The new facility, on the Canvey Road, replaces the old civic amenity site at Newlands, which has just closed as the adjacent landfill site is to be developed into a new country park.
“A quarter of household waste in Essex comes through civic amenity sites, so they're very important,” said Kay Twitchen, cabinet member for waste and recycling at Essex. “We've got up to 50% recycling, and we're going to get it up further. If we can't do it, frankly no-one can, because we're putting the money in and we've got the determination as well. It's up to people like us to lead the way.”
 left to right: Castle Point mayor, CS Smith; Kay Twitchen, Essex cabinet member for waste and recycling; Ray Howard, county councillor for Canvey Island West |
The facility has been designed to provide more space for the public – with room for 60 vehicles at any one time – signage includes a clearly laid-out map of the site, along with the use of specific colours to identify containers for recyclable (coded green), non-recyclable residual wastes (black) and other wastes (red).
Essex hopes that the new site will improve on the record of the Newlands site, which saw 49% of its waste recycled, to reach at least 60%, a recycling rate that has already been achieved by high performing sites at Mountnessing in Brentford, West Mersea in Colchester and South Woodham Ferrers in Chelmsford.
Ms Twitchen, who also chairs the Local Government Association waste executive, told letsrecycle.com: “We refurbished a site at Mountnessing last year, and we went from 33% recycling to over 50 just like that – with the same people, the same volumes. I think once it was a nicer site more people used it, but it was simply easy for them to sort their recyclables from their waste. Before, they were just coming, getting rid of their waste and then it was out the gates as fast as they could.”
She went on: “We're hoping with this site that because it's so well laid out, the people will take that little bit of extra trouble.”
Recyclable material will be going to various reprocessors, including a contract for Aylesford Newsprint to take the newspapers and magazines, with non-recyclable material being taken to the nearby landfill site run by Cleanaway at Pitsea. Members of the public will also be able to buy 'soil improver' at the site, made from organic waste.
Trade
Trade waste will be excluded from the new site, with various measures being taken to ensure that no commercial firm attempts to use the site for waste disposal. As well as restrictions on the amount of soil and hardcore that can be brought in, there is a height barrier to prevent tall vehicles entering and a closed-circuit television system to monitor the facility.
“Our contractors and their staff, under the terms of their contract, know they've got to keep out trade waste,” said David Tuthill, Essex county council waste manager, “and one way we help them is by using a waste minimisation bonus.”
The contractors running the new site, Basildon-based G H Vaughan Contractors, will receive a bonus if staff are vigilant in turning away anyone attempting to dispose of trade waste. If they keep the levels of trade waste below a certain pre-set level, then the saving made by the council will be split with the contractors.
“That's in addition to a financial incentive for the contractor to recycle,” Mr Tuthill said, “the more they recycle, the more they earn that way as well.”
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