The Hertfordshire Waste Partnership has revealed that its recycling rate may have fallen by as much as 5% during 2012/13, while the amount of waste sent to energy from waste facilities has risen significantly during the same period.
This is among the details outlined in the groups 2012/13 provisional annual report, presented to councillors of the eleven local authorities that make up the Partnership – Hertfordshire county council and the ten Hertfordshire district councils, at a meeting last week (October 28).
The report claims that 2012/13 was a difficult year for the Partnership, citing the continued impact of the recession for a fall in its recycling rate from 50.4% in 2011/12 to 45.5% by March 2013.
It continues: At the same time 2012/13 saw a significant increase in the amount of non recycled wastes sent to energy recovery which combined with recycling and composting resulted in almost two thirds (65.4%) of the household waste generated in Hertfordshire diverted away from landfill a significant achievement.
Figures published in the report show that in total, 104,860 tonnes of dry recycling were generated by the Hertfordshire councils, a 13,254 tonne drop when compared to the previous year.
Waste
Meanwhile, the amount of residual waste treated through EfW saw a jump of 26,890 tonnes, with more than 97,560 tonnes treated via the energy recovery route, while a further 165,174 tonnes were landfilled and 117,527 treated via composting.
Waste from the county is currently being deposited at landfill sites at Bletchley in Buckinghamshire, Milton in Cambridgeshire, both operated by FCC, and Westmill in Hertfordshire which is run by Biffa. Meanwhile, waste is being sent for incineration at the Edmonton EfW facility in North London operated by LondonWaste and to the Lakeside EfW at Colnbrook near Slough run by Viridor and Grundon.
Hatfield EfW
Plans are in place for Hertfordshires residual waste to be treated at a 380,000 tonne capacity EfW facility to be operated by waste and recycling firm Veolia Environmental Services near Hatfield, under an 800 million PFI-funded waste contract with the county council, originally signed in August 2011 (see letsrecycle.com story).
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A planning inquiry into the proposed facility was concluded last week, after the plans were called in for consideration by Communities Secretary Eric Pickles in January 2013, having originally been given consent by the council in October 2012 (see letsrecycle.com story).
A final decision on the plant is expected to be given by the end of March 2014, which if in favour of the countys decision, could see the plant becoming fully operational by November 2017.
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