Continued Success For Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority (GMWDA) today announced impressive increases in recycling levels across Greater Manchester - in excess of all their targets. Recycling and composting levels at the Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) it provides have now more than doubled from levels of 21.2% in 2004/05 to 44.74% for the period 1st April to 30th December 2007. The Authority also announced increases in recycling and composting from household collections for Greater Manchester of 26.81% for the period 1st April to 30th September 2007 from 24.95% during the same period last year.
The improvements in performance have been attributed to a number of factors including increased participation by residents and a large amount of work by GMWDA and the nine collection authorities it works in partnership with. At the HWRCs, improvements in performance have also been attributed to operatives assisting users on the sites and the ability to increase volumes of waste such as rubble being separated for processing and reuse.
GMWDA deals with around one and a half million tonnes of waste created each year by the people of Greater Manchester, providing HWRCs and the processing facilities which support recycling and waste collection services for over 958,000 households. Whilst their announcement focused on the key indicators for recycling and composting, GMWDA’s first priority is to encourage the residents of Greater Manchester to minimise the amount of waste they produce. Projections for household waste for the year 2007/08 indicate a fall in waste by 8,800 tonnes.
Results are set to get even better when the world-class approach for managing waste in Greater Manchester is signed off. The contract will see it become even easier for residents to recycle more of their waste, and will extract valuable recyclables and green energy from material that would previously have gone to landfill, therefore delivering a significant reduction in the region’s greenhouse gases. The Authority is currently in final negotiations with its preferred bidder Viridor/Laing and is working towards a financial close of the end of March for the contract to begin.
The project involves the investment of more than £300 million in new and improved waste handling facilities, and the creation of 100 new jobs across Greater Manchester. The new facilities, virtually all to be built at existing sites, will help take residents’ recycling rates to at least 50% by 2020.
Councillor Neil Swannick, Chair of GMWDA commented: “It is a pleasure to see continuous improvements in performance in this important area. The largest congratulations when these results are issued really have to go to the residents of Greater Manchester, as the results are only made possible by their participation. The latest figures show how well we are all doing and what can be achieved by working in partnership.
This year we expect to sign a 25 year contract with the Viridor/Laing consortium to bring to Greater Manchester the latest waste management technologies. The contract will give an even more significant push on education so that the important steps of waste Reduction, Reuse and Recycling become even more part of routine. The new contractor will inherit a very healthy position which will mean an excellent launch pad from which they can deliver further and ongoing improvements.”
NOTES FOR EDITORS
GMWDA is the largest of six English waste disposal authorities that were created under the Local Government Act 1985. GMWDA provides waste disposal services for over 958,000 households in Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside and Trafford. It handles around 5% of national municipal waste.
The Authority is in the later stages of a procurement of a 25 year waste services contract using the Private Finance Initiative (PFI). In January 2007 the Authority appointed the Viridor/Laing consortia as its Preferred Bidder. The Authority has subsequently provided details of the emerging technical solution and new infrastructure (see Press Related Press Releases at: www.gmwda.gov.uk).
For further information please call Anna Figgins-Barrett, Communications Manager on 0161 770 1721.