The Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority is expected to agree to its new 25-year joint municipal waste management strategy, which will help lay the foundations for a multi-billion pound waste contract set for 2008.
”The strategy sets out targets and solutions that are financially acceptable, technically possible and will reduce the impact on the environment. “
– Cllr John Fletcher, MWDA
The strategy will aim to increase the area's 13.4% recycling rate and avoid rising disposal charges. It will also aim to avoid “hefty” fines that could be imposed on Merseyside taxpayers if the council partnership fails to reduce landfill rates.
Cllr John Fletcher, chairman of the MWDA, said: “It is estimated that to implement a strategy, recycle more waste and keep waste out of landfill would cost around 42 million per year by 2014 – but if we don’t, costs could reach up to 70 million by the end of the decade.
“To put it simply, we must keep any cost increases that council tax payers will have to pay to acceptable levels,” he added.
Consultation
At the meeting, councillors from Merseyside's five local authorities – Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and the Wirral – will examine key findings of a consultation that heard views from questionnaires sent to 10,000 members of the public.
Overall, 89.2% of residents “strongly agreed” that the Authority should aim to recycle at least 40% of household waste. Among the options for the residual waste, the most popular was for 50% mechanical biological treatment with energy recovery and 10% landfill.
PFI
The Authority's new strategy will see an approach made to Defra for financial assistance under the Private Finance Initiative to entice private investment into new infrastructure and services.
A long-term, multi-billion pound waste contract, likely to stretch at least 25 years in length, is expected to be put out to tender for a operational start in 2008.
While decisions are yet to be taken on precise methods of waste management for residual waste within the strategy, the strategy does set recycling and waste reduction targets including:
- By 2005, a recycling rate of 22% and landfill reduced to 78%
- By 2010, a recycling rate of 33% and landfill reduced to 52%
- By 2015, a recycling rate of 38% and landfill reduced to 16%
- By 2020, a recycling rate of 44% and landfill reduced to 10%
- Waste growth reduced to 0% by 2020
Cllr Fletcher said: “The strategy sets out targets and solutions that are financially acceptable, technically possible and will reduce the impact on the environment in the long term. It seeks to reduce waste, increase recycling and find new technologies that keep the cost of waste management at affordable levels.”
The MWDA chairman said the Authority would also be working with the Clean Merseyside Centre to develop end markets to turn former waste materials into useful products.
Infrastructure
Under the strategy, the period between 2010 and 2015 will be key to the success of the Authority – the five years will require a drop in landfill rates from 52% to just 16%. During this period new waste management infrastructure should come on line.
MWDA spokesperson Colette Gill said the PFI contract could use a “raft of different options”, possibly including mechanical biological treatment, anaerobic digestion, in-vessel composting and materials recycling facilities.
Before the new PFI gets up to speed, all Merseyside districts are committed to move to separate collection of dry recyclables, biodegradable waste and residual waste, ultimately moving to fortnightly residual waste collections. The kerbside collection of kitchen waste is to be provided by 2010, while bring banks and recycling centres will be improved.
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The Authority has already opened a new waste management park at Sefton (see letsrecycle.com story) and is to build another facility at Bidston. Opening in late 2006, this new facility is to include an in-vessel composting plant with 10,400 tonnes of capacity a year, a MRF with 30,000 tonnes of sorting capacity as well as a 200,000 tonnes-per-annum transfer station.
Further plans are being proposed for an in-vessel composting plant for Gillmoss in Liverpool, which has already received Defra funding support. This plant would be designed to handle 15,600 tonnes of household kitchen and garden waste, and could be operational in early 2006.
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