Preston green waste recycler granted ABP approval

TEG now plans to upgrade the plant at Sherdley Farm, which has been operating as a pilot food waste composting plant since the year 2000.

TEG Environmental's plant in Preston which is now ABP approved

The site has achieved the EU standard ABP approval, which represents the highest classification possible in the organic waste treatment market. The State Veterinary Service gave the site the all clear last month.

Capacity

Work is now underway on increasing the capacity of the facility, which was originally 5,000 tonnes per annum. The facility uses TEG Silo cages, and the company will be moving the current cages in order to increase capacity to 7,000 tonnes per annum. A second line will be added by the end of May 2006, giving the site a total capacity of 14,000 tonnes.

TEG Environmental is finalising contracts with local food producers that will provide material for the plant. According to Mick Fishwick, chief executive of TEG Environmental, the area has a high number of food manufacturers.

He said: “We have a contract signed with a manufacturer of pizzas, and we are close to finalising a deal with a seafood producer. The site will take waste specifically from the private sector, there is so much around that we could have filled the plant several times over.”

Process

TEG's Silo-Cage system treats material in a continuous flow over a period of up to 14 days, subject to temperatures sufficient to render the animal by-products harmless. Resulting compost can then be matured for between eight and 21 days before use.

Achieving the EU standard acknowledges that TEG's technology is capable of producing compost that reaches and maintains for at least one hour a temperature of 70 degrees centigrade.

TEG Environmental now plans to introduce new plants across England. Mr Fishwick said that a much bigger plant in Scotland would be operational later in 2006, while planning permission had been obtained in Swansea.

The plant at Glenfarg in Perth, Scotland – which is set to have a 35,000 tonne per annum capacity – is to be run as part of TEG Environmental's largest ever contract.

Mr Fishwick added: “Achieving EU standard ABP approval can be a drawn out process, but the procedure should be quicker now that we have permission for the first plant.”