7 minute read
Waste & Recycling
Ulster Shredders has received successful validation from ADISA, the world’s leading certification body for data sanitisation services and products, further enhancing its offering of high performing shredding solutions, removing all opportunities of data breach and reuse of data bearing media.
The use of shredding to destroy hard drives and protect data is widespread and is generally confirmed as being the most effective method of data destruction. However, it is important that machines are validated as inadequate shredding processes allow a clear exploitable vulnerability in data bearing media. ADISA Founder Steve Mellings says: “Where shredding is concerned, many organisations are dismissive of the need of verification as there is an assumption that ‘shredded drives’ have indeed been shredded but I’ve personally witnessed cages of media which are physically still intact when they should’ve been shredded and NAND cells being unimpacted by a shred. Oversight of this process and the use reputable companies is essential, so we welcomed Ulster Shredder’s approach to have independent validation of their products.” ADISA visited Ulster Shredders headquarters and performed controlled shreds on two of its shredding machines, the U-15 and U-45SB using pre-prepared magnetic and solid-state drives. The shredded particulate was then analysed for shred-size verification as well as from a data recovery perspective, to ensure data was destroyed and irrecoverable. Sales and Service Director Paul Atkinson of Ulster Shredders explains: “We have clients who require particular shred sizes for the output from our products and typically we have provided them with assurance due to specification of screen to be used. However, this isn’t the whole story as you still get larger shred particles than the actual aperture of the screen. For this reason, we approached ADISA and asked how they could help us provide assurance for our customers.” ADISA have produced detailed test reports, including tables of shred size. This enabled the adherence to specific requirements set out in the Information Technology Standard ISO (International Standard Organisation) 21964 to be verified. This standard defines the terms and principles for the destruction of data carriers. Added Paul: “Speaking on behalf of the engineering and sales team, I am thrilled to see that our machines meet the requirements of the ADISA. Confidential Shredding is a key market for us, and we understand the importance of destroying personal/ corporate data. From the early stages of design to our shredders being installed, it’s reassuring knowing that our machines meet the requirements and will successful destroy any opportunity of fraudulent use.” Launched in 2010, ADISA Certification has been certifying data sanitisation products including software overwriting and hardware destruction tools for over 10 years. It is also the scheme owner for the Asset Recovery Standard 8.0 which was formally recognised by the UK Information Commissioner in 2021. To find out more information regarding confidential shredding, you can speak to either Paul Atkinson at patkinson@ ulstershredders.com or Jude Diamond at jdiamond@ulstershredders.com
www.ulstershredders.com
recycling & waste management Big changes in the pipeline for Northern Ireland’s waste industry
The way that waste in Northern Ireland will be handled over the next few years will change dramatically following consultations by Defra and the UK’s devolved administrations, according to Joseph Doherty, Managing Director of Re-Gen Waste.
In Northern Ireland, the Department of Agriculture, Environment & Rural Affairs is still analysing the responses. One of the most significant consultations was on plans to introduce Extended Producer Responsibility on packaging. The concept of producer responsibility – placing the cost of recycling of products at end of life onto those that placed the products onto the market, has been applied across the EU and in many other countries for years. The detailed workings of the system are still to be hammered out, but it is expected that a central government-appointed administrator will take responsibility for obtaining fees from the affected businesses. The administrator will then pay local authorities and waste collectors for the costs involved in the collection, transport and recycling of packaging waste from households and small businesses. A deposit return scheme (DRS) could be introduced to encourage the public to bring empty beverage containers to collection points in return for a small payment. Councils will be required to collect a more consistent range of recyclables to avoid the current uncertainty over what can actually be placed in the household recycling bin. Joseph Doherty believes that changes will be introduced in 2024 at the earliest but may be later, he says: “There are big changes in the pipeline for 2024 although there has been optimistic talk of a 2023 start date. It is hoped that the scheme will see an increase in recycling targets but perhaps more significantly, current estimates are that up to £2.7billion per year will be charged to companies that place packaged goods onto the UK market. “Businesses will come under pressure to separate higher levels of materials for recycling. The anticipated new regulations will apply a far higher cost for packaging waste that under the current system has cost UK firms on average between £50-150 million per year. “Those companies that use difficult to collect and recycle packaging, will pay a far higher cost than those whose packaging is easily collected and recycled, thus forcing businesses to place more sustainable packaging on the market.
Innovation Needed
“The goal is to reduce packaging and increase recycling levels, and it is clear that innovation will be required. Recently, there has been widespread concern over the level of plastic that ends up as litter and polluting oceans. Tensions between the main purpose of packaging and its end-of-life environmental impact will have to be finely judged. If more food is wasted through the use of easy-torecycle packaging, we need to question if there is a risk that reducing packaging will lead to a shorter shelf life for food thus creating more waste food which is worse.” He claims that the potential costs of the deposit return scheme have led to widespread industry concerns, especially following the turmoil caused by Covid-19. However, the UK Government’s recycling minister Jo Churchill says it will be for businesses to decide if they will improve and reduce their packaging. The alternative is that they may just pass on the cost to the consumer. In 2018, the Government launched the Resource and Waste Strategy, a document that set a timeline for far reaching changes to the way that waste is managed, to place much more emphasis on the Circular Economy and waste being treated as a resource. Included in this was an intention to apply producer responsibility to a much wider range of materials to improve environmental performance and to transfer cost from the public purse to industry and ultimately, the consumer. These include bulky waste such as furniture and mattresses, textiles, tyres, construction waste and fishing gear.
Joseph Doherty, Managing Director, Re-Gen Waste.
Investment Required
The waste industry is having to up its game to meet the challenges ahead. Not only will the controls tighten, but there will need to be extensive investment in the way that waste is processed once it has been collected, to achieve much greater separation and much higher quality of output for the recycling industry. “Re-Gen has already started that process and, we believe, is ahead of the game. But there is no room for complacency and both householders and businesses will also have to play their part in correctly separating out recyclable waste from nonrecyclates. Re-Gen has made significant investment in its recycling facility. “We need to consider the unintended consequences of packaging changes and how that will coincide with carbon usage, and how the focus needs to be on a joined up approach. It is essential to measure the cost of food and carbon usage against the cost of packaging and a full life-cycle analysis together. “The long-term target is that the UK will develop the recycling infrastructure necessary to be self-sufficient in capacity and maximise the circular economy opportunities. Coupled with that target is the global movement towards an environmentally friendly, intelligent and workable way to handle waste in the future. The creation of clean, green innovative jobs in design, research, manufacturing, engineering and technology is a challenge for our entire economy beyond the next five, ten or 15 years.”
