An Essex-based skip hire firm has invested in new technology to improve its separation of trommel fines, road sweepings and gully waste to curb escalating landfill costs.
Eastern Waste Disposal (EWD) purchased equipment from technology firm CDEnviro Recycling, which has been installed at its recycling plant in Brightlingsea. The company claims the installation of the equipment is a first for the UK.
EWD director Danny Carter commented that the investment in new technology will allow it to keep ahead of its industry competitors, whilst also keeping disposal costs at a minimum.
He said: In recent years waste disposal has turned to waste recovery and recycling. Equipment, technology and plant require huge capital investment but we knew we had to keep ahead of the industry to remain competitive in the growing waste sector.
We are in a position now to improve the quality of our recycled products and create a more sustainable market for our customers. The CDEnviro system has allowed us to unlock the potential of road sweepings and treat trommel fines as a resource not just a waste.
Contamination
Material delivered to the site on Morse’s Lane Industrial Estate, is passed through a CDEnviro high attrition scrubbing system, which removes chemical contamination from inert material, before being washed and sized to produce sand, grit and stone.
Ferrous metals are then removed and stockpiled, with organic material passed through a picking station to remove further contaminants and collect plastic and non-metal products. Fine silt is also dewatered and can be reused within applications such as landfill restoration.
Eastern Waste Disposal technical sales manager Darren Eastwood added: We dont consider ourselves as simply another material processing company. We ensure we have a complete understanding of the contamination present within each feed stock and set up our water treatment process systems to focus on these contaminants accordingly.
‘Equipment, technology and plant require huge capital investment but we knew we had to keep ahead of the industry to remain competitive in the growing waste sector.’
Danny Carter, Eastern Waste Disposal director
This ensures we always wash new waste with recycled water and ensure a consistent quality of washed product. This unseen side of washing is critical to the process of recycling on a chemical level.
The investment comes after Her Majestys Revenue & Customs (HMRC) stated in 2012 that fines from trommels and screens which in the past would have been charged the lower landfill tax rate of 2.50 for inert material, are charged at the full rate for active material (see letsrecycle.com story).
The higher rate of landfill tax currently stands at 72 per tonne and is set to increase further to 80 per tonne in April 2014.
Guidance
Waste firms are still awaiting clarity from HMRC over the exact application of the landfill tax rate, in the form of guidance which is expected to be finalised early this year.
Skip hire trade body United Resource Operators Confederation (UROC) has confirmed it will meet with HMRC to discuss a date for clarification of landfill tax rules on January 29.
Gary Ellison, director of UROC, told letsrecycle.com that while some firms like Eastern Waste Disposal were currently investing a significant amount in machinery to separate trommel fines, others consider it a waste of money as they are still susceptible to paying a high rate of tax.
He also warned the industry is in a state of limbo, with firms unsure whether to invest in equipment while clarification was yet to be confirmed.
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