BUILT ENVIRONMENT
Going underground: Envac’s tidy systems can lead to higher recycling rates
Building in a better way for materials recovery
By incorporating waste management systems into a development’s infrastructure from the outset, huge recycling and carbon gains can be made, says Julian Gaylor
he UK has made huge strides from a recy- cling perspective over the past 10 years with recycling rates increasing five-fold. However there is still huge room for improvement and countless opportunities to transform the waste management industry. To achieve this we need to approach it in two ways – incorporating innovative waste management practices into new developments, and improv- ing waste management levels in existing buildings. We are currently experiencing a sea change in the way in which waste is addressed from a design viewpoint and my company Envac is testament to this. Incorporated into the initial design phases, our underground vacuum system tack- les waste management limitations inherent within densely populated residential developments, by forming part of a development’s infrastructure.
T
Waste inlets, one for each type of waste, are placed in groups at various points throughout the site, which can range from a large development through to an entire city. A computer-controlled system monitors the waste and empty-
10 Local Authority Waste & Recycling April 2011
ing times are programmed to suit, at which time the valve opens and the waste is sucked into a pipe system. Once in the pipe network, waste is sucked up to speeds of 70mph through distances as long as 2km.
Diverting valves ensure that different types of waste do not mix and each type of waste is directed into its correct container at a central point. The waste is then automatically fed into large containers, which are then hoisted onto collec- tion vehicles when full and taken away by the local council or waste management company.
Flexible and feasible
The fact that the system addresses so many issues explains the willingness of developers, urban planners, architects and housing managers to adopt the system. It provides a feasible and cost-effective solution that can meet the needs of a wide spectrum of projects and people no longer have to live with smelly and unsightly bins. Nor do they have to negotiate large waste collection lorries. The Envac system provides a glimpse of how the waste management landscape could look
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