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The benefits of using recycled wood as a heat source

clip_image002It is estimated that around 7.5 million tonnes of waste wood is created in the United Kingdom each year. Currently, only around 16-20% of this waste is being recycled, either through reuse or by being converted into an energy product ready for incineration. Around 6 million tonnes (or 80%) of waste wood finds its way into UK landfill sites every year.

As well as the costs involved for our county councils, landfill sites also contribute a huge amount to land, water and air pollution. Increasing the amount of recycled and reused wood is a big concern of ours as the demand for wood is still on the rise. Recycling or reusing more waste wood would reduce the amount of wood waste left rotting in landfill sites and reduce the number of trees needed to maintain the world’s need for timber.

Using recycled wood to create heat

Recycled waste wood is providing a second use for the material and is reducing the amount being buried in landfill sites. Wood was one of the first materials used as a heat source because when dry the properties of wood allow it to produce a good amount of heat over a long period of time. When burnt in an enclosed stove wood can burn up to five times more efficiently than an open fire. It is important to state that you should never burn wood that is painted, coated in plastic or melamine, chipboard and MDF as these will produce toxic fumes.

Wood burning stoves are engineered to be highly efficient and are a great way to heat your home. Switching from a gas or electric heating system to using a wood burning stove as your main source of heat can dramatically reduce your carbon footprint. This is because you are replacing a fossil fuel with a sustainable fuel source. In addition to the eco-friendly aspect of recycling wood, there are significant benefits to using recycled wood products as a heat source in your home.

At LSPS we use the waste products from environmentally friendly saw mills to create our Wood Briquettes and Wood Pellets. Therefore, our Wood Briquettes are made from 100% recycled material, they burn more efficiently than regular timber and even radiate more heat compared to coal. These products can be used in open fires, stoves and boilers or cookers designed for these materials. They have very low moisture content which allows them to light quickly. They are smoke, spark and spitting free. They produce very low emissions, and leave a far smaller amount of ash residue.

More information can be found on the LSPS website, or alternatively you can call LSPS on our free phone number: 0800 083 7807.

Confidential Waste Disposal

clip_image002[29]Identity fraud continues to be a serious threat to people and businesses. The government estimates that the cost of such crimes is around £2 billion a year. Therefore, it is imperative that businesses dispose of their confidential waste as safely and securely as possible.

The data protection act is in place to ensure that businesses securely destroy old accounts and archived information; failure to do so can lead to prosecution. To avoid the unlawful disclosure or accidental loss of personal data, every business must have a data control policy to effectively manage their disposal process. Every item that contains personal data (names, addresses, financial and legal details) must be completely destroyed using a secure waste disposal method. The legal responsibility for any information that requires disposal falls to the data controller. It is vital that the data controller receives a certificate of destruction from the company disposing of the documentation as proof that the process was completed securely.

Prior to processing confidential information for disposal, there are a number of ways you can limit the risk of identity fraud:

· The most important step is to create an effective data disposal policy and stick to it.

· Ensure that any documents containing sensitive material are locked away and limit access to only the staff that require it. This reduces the chance of information being disclosed to the wrong people.

· Make sure your staff are well informed about the risk of identity fraud and provide them with your data disposal policy.

· Staff should also be aware that there is a risk involved when supplying company information without confirming who they a dealing with in both online and telephone communication.

· Today, internet security is essential and it is important that your company’s firewall and anti-virus software is maintained effectively.

· Where possible, authenticate and verify the identity of both your employees and customers. Doing so will confirm that they are who they say they are.

Useful guidelines to follow when disposing of confidential information:

· Check your department’s retention periods before destroying any confidential information. Destroying information earlier than necessary may be in breach of the law.

· Double check any paper waste you throw away to be sure that it does not contain any sensitive information which must be treated as confidential waste.

· Place any paper waste that includes sensitive information in a confidential waste bag and ensure the confidential waste bag is kept in a secure location.

· When no longer required, confidential information stored on USB drives, DVDs, CDs, external hard drives and internal hard drives must be professionally destroyed.

· When required contact a reputable disposal company to safely and securely dispose of your confidential waste.

Identity theft is a crime that has continually been on the rise, so using a reputable company to dispose of your businesses information is a crucial step you can take to preventing crimes of this nature.

More information can be found on the LSPS website, or alternatively you can call LSPS on our free phone number: 0800 083 7807.

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