Technology

Materials Recycling Facility

Viridor’s industrious development programme ensures our MRFs continue to utilise the very latest technologies.

Combining both proven and pioneering technology, along with the human eye, Viridor MRFs effectively identify, target and separate materials, optimising their recovery for onward processing into new products and packaging.

From the input of dry-mixed recyclables to the output of quality recyclate, a series of trommels, magnets, eddy currents and optical detection equipment linked with the latest ballistic separation systems to identify and sort items by type, weight, shape, colour and grade, ensure the highest quality of product to meet customers’ demanding specifications.

Viridor’s advanced design, development and operational experience, firmly place them at the forefront of MRF process design and operation.

Viridor MRFs are engineered to accept both a range of co-mingled and single stream kerbside recyclables that households separate from their general waste in addition to clean recyclate from private sector partners such as shops, offices, factories and other commercial premises.

Across Viridor’s UK wide network, dry-mixed recyclables typically comprise of all or some of the following:

• Aluminium and steel cans
• Cardboard
• Glass
• Mixed papers
• Newspapers, magazines, brochures, catalogues, junk mail and directories
• Plastic bottles and packaging mainly of HDPE and PET in any colour

Energy from Waste

Viridor has undertaken extensive research into waste treatment technologies. Energy from Waste (EfW) has the following advantages:

• The facilities can be developed to cater for a range of waste volumes
• They provide a robust, safe and efficient means of treating residual waste
• Electricity is produced which is fed into the National Grid, and heat can potentially be supplied to the local area to enhance economic development and efficiency
• EfW helps local authorities in diverting residual waste from landfill and meeting the Landfill Directive diversion targets whilst offsetting the significant economic impact of increasing Landfill Tax

EfW is a technology that sees waste burned at high temperatures under carefully controlled conditions. 

The heat produced by the process is recovered as steam, which can be used to generate electricity and provide heat that can potentially be used for local businesses or homes.

The Combined Heat and Power (CHP) design presents opportunities for additional commercial development. The heat produced by the facility can be used to offset existing fossil fuel use and can also be converted to ‘cold' energy for refrigerated cold stores.

The process also produces bottom ash (the bulk of remaining materials) which can be recycled for use as aggregate material in the construction industry and fly ash (air pollution control residue), which is safely disposed of at licensed facilities.

The resulting emissions will be treated so that they meet stringent EC Waste Incineration Directive (WID) (2007/76/EC) standards.

The EfW process requires an Environmental Permit from the Environment Agency under Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Regulations.

Environmental Permit conditions will be strictly enforced and monitored by the Environment Agency.

There are already around 20 EfW facilities in the UK and over 420 across Europe, often incorporating Combined Heat and Power (CHP).

EfW is an established technology across Europe, working alongside high recycling rates and helping to meet landfill diversion targets.

UK facilities include sites in Scotland, Birmingham, London, Portsmouth and Sheffield, and Viridor’s facilities in Slough and Bolton.