Greater Manchester Resource Recovery Facility Will Help UK Meet EU Recycling Targets

12 June 2011

The Bredbury Resource Recovery Facility in Stockport was officially opened by Simon Brooks, European Investment Bank Vice President for the United Kingdom. The facility boasts state-of-the-art technology and will be a huge benefit to residents in Greater Manchester as well as directly contribute to the UK meeting EU requirements

Simon Brooks, UK vice president of the European Investment Bank, and Cllr Neil Swannick, chair of the Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority

The facility has been developed as part of the 25-year Recycling and Waste Management Contract between the Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority (GMWDA) and Viridor Laing (Greater Manchester) Limited (VLGM).

The Contract was signed in April 2009 and is funded by a number of sources including the European Investment Bank.

Speaking at the opening, Councillor Neil Swannick, Chair of GMWDA said: "This is one of GMWDA's flagship facilities demonstrating the world-class technology that is treating Greater Manchester's household waste by recycling, composting and generating green energy. I am delighted with what has been achieved so far, and with similar facilities replicated throughout Greater Manchester ensure that we are another step closer towards our aim of zero waste to landfill."

European Investment Bank Vice President for the United Kingdom, Simon Brooks, added: "The European Investment Bank is committed to supporting a new generation of improved waste management in the UK. The new facility not only solves environmental challenges in Greater Manchester, but shows cities across Europe how green economic opportunities can be unlocked to promote sustainable development."

The European Investment Bank is the European Union's long-term lending institution and provided £182m for the project. The Bredbury facility will contribute directly to helping the UK meet European requirements for greater recycling and reduced landfill.

Bredbury Resource Recovery Facility includes:

The fourth education and visitor centre in Greater Manchester is located at the Bredbury site and offers high quality, fun and interactive visits for school children. It has been built as part of GMWDA's strategy to encourage the 2.3m people who make up the conurbation, to reduce, re-use and recycle their waste.

The education and visitor centre will be open for bookings in January 2012.

A redeveloped Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) has been modernised to create a more convenient layout, better traffic management and separate access for operational vehicles and private cars to increase safety. These improvements have reduced waiting times and provide the opportunity to recycle up to 23 different items.

A Mechanical Biological Treatment facility (MBT) with Anaerobic Digestion (AD) is currently at the commissioning stage. The Anaerobic Digestion plant will help Greater Manchester generate green energy and divert more waste away from landfill.

An In-Vessel Composting facility (IVC) to process kitchen and garden waste into compost for use in landscaping, farming and horticulture. The IVC is now operational and is capable of treating approximately 50,000 tonnes of kerbside collected kitchen and garden waste (biowaste) a year.

A Transfer Loading Station (TLS) will receive and sort recyclable waste from local collections, ready to be sent on for reprocessing, helping to support Greater Manchester's kerbside recycling scheme.

The Resource Recovery Centre will benefit all residents in the conurbation and demonstrates the advantages of GMWDA's joined up approach to handling Greater Manchester's waste.

Visit www.gmwda.gov.uk for more information

Darrel Moore