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You are here: CIWM  >  Publications  >  Latest News  >  Milton Keynes MRF Hits Half A Million Tonnes

Milton Keynes MRF Hits Half A Million Tonnes

4 November 2011

At midday on Tuesday, 2 November 2011, Milton Keynes Council's Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) in Old Wolverton processed its 500,000th tonne of recycling

The MRF was re-commissioned on 15th March 2006, following a devastating fire less than a year before and processes recycling 24 hours a day - except for Saturdays and Sundays.

MRF manager Alex Cutts of Community Waste Recycling Ltd, which operates the facility on behalf of the council and sorts and sells on the recyclable materials, said: "We are extremely proud to have reached this landmark in a relatively short time. Innovations in technology mean we are now able to process more materials than ever, helping to increase production, saving valuable materials from landfill."

Andy Hudson, the council's head of environment and waste added: "We would like to thank the residents of Milton Keynes and surrounding areas for continuing to recycle so much of their waste, meaning we can now set our sights on reaching the one million tonne mark in the not too distant future. This not only helps the environment, but also creates an income for the council, helping to keep Council Tax down for us all."

Milton Keynes Council has one of the best recycling facilities in the UK. Due to the size and efficiency of the MRF Community Waste also has capacity to sort materials from the neighbouring local authorities of Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire.

The recyclable materials arrive for sorting all mixed up together. Councils increasingly collect materials in this way for economic reasons as it enables one lorry and crew to visit a greater number of households quickly, helping to keep down the cost of collections.

The MRF uses a range of technologies to sort recyclables by their physical and chemical properties - shape, size, weight, magnetism and light absorption. The recyclables pass through a series of machines each designed to remove a different material, until eventually only a small amount of remaining rubbish remains on the conveyor belts.

www.milton-keynes.gov.uk

Darrel Moore