to their members. Reconomy benefits will best be accessed through the existing networks in the first instance.

Reconomy will enable the individual networks to maximise the resources they bring to their members and give us a stronger more coherent voice in our dealings with Government and industry.

This company has already started working with WRAP on the design of the capacity building programme for the Third Sector promised in the May Waste Strategy.

We'll let you know as there are further developments.

Local Food Fund - opens 17 March
The Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts (RSWT) and 15 consortium partners are managing a project called Local Food that will distribute grants to a variety of food-related projects to help make locally grown food accessible and affordable to local communities. Grants from £2,000 up to £500,000 will be awarded to not-for-profit groups and organisations in England delivering such projects as growing, processing, marketing and distributing local food; composting and raising awareness of the benefits of such activities.

http://www.rswt.org/localfood/

Additional expenses for volunteers?

Peers in the House of Lords will be debating a proposed change in the law, which will allow voluntary workers to claim a wider range of expenses. An amendment to the Employment Bill will clarify the expenses that voluntary workers can claim without triggering eligibility for the national minimum wage.

If passed, the amendment will clarify that voluntary workers are entitled to claim reimbursement for expenses such as the cost of travel to and from work and childcare or carer expenses. Under current legislation voluntary workers are only entitled to claim back expenses incurred while performing their duties.

http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/third_sector/news/
news_stories/080311_voluntary_workers.aspx

Community Contracts

Communities Secretary Hazel Blears has announced plans for new 'community contracts' across England today giving communities the opportunity to agree deals and written guarantees with their council on a wide range of service standards from tackling drug dealing on estates, bin collection, clearing graffiti and street cleaning.

In a speech to the New Local Government Network she announced the 'community contracts' between local communities and their council that are to be piloted in twelve areas across the country in Sunderland, Gateshead, Barnsley, Oldham, Lewisham, King's Lynn, Blyth, Kirklees, Brighton, Manton, Kidderminster and London's South Bank.

The contracts are voluntary agreements between local people and town halls that will allow residents to set minimum standards, bargain with councils for extra services and put in place checks on quality.

New guidance for charities on public benefit
New guidance has been produced by the Charity Commission on public benefit and what charity trustees need to consider in order to show that their charity's aims are for the public benefit.

http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/publicbenefit/default.asp

Consultations on draft supplementary guidance are expected from the Charity Commission shortly.  Public benefit provisions will come into force from late March 2008, and charities will begin reporting on public benefit as part of their annual reports from March 2009.

http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/news/pbnewsindex.asp

CRN UK Website Case Studies
At CRN UK we are always keen to know about your great work, innovative projects and examples of the way you run your organisation. We would like to have some new & up to date case studies on the CRN UK website to provide inspiration to potential groups and to keep you informed of what other members are doing.

If you would be interested in sharing this information with visitors to the website, or if you don’t have a website of your own and would like to have a page dedicated to your organisation, please complete the form available on this link: www.crn.org.uk/about/casestudyrequestform.doc and email it to Lizzy at info@crn.org.uk.

We look forward to learning what you are doing.

Health and Safety CD
Through European Social Funding (ESF), EU Skills working in partnership with the Environmental Services Association (ESA) and other waste management organisations has developed an interactive health and safety
CD, 'A Day in the Life of a Collection Operative'. This CD is aimed at raising awareness of the hazards that a Collection Operative faces, and also providing advice on the safe way to work.  The CD uses photographic
stills, video clips and hazard spotting exercises in order to provide a varied programme designed to raise awareness of the importance of health and safety.

This CD would be of particular interest to members operating kerbside collections. The CD takes approximately one hour to complete and can be used as an induction tool for new/agency staff, or as a refresher for existing staff.

Changes to National Minimum Wages
Businesses are being advised to prepare for changes in the National Minimum Wage (NMW) to make sure they do not fall foul of HMRC inspections. From October 1st a new band of pay rates for the NMW will come into force and businesses need to make sure that their payroll systems are ready to implement the changes. Some of the changes include:

Adult rate (workers aged 22 and over) will increase to £5.52.
Development rate for 18-21 year olds will increase to £4.60.
Development rate for 16-17 year olds will increase to £3.40

For legal requirements and further information visit:

http://www.berr.gov.uk/employment/pay/
national-minimum-wage/index.html

Compost Doctors programme
The SME Compost Doctors programme is a Defra BREW funded pilot programme that aims to investigate the options for on-site composting of kitchen food waste. The programme received finding in year 2006/07 and has been successful in obtaining further funding for this year to continue monitoring the amounts of food waste composted on the projects.

The Compost Doctors advise on and assist in installing composting equipment in the grounds of catering establishments. They are working with these establishments to support the staff in setting up kitchen procedures to facilitate the separation of food waste. Having set up, staff are then trained in using the composting system and are supported by the Compost Doctor.

Contact Lizzy info@crn.org.uk