What’s the problem?

Although recycling and waste reduction rates have increased in recent years there is still a real and pressing need to manage the remaining residual waste.

Residual waste is made up of materials that cannot be recycled or composted and are currently sent to landfill.

However, the EU Waste Directives contain challenging landfill diversion targets that could lead to significant fines for local Councils if they are not achieved. These fines will also increase year-on-year as the amount of waste we are allowed to landfill decreases. In these circumstances we cannot afford to do nothing.

What’s the solution?

In order to handle the amount of residual waste created and diverted from being sent to landfill we need to create a new infrastructure that will deal with it in a safe, efficient and cost effective manner.

As part of its Waste Infrastructure Project SWaMP2008 is proposing to build new facilities using advanced treatment technologies to provide a reliable and environmentally sound way of dealing with residual waste.

Upon completion the new facilities will ensure that the Councils represented by SWaMP2008 can meet their landfill reduction targets, avoid EU fines and potentially generate heat and power for use by the local community.