Page 12 - link magazine

Community News
Swindon’s wheelie bin waste proving to be

a powerful source of fuel

A year after a £6 million investment
by Public Power Solutions to turn
what we throw away into fuel was
launched, the project is proving
successful in diverting waste from
being dumped in the ground.
And instead of having to pay
£4 million annually in landfill
charges, Swindon Borough Council
is receiving benefits from a
reduced cost of disposal as well as
income from improved recovery of
recyclables.
The waste to fuel plant at
Waterside Park was designed and Christabel Banks-Coffey with bales of waste ready for export, outside the SRF drying plant
managed by Swindon Council
company Public Power Solutions Ltd blowers, magnets and magnetic is the only local authority in the system. It’s surprising how much
and puts the town at the forefront force fields to separate material country which has set up an SRF metal we pick up from black bins,
of waste management in Britain. that can be recycled, such as grits plant and the long term investment about 2 tons a day. Aluminium cans,
Residents currently separate about and metal, from that which can be is paying off. We launched in late which could be put into recycling
35.8 per cent of waste – glass, further processed. 2013 and are now diverting 90 per boxes, make up the bulk of the
paper, plastic and garden waste – for At the end of the conveyor belt cent of the waste that used to go metal. There are a lot of pots, pans,
kerbside collection, recycling and the separated and shredded waste into landfill. Every ton of waste woks and also old washing racks,
resale back into industry - down is passed through a giant dryer to being dumped in the ground costs and also high value metals like lead,
from 50 per cent in 2010. People also reduce the moisture content to the council taxpayer in the region copper and brass.
take bulky items to the household flakes of solid recovered fuel (SRF), of £103. “This is separated from general
recycling centre at Waterside Park, waste that has been dried to a “Over the last year we’ve waste and taken into another
adjacent to the Solid Recovered Fuel specified level to produce a higher processed 57,000 tons of waste building where a team of people
Plant where every day up to 200 quality fuel. This is then baled and but from 1st February, with the physically pick through the metal
tons of black bin rubbish picked up transported to a power station in introduction of new shift patterns, on a conveyor belt before it goes
from the kerbside is taken. Latvia or packed into containers and we aim to deal with 70,000 tons. past a magnet. The metal is then
There it is mechanically sorted on taken to Portugal to power cement The plant has the capacity to deal mechanically sorted again and
long conveyor belts which carries making kilns. with 90,000 tons a year so we’re baled ready to be picked by metal
waste through a series of rotating Christabel Banks-Coffey, Head developing a market in local waste recycling merchants. This cleaned
drums, sieves, vibrating screens, air of Waste Solutions said: “Swindon by taking material from private ferrous and non-ferrous metals is
waste contractors. The plant was worth a lot more than if left mixed
Recycling charity seeks community built to cope with the continued with plastic bags and dirt.
investment in a replacement van expansion of the town. “This year we will be carrying out
“Our plant started by producing tests on how to clean the sand,
Refused Derived Fuel (RDF) which grit, vacuum cleaner dirt and cat
is not such good quality because litter mixed up in the black bin
of the higher moisture level. The waste. This is sieved out from the
upgrade to SRF means we produce waste sorting line and dumped into
fuel with a high calorific value to landfill because its contaminated. If
deliver a consistent energy output it can be efficiently cleaned we can
needed for different industrial recycle it.
processes. None of the fuel is used “As a company we’re always
in Swindon, it’s all used elsewhere. looking at new technologies which
Unfortunately there isn’t yet a we can use to turn waste into a
market in this country, but there is value product, and also find local
demand for SRF in Northern Europe markets for it.”
and Portugal.” PPS might be using a combination
Restore manager Ian Howard in the old and costly van Some waste is still difficult to of technology and physical effort to
deal with. Mattresses, being large sort waste and Christabel says the
Swindon Restore has launched an These items are sold at low
eight week fundraising appeal on affordable prices at the Restore to handle and full of densely woven council taxpayer would be helped if
Crowdfunder.co.uk to replace their shop at St John’s Church Hall, material and steel springs which are all residents see their service as the
long wheel based vehicle which is Whitbourne Avenue to people difficult to disassemble, still have last in the waste chain which is:
costing a fortune to keep on the unable to afford the basics. Many to go to landfill. uPVC windows and • don’t produce so much waste
road. customers require their purchases doors contain harmful chemicals if • reuse it where possible
The charity works with the long to be delivered at cost price which burnt, and are also buried. Shoes • sort it into recycling boxes for
term unemployed and those unable make a reliable vehicle a necessity. and trainers are problematic too as collection or take large items to
to access the workplace due to ill The appeal can be found at www. they have a high calorific value and Waterside Park
health. Most of its money comes crowdfunder.co.uk in the charity PPS is testing equipment to break • put it into the wheelie bin for
from collecting and selling second section, under the title of Swindon down and shred them. responsible disposal.
hand furniture and other goods Restore van project. Christabel added: “In the last six Find out more at:
such as clothing, toys, books and Find out more by calling Restore months PPS has also introduced an www.publicpowersolutions.co.uk
household goods. on 01793 978045. improved metals recovery sorting
12 swindonlink.com n February 2016