Operators Viridor Waste Management said today that the fire broke out in the storage area for sorted paper at the plant approximately 11am, but was extinguished within three hours.
” We should be able to continue to provide comprehensive recycling services to our clients with minimal disruption “
– Graham Warren, Viridor
Eight fire service vehicles were called to the incident at the site near Ipswich, but the company said no one was injured during the blaze.
Damage was mainly restricted to the recycled paper bay, although at least two conveyor belts and power cables in the main building, which houses all of the automated sorting equipment and manual picking lines, have also been affected.
Disruption
Viridor said it was “confident that the quick and effective action taken on site by employees and the emergency services should ensure that disruption to recycling services in Suffolk will be minimal”.
A full investigation into the incident is now underway.
Graham Warren, Viridor regional director, said: “I would like to praise the swift response of Viridor employees on site who implemented our procedures quickly and helped contain the fire. I’d also like to thank the fire service for their vital assistance.
Review
“We are reviewing the full extent of the damage caused but there appears to be no structural damage, and we should be able to continue to provide comprehensive recycling services to our clients with minimal disruption. Local recycling kerbside collections will be unaffected,” Mr Warren added.
One of 13 materials recycling facilities operated by Viridor around the country, the Masons MRF serves a group of six local authorities in Suffolk under the banner of the Suffolk Recycling Consortium.
The plant had recently undergone a substantial 2 million upgrade to install cutting-edge mechanical sorting technology.
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