The composting plant will be one of the first in the UK to gain DEFRA approval and will be able to take food and catering waste complying with the Animal By-Products Regulations. The site has an annual capacity of 10,000 tonnes and is situated on a transfer station and will take waste from commercial as well as domestic sources.
John Wakefield, technical director for the Vital Earth Group, said: “The site at Lampeter is running to European standards and as such can accept animal by-products as well as catering waste. There are six contracts in place to supply the site from local authorities and commercial outlets. We expect to gain a positive release from DEFRA within a month and can move towards full approval and production.”
Pipeline
Mr Wakefield explained that the company plans to expand its operations further. “We have several sites in the pipeline where we are on the tender shortlist. We are expecting to open four sites next year with the two sites open by the end of this year,” he said.
The second site is at Sutton Farm near Market Drayton and has been operated as a pilot site by the company for the past 18 months. Mr Wakefield said the company has received the go ahead for an in-vessel in Market Drayton to take household kitchen and green waste from its contract with North Shropshire council. He said: “We received planning permission a month ago and this site will be operating to national standards.”
He added that the company, by charging a gate fee, is flexible in its operating arrangements. “We build and operate our facilities charging price per tonne processing fee and are happy to work with other waste management companies were a suitable agreement could be reached.”
Mr Wakefield explained that the company is in talks with medium and small sized garden centres interested in stocking its product, Vitalizer, which was endorsed earlier this year by Sir Steve Redgrave at the Chelsea Flower Show.
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