Food waste will help power homes across the country
THE food you recycle every day will now be used to help power thousands of homes across the country after a waste-recycling plant was officially opened in Cardiff.
The Tremorfa-based facility, which was opened by cabinet member for the environment Councillor Bob Derbyshire, turns food waste into green energy.
It has the capacity to recycle 35,000 tonnes of material and will produce enough energy to power 4,000 homes a year.
Food waste from both the city and the Vale of Glamorgan will be processed at the plant as part of a 15-year partnership between the two councils.
Coun Derbyshire says the facility highlights how far the region has come with its waste management.
“The city council’s recycling rate has increased from just over 19% in 2006/7 to about 60% this year so we have transformed the way that we manage our waste. In fact, we are now the highest recycling core city in the UK,” he said.
“This new plant will reduce our carbon footprint... further increasing our recycling rate while harnessing the power from this waste to generate electricity.”
The plant uses a technology called anaerobic digestion which breaks food waste down in the absence of oxygen to produce electricity and a product which can be used to make plant food.
Councillor Gwyn John, cabinet member for visible, leisure and regulatory services, says the plant will play a key role in helping both councils achieve their recycling goals.
He said: “This new state-of-the-art facility is a demonstration of our two councils’ shared commitment to reducing waste, and promoting recycling and sustainability.
“Last year saw the Vale of Glamor- gan Council record a 10% increase in recycling rates, with 65% of all waste collected across the county being recycled.
“This was a great achievement and one that was only made possible by Vale residents making changes to live more sustainably.
“This new treatment centre will not only play a key role helping us keep even more waste out of landfill and by doing so enable us to recycle upwards of 70% of all waste by 2020, but also produce clean energy for the region.
“It provides a sustainable long-term solution for composting the Vale of Glamorgan’s organic waste.”