Drink-driving: Glenfiddich uses whisky waste to fuel trucks
View of the Glenfiddich truck, that runs on whiskey-by-product based biogas, in Dufftown, Scotland, Britain in this undated handout obtained July 26, 2021. Courtesy of William Grant & Sons/Handout via REUTERS
Scotch whisky maker Glenfiddich has begun converting its delivery trucks to run on low-emission biogas made from waste products from its own whisky distilling process as part of a "closed loop" sustainability initiative, it said on Tuesday.
Glenfiddich said it has installed fueling stations at its Dufftown distillery in north-eastern Scotland that use technology developed by its parent company William Grant & Sons to convert its production waste and residues into an Ultra-Low Carbon Fuel (ULCF) gas that produces minimal carbon dioxide and other harmful emissions.
Stuart Watts, distillery director at family-owned William Grant & Sons, said traditionally Glenfiddich has sold off spent grains left over from the malting process to be used for a high-protein cattle feed.
But through anaerobic digestion - where bacteria break down organic matter producing biogas - the distillery can also use liquid waste from the process to make fuel and eventually recycle all of its waste products this way.
"The thought process behind this was 'what can we do that's better for us all?'," Watts said.
The distiller, which sells more than 14 million bottles of single malt whisky a year, said its whisky waste-based biogas is already powering three specially-converted trucks that transport Glenfiddich spirit from production at Dufftown through to bottling and packaging, covering four William Grant & Sons sites in central and western Scotland.
Sixteenth century English chronicler Raphael Holinshed wrote that, consumed moderately, whisky's many medicinal benefits include preventing the "head from whirling, the tongue from lisping ... the hands from shivering, the bones from aching."
But it turns out its waste products could also benefit the environment.
The distiller said the biogas cuts CO2 emissions by over 95 per cent compared to diesel and other fossil fuels, and reduces other harmful particulates and greenhouse gas emissions by up to 99 per cent.
Each truck will displace up to 250 tonnes of CO2 annually, Glenfiddich said.
The trucks Glenfiddich is using are converted vehicles from truckmaker Iveco that normally run on liquefied natural gas.
Watts said Glenfiddich had a fleet of around 20 trucks and the technology could be applied throughout the delivery fleets of William Grant & Sons' whisky brands and could be scaled up to fuel other company's trucks.
The Scottish whisky industry hopes to hit carbon net zero targets by 2040.
An undercover operation by Gloucestershire Trading Standards has found most shops in the county selling products containing corrosive substances to underage buyers.
In total, 10 stores were visited and eight made sales to underage volunteers.
The test purchases were carried out by Trading Standards, with the support of police cadets, in February. The volunteers visited stores across Gloucester, Cheltenham, Stroud, the Forest of Dean and Tewkesbury.
Eight different businesses sold a product containing corrosive substances to a young person under 18, without any checks on their age or requests for identification. The products sold included brick and patio cleaner, plughole unblocker and caustic soda drain unblocker.
Gloucestershire Trading Standards said it will be contacting the shops that failed the test to inform them of the sale and offer advice on their legal obligations. If these businesses do not heed this advice and evidence of selling to minors is found in the future, then Trading Standards have warned that more formal action could be taken which could include prosecution.
The Offensive Weapons Act 2019 makes it an offence to sell certain products which have a high percentage of corrosive chemicals to under 18s. Products which may have a high percentage of chemicals such as caustic soda, drain cleaners/unblockers and patio cleaners contain such chemicals, which can be dangerous if not used correctly.
“It’s disappointing to see that a number of retailers in the county have sold products containing corrosive substances to underage buyers,” Cllr Dave Norman, cabinet member for trading standards at Gloucestershire County Council, said.
“It’s important they seek advice and ensure that age-restricted goods are not sold to young people. Our Trading Standards team will be offering relevant advice to these businesses.”
If a business is unsure of their obligations, then they can find advice on the Trading Standards website.
Paul will join the NewstrAid team from 17 March and will take over from Tom Rodger, who is retiring at the end of the month.
“We are delighted to welcome Paul Bacon to the team. He has more than 20 years’ experience in the industry and will bring with him a wealth of knowledge to this important role,” said Neil Jagger, CEO for NewstrAid.
Paul most recently worked for Harmsworth Media as Key Account Manager at The i Paper and has previously worked in various sales and marketing roles for the Independent and The i Paper as well as working in distribution for wholesalers including Smiths News.
Neil Jagger added, “We are very sad to say goodbye to Tom Rodger and we know he will leave big shoes to fill, however I am confident that Paul will prove a great addition to the team and will continue the fantastic work that Tom has undertaken for the last six years.”
NewstrAid provides financial help, emotional support and practical advice to the UKs newstrade and in 2024 helped more than 1,500 industry colleagues who were facing challenging times.
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Brits pull out nearly £80bn from LINK ATMs in 2024
The UK’s transition away from cash continues to accelerate, nearly five years after the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report released today by LINK, the UK's cash access and ATM network.
While the trend towards a low-cash society is clear, the pace of this shift varies significantly across the country, indicating a complex and evolving payment landscape.
Over the past 20 years, there has been a shift away from cash with more customers choosing to pay for things digitally or with contactless cards. According to the most recent industry statistics, cash represented 12 per cent of all payments, down from around one-quarter in 2020, and 60 per cent back in 2008.
LINK’s latest analysis shows that the total value of cash withdrawn from cash machines in every single constituency of the UK has seen a significant fall since COVID. In 2019, £116 billion was withdrawn from ATMs compared to £80bn in 2024, a 31 per cent fall.
This means UK banking customers are withdrawing £100 million less from ATMs every day compared to before the pandemic.
As customers use less cash, total ATM transaction numbers, which includes balance enquires, have also fallen significantly. In 2019, there were 1.73 billion transactions compared to 921 million in 2024, a 47 per cent drop.
However, LINK data shows that the average withdrawal value has increased from £65 to £85 over the same time period. Consumers are visiting ATMs less, but when they do they take out more cash.
Assessing the level of decline in transactions across the parliamentary constituencies reveals significant geographic differences. Over the five years, we can see which parts of the country have moved away from cash more quickly and slowly. The data shows:
The total cash withdrawn from ATMs has fallen in every single constituency across the UK with the average constituency withdrawing £1m less every week.
The fastest move away from cash has been in city centres and more affluent constituencies with Bristol Central, Edinburgh North & Leith and Westminster seeing the biggest shift
Areas with higher levels of deprivation and digital exclusion are moving away from cash more slowly
The top 50 constituencies where people have moved away from cash the fastest are dominated by English and Scottish constituencies
Northern Ireland is the ‘cash heaviest’ part of the UK with the average adult still withdrawing £2,274 in 2024, compared to the national average of £1,424.
Yet cash is still critical to every high street. Even in the quietest and most remote constituencies, over £400,000 was still withdrawn from LINK ATMs every month last year. In total, £79.5bn was withdrawn across the country, and surveys show around five million people still depend on cash.
LINK runs a national financial inclusion programme ensuring that, despite changing consumer behaviour, people can still access cash for free. Some 93.6 per cent of people live within one mile of access to cash.
“COVID changed how we live, how we work, and for many people, how we manage our cash,” John Howells, LINK chief executive, commented.
“Cash use remains popular – we still withdrew £250m a day in 2024. The fact that areas which are more deprived are moving away from cash more slowly is a timely reminder that we cannot afford to leave anyone behind, and that we need to focus more on digital inclusion as part of how technology is rolled out across the UK.”
20 areas with fastest declines in ATM withdrawals*
20 areas with slowest declines in ATM withdrawals*
Constituency
Decline
Constituency
Decline
Bristol Central
-67%
Weald of Kent
-22%
Edinburgh North and Leith
-67%
Leicester East
-27%
Cities of London and Westminster
-66%
West Tyrone
-28%
Edinburgh South
-65%
Knowsley
-28%
Holborn and St Pancras
-65%
Bradford South
-29%
Edinburgh East and Musselburgh
-64%
Mid Ulster
-29%
Glasgow North
-64%
Kingston upon Hull East
-30%
Sheffield Central
-64%
Birmingham Yardley
-30%
York Central
-64%
Wolverhampton South East
-31%
Leeds Central and Headingley
-63%
Belfast West
-31%
Oxford West and Abingdon
-62%
Hartlepool
-31%
Islington South and Finsbury
-61%
Bradford East
-32%
Edinburgh West
-61%
Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare
-32%
Wimbledon
-61%
Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland
-32%
Brighton Pavilion
-61%
Easington
-32%
Winchester
-60%
Fermanagh and South Tyrone
-32%
Bath
-60%
Birmingham Perry Barr
-33%
Edinburgh South West
-60%
Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North
-33%
Cardiff South and Penarth
-60%
Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney
-33%
Nottingham East
-60%
North Durham
-33%
* Volume of cash withdrawals from LINK ATMs, 2019 vs. 2024. ATMs within the 2024 constituency boundaries used for comparison in both 2019 and 2024.
Warnings have been issued against slush ice drinks by medical researchers, saying that poor transparency around slush ice drink glycerol concentration makes estimating a safe dose tricky.
Public health advice on the safe consumption of glycerol-containing slush ice drinks, also known as slushees, may need revising, stated medical researchers after carrying out a detailed review of the medical notes of 21 children who became acutely unwell shortly after drinking one of these products.
Brightly coloured slush ice drinks are designed to appeal to children, note the researchers. Slush machines are becoming a common fixture in convenience stores as retailers are increasingly recognising the potential for increased foot traffic and profits.
The findings, published in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood, show that in each case the child became acutely unwell with a cluster of symptoms soon after drinking a slush ice drink, which the researchers refer to as glycerol intoxication syndrome.
The clinical and biochemical features were similar in all of these children and included reduced consciousness, a sudden sharp drop in blood sugar (hypoglycaemia), and a build-up of acid in the blood (metabolic acidosis).
Such symptoms, when they occur together, can indicate poisoning or inherited metabolic disorders, prompting further investigations.
While the ingredients vary, most of those available in the UK and Ireland are ‘no added sugar’ or ‘sugar free’ products and contain glycerol (E422, also known as glycerin), they add.
Glycerol stops the ice from fully freezing, so maintaining the slush effect in the absence of a high sugar content, they explain.
With a view to informing public health policy and guidance for parents, the researchers scrutinised the medical notes of 21 children who had become acutely unwell after consuming a slush ice drink and had initially been diagnosed with hypoglycaemia after their arrival in emergency care.
According to the study, 93 per cent of the children became ill within 60 minutes while one child had a seizure.
Twenty children had documented hypoglycaemia (blood glucose 2.6 mmol/l or below); but in 13 (65 per cent) this was even lower, indicating severe hypoglycaemia.
All the children recovered quickly after initial resuscitation and stabilisation of their blood glucose and were discharged with advice to avoid slush ice drinks.
Based on some of the cases in this series, the UK Food Standards Agency recommended that young children (4 and under) shouldn’t be given slush ice drinks containing glycerol, and that those aged 10 or younger should not have more than one.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) followed suit with similar guidance in 2024.
But the researchers believe that these recommendations may no longer be enough.
“There is poor transparency around slush ice drink glycerol concentration; estimating a safe dose is therefore not easy.
"It is also likely that speed and dose of ingestion, along with other aspects, such as whether the drink is consumed alongside a meal or during a fasting state, or consumed after high-intensity exercise, may be contributing factors,” they write.
“Food Standards Scotland and the FSAI suggested that 125 mg/kg of body weight per hour is the lowest dose that is associated with negative health effects.
"For a toddler this may equate to 50–220 ml of a slush ice drink. The standard size drink sold in the UK and Ireland is 500 ml,” they point out.
Given that these drinks don’t confer any nutritional or health benefits, “recommendations on their safe consumption therefore need to be weighted towards safety,” they suggest.
“To ensure safe population-level recommendations can be easily interpreted at the individual parental level, and given the variability across an age cohort of weight, we suggest that recommendations should be based on weight rather than age.
"Alternatively, the recommended age threshold may need to be higher (8 years), to ensure the dose per weight would not be exceeded, given normal population variation in weight," mentions the report.
Retail crime is on the rise and the impact on staff, businesses and communities can be overwhelming, shows a Scottish retail industry's report released today (13), prompting calls from retailers for urgent support.
Figures published in the SGF Crime Report & Safer Business Guide 2024/25, reveal the appalling escalation in retail crime in recent years is only getting worse, while the sector continues to call for urgent action from government.
Findings gathered from convenience retailers all over Scotland by the trade association show that almost two thirds of stores (62.5 per cent) now have at least one member of staff who has experienced mental health and wellbeing issues as a result retail crime.
While 83.5 per cent of those surveyed report an increase in violence toward shop workers.
Adding to that, the average cost of retail crime skyrocketed to £19,673 per store in 2024-25 (up 38 per cent from the previous year).
Scaling up the sample to represent all 5,220 convenience stores in Scotland, this accounts for an annual cost of approximately £102.7 million which is crippling the sector.
Information gathered for the report and published during the SGF annual Crime Seminar, being held at Doubletree by Hilton, Edinburgh, shows that almost all (99.8 per cent) convenience retailers agree that shoplifting has increased in the past year, while 99.5 per cent say that shoplifting is now a daily occurrence.
More than eight out of every ten stores report that Hate Crime occurs once a month, while almost all say that violence against staff occurs at least once a month (83.3 per cent and 99.6 per cent respectively).
Likewise, almost all (98.8 per cent) of respondents also report experiencing weekly incidents of abuse when refusing a sale or when asking for proof of age.
SGF Chief Executive, Dr Pete Cheema OBE, said, “The reality for many shop workers across Scotland is that each time they go to work, they risk being assaulted, stabbed, spat on, threatened, or abused.
"Our latest Crime Report which has been published at the SGF Crime Seminar in Edinburgh today, shows the true extent of crime devastating the Scottish convenience sector.
“Across every metric, retail crime is on the rise and the impact on staff, businesses and communities can be overwhelming. That is why we have named our event today ‘Retail Crime - A Threat We Can’t Ignore!’, and our question to the government is, what will it take for decision makers to act?
“Retailers desperately need urgent support, now. The police and courts can’t cope, and many crimes are going unreported because retailers don’t believe the authorities will respond.
"Offenders know they’re unlikely to face any consequences for their crimes and even if they are arrested, many will spend years awaiting conviction.
“Finally, I want to thank everyone who helped make today’s event a reality, we have some wonderful speakers from the likes of Police Scotland, Facewatch and Holyrood. Without their support and the support of our members and sponsors, SGF would not have the impact we do.”
Analysis of the data also reveals a fall in confidence in the Scottish Justice System to tackle the growing problem of retail crime. With, for example, almost half (48.2 per cent) of respondents saying they are either unlikely or very unlikely to report shoplifting incidents to the police.