Environment

There are various waste technology treatments available, including mechanical and heat treatments, composting, anaerobic digestion and energy recovery.

Some of these methods separate materials for recycling or composting, or create a fibre which can be used as material for manufacturing. These can be combined with treatment methods that produce electricity, gas or a by-product, which can be used for heat and power.

All the options available to the Council will be assessed in terms of the amount of recyclate extracted, energy recovery, environmental impact, community and value for money.

Alternative Treatments Options

Bradford Council has not decided which treatment solution would best suit the district. Tenders will be invited on an output based specification and a decision based on the actual solution will not be taken until after evaluation of all the potential solutions brought forward during the procurement process.

Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT)

By this method waste is treated mechanically to separate out any remaining recyclable materials. The rest of the waste is allowed to decompose. The residue produced can be sent to landfill and some of it can be sold as fuel.

Mechanical Heat Treatment

This is a combined heat and mechanical treatment (often using pressurised steam) that sterilises materials and increases the plant’s ability to separate waste materials into different reusable or recyclable materials.

Energy Recovery

This is a treatment facility that converts residual waste into electrical and sometimes heat energy. The treatment process itself will use some of this energy, leaving some surplus energy that can be used for other facilities locally. The treatment process itself will use some of this energy and surplus energy can be exported onto the national grid. Energy recovery processes are sometimes linked with Combined Heat and Power (CHP) technologies such as district heating.

CHP is a technology whereby waste heat is exported for use by local facilities as steam or hot water. CHP is a technology whereby waste heat is exported for use by local facilities as steam or hot water

Anaerobic Digestion

This is a technology for treating the organic fraction of waste. The waste may come from separate collections of kitchen and garden waste, or might be separated from mixed waste by mechanical treatment.

The process takes place in the absence of oxygen and produces a gas for energy use, a residue that can be composted, and a liquid that usually goes to sewer as waste.

Advanced Thermal Treatment

There are different types of thermal treatments such as pyrolysis and gasification. Residual waste is heated at a high temperature to produce a synthetic gas (as is the case with pyrolysis) or a cleaner gas (as is the case with gasification). Outputs are used as fuel.