Wrexham’s new recycling facility that will help reduce landfill in the County Borough was officially opened by Jane Davidson, Assembly Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing yesterday (Thursday, 15 October).
The special ceremony at the site on Bryn Lane, Wrexham Industrial Estate earlier today marked the culmination of thirteen years of hard work to bring the multi-million pound project to fruition.
The new facility will enable Wrexham County Borough to meet its targets to reduce landfill and increase recycling as laid down by National and European Governments.
Wrexham Council and Waste Recycling Group signed a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) agreement in 2007 to build and run the facility. At the same time Household Waster Recycling Centres at Brymbo and Plas Madoc have undergone major refurbishments to enable residents to recycle more.
Wrexham Council was allocated £40 million over 25 years from the Welsh Assembly Government to help ensure the facility was built.
The newly named Wrexham Recycling Park is the first of its type funded under PFI that allows Councils to fund the development of new infrastructure to meet these targets.
The facility takes kerbside collected dry recyclables from the County Borough’s “Recycle with Michael” scheme, together with recyclables from the Council’s Household Recycling Centres. The recyclables are bulked up and or baled for onward transport to reprocessors?
There is also an enclosed In Vessel Composting facility that takes kerbside collected green, kitchen and cardboard waste and converts it into thousands of tonnes of PAS 100 standard soil enhancer. Wrexham residents can now recycle more than ever including kitchen waste. Up to 1,000 tonnes of compost per year will also be made available for the public and for use in local parks and gardens.
An on site educational facility has also been provided and an educational recycling officer employed specifically to teach children the importance of waste minimisation and recycling in sustaining the world’s resources.
Leader of Wrexham Council, Aled Roberts, said:
“The opening of this facility follows many years of hard work by officers and members to ensure that Wrexham was able to dispose of the majority of household waste with minimum use of unsustainable landfill methods. We are confident that we will reach our recycling targets in future years and look forward to a continuing partnership with Waste Recycling Group.”
Jim Meredith, Chief Executive of Waste Recycling Group, commented:
“We are delighted to be working with Wrexham Council and to have successfully delivered the first PFI waste project in Wales.
“It is an important milestone for Wrexham Council and the Welsh people in their efforts to seriously improve the management of their waste and resources over the next 25 years, and WRG is very proud to be associated with this successful enterprise.”
