Recycling in Cambridgeshire & Peterborough

RECAP News

29/09/2006 - CAMBRIDGESHIRE MOVES TOWARDS REDUCING LANDFILLED WASTE

Council chiefs have appointed local company Donarbon Limited as the Preferred Bidder for a long term contract to help reduce Cambridgeshire’s growing waste problem. Cambridgeshire County Council is looking at ways of reducing the thousands of tonnes of ru

Following six months of in-depth evaluation of bids from three companies, members of Cambridgeshire County Council’s Cabinet selected Donarbon Ltd as the Preferred Bidder.

Donarbon are proposing to build a new Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT) facility at their existing Waterbeach landfill and recycling site on the A10 north of Cambridge.

The new MBT facility will treat mixed household waste by mechanically removing some materials and biologically treating others. This process will recover some materials for recycling and produce a stabilised compost-like material which can be used in certain land restoration activities. It can also be landfilled with less environmental consequences than untreated mixed waste.

European countries such as Germany and Austria, who are world leaders in recycling, already use the technology. This system also has the added benefit that new technologies and treatments can be added in the future.

The decision to pursue an MBT solution is consistent with the Council’s Waste Strategy – adopted after extensive public consultation in 2002 – in which the need to use technologies that use thermal or biological treatments to treat mixed waste is recognised. Donarbon’s MBT solution is preferred over an alternative type of MBT system proposed by Shanks and an Energy-from-Waste incineration option proposed by the Waste Recycling Group.

Cambridgeshire already tops recycling leagues and is a Beacon Council with its District Council partners for waste and recycling. But it still has to spend £7 million each year landfilling thousands of tonnes of rubbish that cannot currently be treated. From 2010 Government is set to fine authorities £150 for every tonne they go over strict landfill limits.

Like other authorities across the UK, Cambridgeshire has been looking at ways to reduce the amount of rubbish residents produce, encourage the re-use of goods, improve recycling and deal with the waste left over.

The Waste PFI Project is a long-term Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contract which includes the design, build and management of new facilities to treat household waste from Cambridgeshire.

Cambridgeshire County Councillor John Reynolds, Cabinet Member for Environment and Community Services, said: “The amount of rubbish that Cambridgeshire people produce continues to grow and with thousands of new homes due to be built, it will only increase further. Reducing the amount of rubbish that is landfilled through reducing, reusing and recycling is vital and we will continue to make this our main aim. However, waste treatment technologies also have a part to play in reducing the use of landfill as well as preventing Cambridgeshire being fined by Government for exceeding its targets. We look forward to talking further with Donarbon to bring these new and more environmentally friendly treatments forward.”

Jim Edmeades Director of Donarbon, said: "We are delighted with the Cabinet's decision. It is great news for Donarbon and the culmination of a great deal of hard work over the past 12 months. It is a fantastic achievement for a small family owned Cambridgeshire business and will secure both the company and the employees for many years to come."

Cambridgeshire County Council’s Cabinet met today Tuesday, September 26 to discuss the recommendation. The Council’s watchdog Environment and Community Services Scrutiny Committee will discuss the issue tomorrow, September 27.

More negotiations will take place with Donarbon as the Preferred Bidder and a final decision on awarding the 28-year contract will be made in early 2007.

More information about the Waste PFI Project is available on the County Council’s website at www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/wastepfi