A new food waste transfer building is due to be created in Southport with the ability to process 12 tonnes of waste food a day.
The new facility aims to increase recycling rates with Sefton Council set to introduce weekly food recycling collections.
The 20m x 20m food waste transfer building would be built at the Southport Waste Recycling Centre on Foul Lane.
A planning application for the scheme has been submitted by Veolia on behalf of Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority (MWDA) to Sefton Council.
It would enable the collection and transfer of source segregated food waste.
The application says: “The purpose of the proposed development is principally to provide a new, modern Food Waste Transfer building.
“The proposal would provide a modern, purpose-built building that would provide a fully enclosed area for the future collection of segregated food waste for bulking prior to onward transfer to other facilities for further processing and recycling.
“The driver behind this proposal is to accommodate ongoing changes in waste regulations and management practices.
“Simpler Recycling & The Environment Act has introduced the statutory mandate for Local Authorities (LA) to collect food waste separately on a weekly basis and will need to implement weekly separate food waste collections by 31 March 2026. This waste is currently within the residual waste, which is collected fortnightly.
“It would form part of the region’s wider infrastructure upgrades to improve the segregation and efficiency of waste flows and will include provision for food waste management when the legislation is introduced.
“The Environment Act 2021 in England introduced several important changes – by 31st March 2026 Local Authorities will be required to collect all six recyclable waste streams (excluding plastic film) from all households. Local authorities must collect food waste weekly.
“These measures are part of a broader strategy to improve recycling rates and reduce waste. “They are expected to contribute to England’s efforts to combat climate change and improve resource efficiency. The Act requires all local authorities in England to offer the food waste collection service to all households, including flats.
“The aim is to reduce the amount of food waste going to landfills, which contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. Collected food waste can be used for composting or to generate energy through anaerobic digestion.
“The proposed development will be part of a Merseyside wide solution for food waste and will see the development of similar developments across several of MWDA’s facilities. Given the location and current use of the site as a Waste Transfer Station and Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC), this facility is seen as a suitable location for the proposed development.
“There would be a maximum of 1 vehicle tipping at a time and it is anticipated that there will be ~5 loads per day with an input of around 2.3 tonnes per load accumulating to ~12 tonnes per day. Vehicles are anticipated to arrive predominantly during a 5 hour tipping period between 10:00 – 15:00. Loading out is expected to take 20 minutes for a sealed, dedicated food waste artic with an estimated 25 tonne payload.
“The Transfer Station can store the expected daily input of 12 tonnes of food waste however no waste will remain in the building overnight and the building will be washed down and disinfected daily.
“The existing WTS is open from 8:00 hours to 17:00 hours Monday to Friday and Saturday 8.00 hours to 13.00 hours. No change to the existing operational hours is proposed.”
Veolia operates a long term contract with Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority (MWDA) which commenced operations in 2009. MWDA is made up of the five metropolitan districts of Liverpool, Sefton, Knowsley, St Helens and Wirral with the additional partner of Halton Borough Council.
The proposed facility will be located at the rear (east) of the existing main Waste Transfer Station (WTS) building.
The waste transfer station has operated at the site since the mid-1980s and includes a weighbridge, staff welfare and administration buildings, all of which would be utilised in the operation of the food waste facility.
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