English recycling scheme set new standards.A local authority in northwest England is believed to be the first local authority in Europe to have inaugurated a plan allowing it to recycle re·cy·cle tr.v. re·cy·cled, re·cy·cling, re·cy·cles 1. To put or pass through a cycle again, as for further treatment. 2. To start a different cycle in. 3. a. up to 99 percent of its domestic waste. The scheme for the development, carried out with a private sector partner, of a "total recycling solution" was launched by Halton Borough Council, which collects refuse from 48,000 dwellings in Cheshire, northwest England, in September 1992. The council signed a unique agreement with Biomass biomass Weight or total quantity of living organisms of one animal or plant species (species biomass) or of all the species in the community (community biomass), commonly referred to as a unit area or volume of the habitat. Recycling Ltd. to launch the Halton Biomass Scheme, which it believes will set the standards of the future in waste management innovation until the year 2012. It calls this simply "setting international standards for a new century of domestic waste recycling." The council's objective is first to reduce and discourage the production of refuse, and then to recycle at least 98 percent of domestic waste by the year 1995: this at a lower cost in real terms than present disposal methods and with by-product by·prod·uct or by-prod·uct n. 1. Something produced in the making of something else. 2. A secondary result; a side effect. by-product Noun 1. benefits ranging from fish farming Fish farming is the principal form of aquaculture, while other methods may fall under mariculture. It involves raising fish commercially in tanks or enclosures, usually for food. , afforestation af·for·est tr.v. af·for·est·ed, af·for·est·ing, af·for·ests To convert (open land) into a forest by planting trees or their seeds. and peat conservation to the production of electricity from methane gas and increased employment and tourism. Recognizing that it was a major consumer of goods and services In economics, economic output is divided into physical goods and intangible services. Consumption of goods and services is assumed to produce utility (unless the "good" is a "bad"). It is often used when referring to a Goods and Services Tax. , Halton council had already produced and put into practice an environmental strategy. This involved recycling waste paper, cardboard and newspapers, reducing energy consumption in council buildings and vehicles, and introducing high standards of insulation and low energy lighting units to council housing and other buildings. It already has facilities allowing one percent of domestic waste to be recycled, operates a scheme to remove chlorofluorocarbons chlorofluorocarbons (klōr'əfl  r`əkär'bənz, klôr'–) (CFCs), organic compounds that contain carbon, chlorine, and fluorine atoms. from refrigerators that
are to be salvaged -- nearly 200 in the first three months of 1992 --
and when possible recycles spectacles (eyeglasses eyeglasses or spectacles, instrument or device for aiding and correcting defective sight. Eyeglasses usually consist of a pair of lenses mounted in a frame to hold them in position before the eyes. ). It also picks up old
vehicles for scrap and to prevent householders dumping them -- 144 in
the first four months of the year.
Local employment Within a few months of the launch of the new Halton Biomass Scheme, domestic waste produced by more than 125,000 residents in households across the local towns of Widnes and Runcorn will have become the resource to support a lucrative fish farming industry and provide a boost for local employment and tourism. The new venture will utilize Halton's entire annual collection of 40,000 tonnes of domestic waste, with possibly a further 10,000 tonnes a year from the council's household waste sites and some from street cleansing operations. It will be launched at no additional cost to ratepayers and will ultimately create more than 100 sustainable jobs. It also far surpasses British Government demands for local authorities to achieve a recycling rate for domestic waste of 25 percent by the year 2000. Weekly collections of household waste will continue as usual so that all households, whether or not they have their own car, will be able to use it -- 58 percent of Halton's households do not have access to a car. Then, instead of traditional landfill disposal, the waste will be taken for sorting to a recycling complex within the borough. The "average" contents of a Halton household dustbin are said to consist of: 33 percent paper; 7 percent plastics; 4 percent textiles; 10 percent glass; 8 percent cans; 20 percent kitchen waste (putrescibles); 10 percent dust and 8 percent other items. Waste packaging Under the Biomass Recycling scheme, metal, glass and other recoverables will be used to support new and existing commercial recycling activities in Halton. The waste packaging produced by commercial operators within the borough will be recycled through Halton's own system. Organic waste will be processed in a series of on-site recovery areas, covered in high-density polythene pol·y·thene n. Chiefly British Variant of polyethylene. [poly- + (e)th(yl)ene. sheeting and filled with water to form a series of man-made lakes. Heat generated through waste decomposition decomposition /de·com·po·si·tion/ (de-kom?pah-zish´un) the separation of compound bodies into their constituent principles. de·com·po·si·tion n. 1. will warm the water and support the rapid growth of prawns, crayfish crayfish or crawfish, freshwater crustacean smaller than but structurally very similar to its marine relative the lobster, and found in ponds and streams in most parts of the world except Africa. Crayfish grow some 3 to 4 in. (7.6–10. and other crustaceans which will be commercially marketed and sold to retail outlets retail outlet n → punto de venta retail outlet n → point m de vente retail outlet retail n → throughout northwest England. As a further environmental bonus, composted waste will be utilized for agricultural purposes as a viable and cost-effective alternative to peat, thus reducing pressures on peat bogs which are increasingly regarded as precious. On site, the material will be used to support the growth of new trees and other plant life and the process will also support a methane gas extraction facility. Gases generated as a waste product during the process of decomposition will not be allowed to escape into the atmosphere, but will be used to generate electricity for use both on and off site. Reed beds  This article or section needs copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone and/or spelling.You can assist by [ editing it] now. Any leachate leach·ate n. A product or solution formed by leaching, especially a solution containing contaminants picked up through the leaching of soil. will be contained within the site and will be processed through reed beds to remove the harmful elements; the reeds themselves will be harvested for the retail market. The development will feature a garden centre and also a conservation site attraction which is expected to boost Halton's increasing share of income from tourists in the area. The promised success of this latest chapter in Halton's continuing re-emergence from a legacy of industrial decay is generating great enthusiasm locally. Chief Housing and Environmental Sciences Officer Howard Jones Howard Jones is the name of:
He added: "This initiative represents a significant step towards the long-term improvement of the world's ecology." Halton's partner in the scheme, Biomass Recycling Ltd. of Stafford, was formed to support local authorities and companies to meet the requirements of Britain's Environmental Protection Act, "This Common Inheritance," published in September 1990. Standard bearer an officer of an army, company, or troop, who bears a standard; - commonly called color sergeantor color bearer; hence, the leader of any organization; as, the standard bearer of a political party s>. See also: Standard The British Government strongly supports such joint ventures between public and private concerns and Tim Midgeley, a spokesman for Biomass, said, "We hope to see this type of joint venture as a standard bearer for all others to follow." "This is a major step forward in sustainable resource utilization," Mr. Midgeley went on. "It is a commercially viable recycling programme which will help to overcome the belief held by many people that recycling costs the earth." Halton council is now investigating further possibilities, including additional oil recycling facilities and the introduction of a scheme to recycle furniture when it is in good condition, and when it is not, to convert as much of it as possible into usable materials. Margaret Laing, London Press Service special correspondent special correspondent n → corresponsal m/f especial special correspondent n → envoyé spécial special correspondent special n |
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