Ceredigion and Powys County Councils have awarded Wales’ first long-term food waste treatment contract to Agrivert. The waste will be transported to Agrivert’s Anaerobic Digestion (AD) plant in Oxfordshire to be converted to fertiliser and electricity.
The new contract puts the local authorities, acting as the Central Wales Waste Partnership, moving towards the mandatory target of a 70 per cent recycling and composting rate by 2025.
The procurement process took under two years to complete and was funded by the Welsh Government through its Waste Infrastructure Procurement Programme. The Central Wales Waste Partnership has now had its business case accepted by government and funding for the AD scheme has been secured for the contract’s 15 year lifespan.
AD treatment will replace the current in vessel composting, used throughout Ceredigion and in parts of Powys, by November 2012. Although initially the organic waste will be transported to Agrivert’s processing site near Oxford it is expected that new facilities will be built locally.
Huw Morgan, Director for Ceredigion’s Highways, Property & Works Department, and the officer responsible for the project commented “This contract is a positive step in improving the environment for Ceredigion and Powys and it demonstrates what can be achieved by working together with our neighbouring authorities.”
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How will the government and DMOs address the challenges of including glass in DRS while ensuring a level playing field across the UK?
There's no easy solution to include glass in the DRS while maintaining a level playing field. Potential approaches include a phased introduction of glass, potentially with higher deposits to reflect its logistical challenges. The government and DMOs could incentivise innovation in glass packaging design and subsidise dedicated return points for glass-handling. Exemptions for smaller businesses unable to handle glass might also be necessary. Any successful solution will likely blend several approaches. It must address the differing priorities of devolved administrations, balance environmental benefits with logistical and cost implications, and be supported by robust consumer education campaigns emphasizing the importance of glass recycling.