6 minute read
Members News
Hertfordshire County Council has recently opened its first Business Waste Service. Located at Ware Recycling Centre, the service is designed to allow SME’s the opportunity to dispose of waste generated from their trade activities in a transparent and compliant way.
Waste including
wood, hardcore, green garden and plasterboard, can be disposed of at competitive prices. Some items, such as cardboard, scrap metal, can be disposed of for free. All bookings are subject to a £4.99 weighbridge charge.
Bookings can be made online and there is no need to set up an account. Payment can be made by debit or credit card, as well as Google Pay and Apple Pay, with the Business Waste Service open Monday to Friday, 10am to 5.30pm. Eric Buckmaster, Executive Member for Environment, Hertfordshire County Council, said: “We are delighted that our first Business Waste Service is now open, offering local businesses the opportunity to dispose of waste in a compliant and affordable way. “This is a key infrastructure development, one which supports businesses with how they recycle their waste, providing them with a service that actively meets their needs.
“Our new Welwyn Garden City Recycling Centre, which is due to open in spring 2023, will provide an equivalent facility, ensuring more businesses across the county will have access to this vital service.”
The commercial waste service can also be used by residents who have too much construction, demolition and excavation waste. Paying for the excess material could mean that they avoid having to hire a skip.
For further details visit www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/services/recycling-waste-and-environment/recycling-and-waste/commercialwaste/commercial-waste-service.aspx#bookdropoff
Over 1.2 million office desks
and 1.8 million office chairs go to landfill each year, a shocking waste of existing resources and needless destruction of natural habitats. Put into context, the average CO2e content of a piece of furniture is 50kg, so every 20 items replaced unnecessarily not only wastes that existing one tonne of carbon, but also generates an additional tonne of carbon - it soon adds up.
Furnishing with Purpose
We all know about Climate Change and the requirement reach NetZero by 2050. To achieve this, we have to halve CO2 emissions by 50%. JPA Workspaces are helping clients achieve this through furniture procurement by enabling them to consume less, re-use more, buy better designed furniture and use it for longer, optimising investment and lifecycle.
As consumers and procurers, we have the power to create social, environmental and local legacy through our purchases, contributing seamlessly many of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Simply asking more questions about the origin, materials, support and warranties of the furniture you are purchasing is a good first step and will start to drive change back through the supply chain.
Making sustainable choices can enhance workplace health and wellbeing, user experience and boost productivity – music to the bottom line. Great workspaces combined with clear organisational purpose will attract the talent and mindsets needed for future success. Sharing the story of how and where your furniture has been procured to reflect your organisation’s own Environmental, Social and Governance goals can boost intrinsic motivation and strengthen company culture. Great workspace design reflects viable and productive organisations, job creation and new opportunities. The outstanding business performers over time have had the right people, in the right place, at the right time, to do the right thing – it’s about so much more than simply furniture.
New University of Hertfordshire SPECS building opening in 2024
Powering potential
through advanced technical skills and expertise
Professor Rodney Day, Dean of the School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Hertfordshire
In 1952, Hatfield Technical
College was formed. Today, we are the University of Hertfordshire with over 30,000 students.
Over the past 70 years our focus has remained steadfast in providing courses that educate students, and carrying out research that meets the needs of business, industry and public service organisations. The University’s School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science (SPECS) has built on that pioneering vision to become a powerhouse of world-leading and internationally excellent research, with a wide-ranging portfolio of modern engineering, computing and science degrees. The School has over 7000 students studying undergraduate and postgraduate courses, covering the many engineering disciplines, as well as computer science, software engineering, artificial intelligence, data science, cybersecurity, and physics.
St Albans Sleepout
Taking place at Oaklands College or At Home on Friday 11th November 2022, Herts Young Homeless, Centre 33, Emmaus, The Living Room and Open Door St Albans, invite you to join us for an evening under the stars.
Anight filled with live
music, entertainment, workshops…and a bit of a reality check, to see what life is like for some of our service users.
The St Albans Sleepout has been running since the 1990’s and has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for Hertfordshire Homeless Charities.
This will be the most memorable thing you will do this winter! Help us come together as a community, for your community.
All donations for the Sleepout, please contact:
www.hyh.org.uk/sponsoredsleepout
In 2022 alone, SPECS graduated around 2000 highly talented graduates, equipped with advanced technical skills, who are now making a valuable contribution to society, and benefiting businesses and organisations across the UK and internationally. As Dean of School, I am convinced there are Herts-based businesses who would benefit from this creative and innovative technical talent in their organisations. To this end we welcome opportunities to further support, connect and engage with Hertfordshire-based businesses, and to advance knowledge exchange. For instance, in areas such as advanced materials, manufacturing, instrumentation, robotics and electronics, we have been working closely with businesses, small and large, to provide technical expertise, training, and access to facilities that transform their activities.
The University is currently constructing a fabulous new multi-purpose building for the School, that will offer cutting-edge laboratory spaces, and facilities to strengthen employability, develop technical knowledge and skills, and provide a richer, integrated learning experience. It will enable our academic staff to expand their world-leading research, as well as creating numerous business collaboration opportunities including new partnerships, placements and innovation collaborations. The state-of-the-art, highly sustainable building, spanning five floors, will be transformational for our students, staff and campus, whilst simultaneously offering opportunities for the development of new technology and business engagement.
If you wish to learn more, or to discuss future opportunities, then contact us through herts.ac.uk/enterprise-zone
Earn while you learn!
Vacancies in construction related businesses are at an all time high and we, like our industry colleagues are facing a skills shortage right now and over the next 10+ years.
MCP is a repairs and maintenance, family business based in Hertford, caring for our customers since 1978. We are committed to ensuring our people make a positive difference to our residents and their homes. l We focus on attracting people who match our values first and foremost l We encourage people with little or no experience to come and
‘have a go’ through our work experience programme l Our own experienced people love to be mentors and share their experience l We are working with Herts LEP to partner with local schools,
CTP to retrain ex-services personnel and in collaboration with other industry colleagues l We are starting an Academy to train and upskill apprentices and trainees
