Bristol firm acts to boost skip separation levels

With ongoing discussion over how to sort material from skips to ensure that it meets lower landfill tax criteria, Bristol-based waste management company McCarthy Marland has purchased a Max X Tract and Flex X Tract to improve its separation of trommel fines.

At present, skip hire firms and trade bodies are seeking clarification of existing landfill tax boundaries following a reminder from Her Majestys Revenue & Customs (HMRC) last year that inert material landfilled attracts tax at 2.50 a tonne, with non-qualifying material charged the higher rate 72 a tonne. This is set to increase to 80 per tonne in April 2014.

As well as carrying out collection and skip hire services in the Bristol area, McCarthy Marland, a partnership between directors Alex Marland and Kevin McCarthy of McCarthy Waste Management, accepts third party construction and demolition waste from Bristol, Bath, and Weston-Super-Mare.

Speaking to letsrecycle.com, Mr Marland explained the firm had purchased the Max-Tract density separator from UK-based supplier Worsley Plant in May this year for its performance, capacity and for the assurance of lower disposal costs.

He said: The criteria we were looking for is that it had to be well-built with the capacity to take more material than we actually needed, so to avoid blockages or complications. It was up and running by July; before then we had to cope with higher disposal costs.

Screening

Manufactured by Ireland-based producer Waste Systems, the Flex X Tract and Max X Tract recovers stone, steel, and soil from qualifying material under 50mm that has undergone frontend screening. The leftover waste fraction of the feedstock, which is initially fed into a hopper, is separated during the process and sent for disposal at the higher rate of tax.

The company explained that the recovered stone is crushed into an aggregate, and the sub soils sand and grit is sent to landfill at a lower rate of tax. The firm is currently researching whether this uncontaminated product could be mixed with compost and potentially meet the PAS100 standard.

Commenting on the machinery, a spokeswoman for Worsley Plant which last month won a CIWM award for environmental excellence – said: The Max X Tract uses the latest technology in material separation and is helping businesses like McCarthy Marland who manage large volumes of waste material to extract valuable material including -8mm trommel fines, which in turn is reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill.

For all our customers who we work with since its launch, we are helping them generate extra revenue through trading of those commodities, whilst reducing waste disposal costs associated with landfill tax and at the same time boosting environmental performance.

Market

Since entering the market almost three years ago, the Max X Tract has to date sold about 35 units in the UK with demand spiking last year when the HMRC announced the changes to landfill tax in May 2012 (see letsrecycle.com story).

Mr Marland added: In my opinion, you could say that HMRC is trying to crack a nut with a sledgehammer. Companies that respect the rules will always have the right equipment in place, and I think the main issue here is shredding, where the waste is blended. I think HMRC needs to refer to that somewhere in their guidance; to say shredding waste before it goes into the trommel is unacceptable.

At the moment we are working to raise our exposure more. Since Kevin and I joined together in 2012 we have strived to make sure we have strong systems in place. We have now strengthened the business and further down the line we are looking to expand with a second site.

HMRC

The practical operation of plants and separation of material is currently being assessed by HMRC which is still considering the issues around the lower rate and how the material is processed.

And, it is under some pressure from some in the waste management who would like to see the inert fee raised. But, there is no clarity on this at present with an announcement now not expected on future landfill tax rises until the Budget which is expected in March 2014.

Earlier this month, trade associations including the Environmental Services Association (ESA) and Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM), expressed their disappointment when Chancellor George Osbourne made no mention of landfill tax in his Autumn Statement (see letsrecycle.com story).