The company has placed 40 paper and cardboard recycling banks in 33 sites in Leicester which includes supermarkets and leisure centres. The new blue banks from Randalls Fabrication replace smaller banks previously in use.
Mick Davis, Biffa Leicester’s general manager, said: “We expect that around 50-60 tonnes of waste paper and card will be collected for recycling every month. In fact we have undertaken a full audit of all the paper and cardboard recycling banks in Leicester and this has led to us to provide extra bins and increase the frequency of collections in the places where they are found to be most quickly filled.”
The new banks are to support the kerbside collection of mixed cans, plastic bottles, cardboard, paper and magazines. Biffa is expected to take over the collection of the city’s waste in February 2004. In 2002-03 the council recycled 12% of the 135,000 tonnes of waste it collected the council has a 2003-04 target of 20%.
Biffa Leicester has also said that it will send a collection vehicle to any of the paper bring sites that are reported to be full by the public. Mr Davis said: “We want to avoid a situation where people who want to recycle find they can’t because bins are full.”
Biffa has a 25-year waste management contract with Leicester city council worth £300 million, with £30 million support in PFI funding from the government (see letsrecycle.com story). The waste management company has set up the subsidiary Biffa Leicester to take charge of the contract and procurement.
Anaerobic digester
Biffa Leicester’s plans for the city’s waste include an anaerobic digester, a ball mill and waste minimization and recycling promotional campaign.
The £7 million anaerobic digester for composting the city’s organic waste is being built at the Wanlip site in Leicestershire, which is owned by Biffa’s parent company, Severn Trent Water. The methane gas from the waste rotting in the absence of oxygen will be burnt for electricity and the compost will be sold to the agricultural industry. The company had no difficultly in obtaining planning permission for the 40,000 tonnes per year plant, which is due to start operations in March or April 2004.
Also under construction is the ball mill, which is based on German technology. It will convert paper and plastic waste unsuitable for recycling into fuel for cement works, replacing fossil fuel.
Mr Davis said: “Work on the construction of the ball mill and anaerobic digester is proceeding very well. We are on target to deliver these facilities in line with our schedule and look forward to the commencement of operations in 2004.”
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