WASTE
bags where 63 different pieces of sorting According to the manufacturers, the design, but sustainable energy methods too.
equipment, including ballistic and near infra system “automatically turns and moves The facility’s sustainable drainage system
red separators, will sort the materials into a table windrow while simultaneously (SUD) will be located at the end of the
different streams, including glass, ferrous homogenising, loosening, aerating and composting bays.
and non-ferrous metals, stones and mixed irrigating the material within the composting/ Rain collected from the roof of the main
plastics. MBT building”. When asked if the process reception hall is saved in a 600 cubic metre
"Once the recyclable materials are will capture any heat process, Bunce says tank, where it is used in the process. A small
separated and sent off for reprocessing, the due to the machinery turning the material cluster of solar panels, too, will be on the
remaining organic material is mixed with so often, it doesn’t lend itself well to having roof of the visitor centre and will heat the
water and sent into the composting hall for pipes under the floor to capture the heat. water used in the toilets.
processing.” After a seven week process, the finished Additional work to be carried out by
product will have 75% of its biodegradability BAM Nuttall will include a three-storey
and 50% of its weight reduced. Despite the office building with conference rooms and an
material having obvious organic benefits, education centre. This will be used to educate
Shelton points out that current regulations local schools and the local community
mean it won’t be classed as a compost. about the process employed at the facility.
“With the current regulations, it doesn’t A window from the education centre will
matter how well the composting and sorting even look out on the processing hall - giving
system works, the end product won’t visitors the chance to see the whole process
be classed as a compost or achieve PAS in action.
100 because it’s derived from MSW. We Being future proof is obviously a key
helped fund a research project at Cranfield design for the facility, not only in terms of
University into MBT output, and have design and aesthetics, but how it operates as
employed a consultant to look at end markets well.
for this compost-like material. We have Shelton says the council is predicting that
asked the Environment Agency what we can an additional 76,000 houses will be built in
do with the material, but they say that until the county in the next 15 years.
they see the end product, they are unable to “In terms of generated recyclables and
comment.” waste, that is the equivalent of another
End-use options include the restoration of district for us to deal with. The capacity
quarries and growing energy crops. Donarbon of the plant has allowed for this additional
has conducted a growing trial that used waste,” he adds.
waste derived compost to grow miscanthus The facility will be operational in
or elephant grass. It is expected that the November 2009, when it will go through
compost-like output of the MBT will be a period of cold commissioning. Small
‘
A giant water-wheel type
device that scoops the material
similar to waste derived compost and could amounts of waste will be trialled over nine
’
be used to grow energy crops on restored months before the plant will be officially
landfills and quarries owned by the Dickerson opened in mid-2010.
Group to help manufacture renewable fuel. It is expected that the MBT plant, coupled
The waste promotions manager is keen with Donarbon’s in-vessel composting
This is where the piece de resistance to point out how the situation is different in facility and new recycling infrastructure will
plays its part. Known as CTM technology other parts of Europe. mean 80% of Cambridgeshire’s household
(Compost Turning Machine), the system “The only other plant similar to this is in waste is diverted from landfill.
works by using a giant water-wheel type Istanbul,” he says. “Legislation in Turkey is With the construction phase running to
device that scoops the material backwards, more relaxed so they might use the product schedule, it is clear the waste community
where a conveyor shifts it behind. on roadside verges for example, whereas this is eagerly anticipating the opening of
The turning machines run on railway is obviously not allowed over here. Once Donarbon’s facility. Not only will the plant
tracks over a 32m gap. Walking in the middle there are a few plants similar to this in the demonstrate the technology to the UK, it will
of one of the enormous composting bays still UK, the EA and Defra might look at the show how high recycling rates can go hand-
under construction, it’s impressive to imagine quality of the output and call it a compost.” in-hand with a waste treatment technology
the giant machine sliding back and forth, It is not just the architecture, construction and help reduce the amount of waste
churning away. and technology that tick the box of modern landfilled down to a minimum.
SuStainable SolutionS December/January 2009 37
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