When operational, the MRF will process 40,000 tonnes per year of recyclables from local authorities and commercial sources. It is being built in the Mole Valley district council area and the authority has been supporting the project for several years.
Sue Threader, director of services at Mole Valley district council, said: “We are pleased by the news that the planning process has been successfully completed and we are another step closer to building a MRF in Mole Valley.”
Mole Valley decided to pursue a private contractor for a MRF in Leatherhead in order to meet its statutory recycling targets (see letsrecycle.com story). In 2001-02, Mole Valley recycled 14% of household waste but has government targets of 24% in 2003-04 and 36% in 2005-06.
Dave Parr, head of general services at the council, explained why the council has decided to introduce co-mingled collections. He said: “Basically, we have a recycling target of 36% by 2005-06 and presently we are running at around 17% so we need a step change to meet the target. Part of our waste strategy was to collect more materials and make it easy for residents.”
Alternate week
Mr Parr said that Mole Valley council plans to start trials of co-mingled materials as early as February 2004, on an alternate week basis with residual waste. He said the council hopes to have collected a significant quantity of recyclables to send to the MRF by the time it opens in September or October 2004 and that the council should send a total 6,500 tonnes a year to the MRF.
Mr Parr added that he believed Surrey would need many more facilities in order for the county to meet its targets.
The plant will take eight months to build and commission and should be fully operational by autumn 2004. The construction of Grundon's MRF will involve the redevelopment of the existing Mole Valley's Randalls Road waste transfer depot in Leatherhead. It will mean building a larger building for waste storage and sorting so that all the recycling activities can be carried out under cover.
It is expected that a substantial amount of material coming into the MRF will come from the commercial sector. Grundon managing director, Richard Skehens said: “The MRF will receive a range of recyclable materials from domestic, commercial and trade collections, including aluminium and steel cans, plastic bottles and containers, mixed paper and cardboard.”
Shortage
Bob Stranks, head of waste management for Surrey county council welcomed the approval of the new MRF in Leatherhead. “The county council waste management officers fully supported the development of this facility as Surrey county council is fully aware there is a critical shortage of non-landfill capacity in the county. This is a gap which must be bridged as rapidly as possible.”
A long-term contract to handle municipal waste in the county has been signed between Surrey and SITA subsidiary Surrey Waste Management. Sue Bishop, waste minimisation officer for Surrey Waste Management explained that under the contract with the county, Surrey Waste Management had already begun work on its own MRF in Sunbury in the north of the county but had no plans to build any more.
She said: “Surrey Waste Management has got a contract with Surrey county council but the district and the borough councils have the right to do what they wish with their recyclables.”
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