History of Recycling in Milton Keynes

Transcription

1 History of Recycling in Milton Keynes 1982 The Christian Foundation, a charity based in Old Wolverton, ran a group to retrain the longterm unemployed. As part of this work The Community Recycling Opportunities Programme (CROP) was founded. Part supported and funded by the Christian Foundation, the Council, and local industry it was initially based in Kiln Farm and was responsible for the earliest recycling collections from recycling banks in Milton Keynes, and initiated the Scrapstore. Late 1989 Milton Keynes Borough Council decided to proceed with a three year pilot of a door-to-door recycling scheme. Keith Ely, Chief Engineer of Waste Department observes a red and blue box recycling scheme in Orange County USA whilst on holiday in Orlando with his family. Spent a day with the local Public Sanitation Department to see how the scheme worked. On return to Milton Keynes put forward the idea of kerbside collection of recycling to be trialled ion Milton Keynes The first Recycling Officer is appointed by the Council. Bill Oddie helps promote the pilot door-to-door scheme launch in Great Linford covering 5,600 properties in June at Great Linford Manor. Promotional items include hats, t-shirts and badges. Red boxes for paper (i.e. read papers red for paper) and blue boxes for paper, cans and plastic bottles and a separate collection vehicle for recycling. The collection vehicle, operated by the then collection contractor MCS, had separate compartments for paper/cans/plastic bottles/green glass/brown glass/clear glass which were all hand-sorted at the kerbside. The recycling was then taken to CROP in Kiln Farm where the cans were sorted into steel/aluminium and all the materials were baled and despatched to market. Take up of pilot scheme in Gt Linford about 50% participation. Drinks carton banks on a pink panther theme were introduced. These were serviced by CROP and subsidised by the drinks carton industry Plastic bottles are also collected by Dairy Crest milkmen and taken to CROP wasteeducation@milton-keynes.gov.uk

2 1991 The pilot door-to-door scheme is expanded to 22,000 properties. Preliminary planning begins for a new MRF to be built in the northern part of the city The door-to-door scheme is expanded to the rest of Milton Keynes in two stages. Milton Keynes now collects from 75,000 home making it the first local authority to have a door-to-door collection of its recyclables over its entire area in UK, possibly Europe. Visits are made to France and USA to view similar MRFs. MKC then gains approval to build and tender out work for a state-of-the-art materials recycling factory (MRF) to be located in Old Wolverton. The mayor Fred Smith makes first dig at the site and it takes 1 year to build In November the largest MRF in the UK opens in Old Wolverton to handle all the materials collected by the door-to-door scheme. CROP becomes the first MRF operator (until 1996). The new MRF includes an HDPE washing and flaking plant installed by local plastics company PLYSU which takes all the material and creates housewares from it, including compost bins. It has manual plastics sorting, and automated metals sorting with a magnet and eddy current. It also has two large balers, and takes in commercial cardboard. Initial capacity is 30,000 tonnes/shift with a maximum licenced capacity of 93,000 tonnes. All the vehicles are unloaded by forklift. The range of materials accepted kerbside increased to include drinks cartons, nonbottle plastic and textiles Official opening at a later date photo shows local MP Peter Butler, MP Robert Aitken and mayor Les Hosler CROP goes into liquidation. MKC takes over the operation of the MRF for a year while tendering out the operation contract Major fire in its stockyard caused by arson; however, operations are relatively unaffected since the building remains intact

3 1997 The Council becomes a unitary authority and is now known as Milton Keynes Council. It also becomes responsible for waste disposal, which is contracted to local landfill operator Shanks (later transfers to WRG) The MRF operations contract is awarded to Shanks 1999 First in UK to install qty 3 auto sorting machines (Titech Near Infrared technology) after successful application to the Landfill Tax grant scheme. MKC publishes its first municipal waste strategy, following lengthy consultation Promotion of washable nappies starts (though does not include cashback) 2000 Shanks walks out of contract to run MRF. Cory Environmental are awarded the waste collections contract following the retendering process. The iconic onepass vehicles collect refuse and recycling on the same vehicle, the red box is collected one week and the blue the next. This is unpopular and results in many complaints. The vehicles tip, so forklifts are now not necessary at the MRF Drinks carton, non-bottle plastics, and textile recycling at the kerbside ceased due to marketing difficulties Work begins to automate the sorting of plastic at the MRF using near-infra red technology. The strategy is updated and now includes a no incineration policy 2003 Weekly recycling collections commence Pink sacks introduced to improve recycling collections for mixed paper, cans and plastic bottles, with the blue box remaining just for glass, which is now sold as mixed glass Work starts to adapt the MRF to handle the commingled recycling in the pink sacks by installing bag splitter and sorter Shanks leave the MRF contract, Cory operate the MRF for an interim period until another operator is found The Council introduces an optional chargeable fortnightly collection of garden waste using green wheeled bins. Initially 20,000 residents take up the scheme 2004 Cutts Recycling Ltd take over the MRF operation contract

4 2005 A major fire at the MRF destroys most of the machines and parts of the roof. The facility is cleaned and refitted, and materials are transferred to Peterborough MRF for approximately one year. Food waste trials start in Newport Pagnell (separate in 25 litre bucket ) and Bradwell Common (mixed with garden waste in 140 litre bins). The collected material is taken to Bucks CC invessel composting plant in High Wycombe The strategy is updated. It clarifies that no-incineration means no mass-burn incineration The council gets a WRAP grant to employ a nappy officer for a year and start a cashback scheme. Implementation of the landfill directive in the UK means Council now has landfill allowances 2006 MRF reopens 2007 MKC enters into a joint working agreement with Northamptonshire County Council for procurement of residual waste treatment technology. Called Project Reduce the scheme was designed to implement the joint processing of residual waste, supported by PFI s from central government. MKC purchases 4ha former Bejams cold store at Dickens Road Old Wolverton as a site for the future treatment technology 2008 All food waste trials are converted to mixed food and garden waste 2009 Refuse and recycling collection contract is awarded to SERCO including expansion of food and garden waste collection to whole borough Food and garden waste scheme no charge Cutts Recycling becomes CWL, and new MRF contract commences. Start of procurement under Project Reduce with Northamptonshire County Council 2010 Project Reduce abandoned following withdrawal of PFI funding from central government Battery recycling added Viridor Waste Management buy out CWL and take over remainder of contract, up to New CRC (Community Recycling Centres) contract with HW Martins, promising zero waste to landfill. Commencement of tendering process for bids to build and operate s Residual Waste Treatment Plant (RWTP) at Dickens Road, Old Wolverton

5 2012 Commencement of building of new depot on Colts Holm Lane in Old Wolverton (next door to the MRF) to house recycling vehicles 2013 In June RWTP contract awarded to Ameycespa. New depot handed over to waste collection contractors, Serco Commencement of building of Residual Waste Treatment plant in Old Wolverton at the Dickens Road site Textiles no longer accepted in the pink sack for recycling due to changes in requirements from the textile recycling industry. No longer provide black bin bag sacks as part of annual delivery. Renewal of Serco contract to collect refuse, recycling and garden waste. Part of contract renewal included funding of Wastebusters (an on-line environmental schools programme) to all local Primary and Junior schools.