The MRF, which is located at the firms existing site, contains state-of-the-art equipment to separate mixed recyclables collected from households, including plastics, metals, paper and glass.
The facility uses 11 types of sorting equipment including overband magnets to extract steel cans, eddy current separators for aluminium cans, screening systems to remove glass and near infrared separators for different types of plastics and paper.
The equipment was supplied by recycling manufacturers Masias Recycling SL. The facility was built by VINCI Construction UK Ltd.
The plant has an initial capacity of 60,000 tonnes-a-year, with material coming from households and local businesses. However, once commissioning is complete, AmeyCespa said the capacity could be increased to 100,000 tonnes-a-year which will allow the firm to take recyclables from other nearby councils and businesses. A spokeswoman for AmeyCespa said the firm would look at this when other contracts come online and it reaches the point where they need additional capacity to meet customer requirements.
Work began on the plant in February 2012 (see letsrecycle.com story) after AmeyCespa was awarded a contract by South Cambridgeshire district council to process household recyclables.
Solution
Commenting on the facility, Paul Greenwell, managing director for AmeyCespa, said: We are pleased to have reached a point where we can start processing this material locally and really make a difference to the amount of Cambridgeshires waste which is being recycled.
The great thing about the plant is that it allows us to offer a local recycling solution for the county, complementing the other facilities we have on our site to deal with Cambridgeshires waste.
Councillor Sue Ellington, cabinet member for environmental services at South Cambridgeshire district council, added that the facility will enable the materials to be processed locally.
The new plant opening is a timely reminder for our residents to try and do all they can to recycle. Paper is particularly important as if it is put in the separate caddy in the top of the blue bin it can be recycled into higher quality products.
Dry recyclables are collected commingled from households in blue wheeled bins. Paper and card are collected separately in a caddy which is slotted inside the bin.
The opening of the MRF comes just over a month after the firm announced that its mechanical biological treatment (MBT) facility, also located at Waterbeach, may be out of action until January 2014 following a mechanical failure in September 2012 (see letsrecycle.com story).
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