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DE55 7RQ Tel: 0845 519 0344 Fax: 01773 520881 E-Mail: sales@dicom.ltd.uk www.dicom.ltd.uk EUROPE'S LARGEST MANUFACTURER OF COMPACTORS & BALERS Horizontal Balers Automatic Balers Manual Balers Waste Balers Vertical Balers Static Compactors Portable Compactors Conveyor Systems Nationwide Sales & Service We offer an unrivalled approach towards analytical testing, combining a customer focussed, fast turnaround service for: • Feedstock and Process Analysis • Soils analysis under QPs • Waste Acceptance Testing • Analysis of Recycled Gypsum (PAS109) • Analysis associated with EA Deployments • Analysis of Topsoil to BS3882:2007 Accreditations: • Organics Recycling Group approved Laboratory (PAS100) • REA appointed Laboratory (PAS110) • UKAS Accredited Laboratory For more information please telephone 01344 898 467 or email enquiries@nrm.uk.com Part of the Cawood Scientific Group www.nrm.uk.com Expert laboratory services to the Environmental Sector We manufacture bespoke Shredders for Shredding... \Clinical Waste \Tyres \Metal \Mobile Shredding \Plastics \Confidential Documents \WEEE \Electronic Media Storage Devices \Textiles \Organic Waste \Fuel Large, coarse, superfine and everything in between at Ulster Shredders. Cogry Works, 65 Creagh Rd, Castledawson Magherafelt. BT45 8EW T. +44 28 7965 0050 F. +44 28 7965 0025 Want to find out more about our range of Industrial Shredders? Email us at info@ulstershredders.com or visit our website. ulstershredders.com April 2014 Local Authority Waste & Recycling 27 outh Oxfordshire District Council (SODC) and Vale of White Horse District Council (VOWH) are neighbouring councils that in 2009 came together to let a joint waste and recycling services contract. The councils previous- ly had recycling rates of approximately 36% and 42% respectively, operating sack-based weekly refuse collection ser- vices and a weekly dry recycling collec- tion service using 55 litre boxes. An output based specification was used, which did not specify a favoured form of collection, but instead let the industry propose methods of improving performance and meeting the ambitious recycling targets of 55% by 2020 that had been set out in the Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy for Oxfordshire agreed in 2007. Following a period of competitive dialogue, the contract was awarded to Verdant, which was subsequently taken over by Biffa. A new collection service was rolled out across SODC in July 2009, with the VOWH collection service starting one year later. The new service comprises: • A weekly collection of food waste (23 litre food waste bin and 7 litre kitchen caddy) • A fortnightly recycling collec- tion (commingled collection from 240 litre wheeled bin) • A fortnightly refuse collection (180 litre wheeled bin) • An opt-in, charged for garden waste service (240 litre wheeled bin). A 'single-pass' system is used, where one vehicle collects each bin. A pod at the front of the vehicle stores food waste, whilst the rear of the vehicle takes refuse and recycling on alternate weeks. Key to the success of the single pass approach is having the treatment and dis- posal facilities in close proximity to one another. Working in partnership with Oxfordshire County Council through the Oxfordshire Waste Partnership helped achieve this. The new collection system has deliv- ered impressive and widely reported results with recycling rates approaching 70% catapulting SODC and VOWH to the top of the national recycling leagues. Moving from a kerbside sort system to a fully commingled approach raised con- cerns over potential problems with the quality of materials collected. The coun- cils were reassured from the outset by the vertically integrated approach taken by Biffa, whereby the materials collected were transported to MRFs owned and operated by the company. This ensured that both the councils and their contrac- tor had a clear interest in ensuring high quality material. Both parties invested in an award-win- ning communications programme that accompanied the roll-out of the new col- lection services to ensure that residents had a clear understanding of the system. Consequently, issues around material quality have not proved to be a major concern. Where individual incidents do arise, the council's technical officers are at hand to provide information and advice to residents on a one-to-one basis. Continued investment in communi- cations is also vital, as without this there is a noticeable drop off in the capture rate of materials and also great- er amounts of contamination begin to creep in. Whilst communications budg- ets are sometimes seen as an easy cut during times of austerity, a clear busi- ness case can be built based on avoided disposal costs and increased materials income from higher recycling. Regular sampling of collected dry recyclable material is undertaken at the local depot to ensure that good, up to date information is available on mate- rial quality. This also helped reduce our reported reject rate, as the local sampling returns lower amounts of contrary mate- rials than the overall figures typically reported by the MRFs that we supply. The new MRF Regulations are wel- comed by SODC and VOWH. Measuring the inputs and outputs of MRFs in a regulated way can only help to improve material quality. The regulations will help local authorities to specify clear monitoring standards within future con- tracts and help level the playing field amongst MRF operators. We hope that this will be backed by unannounced inspections and, where necessary, enforcement action by the Environment Agency. This will also be important to improve confidence in MRFs. What remains clear is that all parties must continue to work together to promote high quality recycling. S MAPPING THE MRF A question of good quality inputs South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse District Councils have recycling rates approaching 70%. The high quality materials going into its MRFs have helped the districts reach this figure. Wayne Lewis and Matt Prosser explain how. Wayne Lewis is coordinator at Oxfordshire Waste Partnership. Matt Prosser is strategic director at South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils

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