Radical waste scheme may solve landfill problem

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Council approves pilot scheme to reduce landfill waste.

The council is to conduct tests into a revolutionary new method of waste disposal that could dramatically reduce the amount of non-recyclable refuse that is sent for landfill.

Councillors this week approved plans to pilot a new technique called "PyroPure" to see if it can be used effectively to deal with non-recyclable waste produced on local housing estates - thus reducing the amount sent for landfill.

Diverting waste away from landfill is a key target imposed by the Government on all Britain's councils and waste authorities. This method of waste disposal is a major contributor to greenhouse gases and will effectively be outlawed by European Union rules over the next decade.

PyroPure is a uniquely clean thermal treatment, which uses a combination of steam and heat inside an insulated chamber to reduce most household waste into carbon dust.

It is a technology that has been developed for the Royal Navy - which is testing it with a view to incorporating it into their on-board waste management systems. Naval warships and submarines are banned from dumping waste at sea.

Once off-site testing is completed, a full pilot scheme will be carried out on two local housing estates - one high rise and one low rise - to ascertain whether the process would work where refuse is currently deposited into chutes and collected in large communal paladin storage bins.

If the system works effectively – it could be extended to all council owned blocks in the borough – and divert almost 20,000 tonnes of refuse away from landfill each year.

PyroPure will not replace recycling. Card, paper and other 'dry' recyclables can still be put into orange sacks or recycling bins as at present. Furthermore, PyroPure will not decompose glass or metal, so these would still be collected from the equipment and taken away for recycling. Currently there are nearly 2,000 recycling banks on local housing estates.

The pilot scheme will be wholly funded by the company that manufactures the systems - Morgan Everett Ltd.

Another advantage of the system is that the introduction of airtight containers used in the process would replace open topped paladins, thus eliminating all refuse smells and spillage from large communal dustbins.

Executive member for environment and leisure Cllr Malcolm Grimston said: "This is a radical new solution to the problem of the nation's ever growing waste mountain. Wandsworth is taking the lead in exploring its potential, but if it works, then every council will be clamouring to embrace this technology.

"It is a simple and effective process that has worked very well in the limited applications it has been used in until now. We want to see if it can be expanded to work on a bigger scale.

"Diverting waste away from landfill is a key priority. These landfill sites are a major contributory factor to global warming so it is important that we look to reduce the amount of waste we bury under the ground.

"If it can work on a larger scale then, coupled with increasing recycling efforts, it could play a major role in reducing harmful greenhouse gases."

April 26, 2007