Anger after fields spread with plastic
RESIDENTS who live near a quarry and recycling site have raised concerns at the amount of plastic that is being spread on surrounding grounds.
Mark Roberts, who lives in Gelligaer in the Rhymney Valley, spotted the shreds of plastic in the fields behind his home.
“I have seen all sorts in there, plastic gloves, surgical waste – it is plastic pollution,” said 59-year-old Mark.
The recycling centre and quarry is owned by Bryn Group, a waste management business. Its website states it accepts all types of non-hazardous waste including garden and food waste.
The waste is composted, either into a product available to purchase or for other uses like landscaping and construction.
Each type of end waste has a different process and goes through different levels of screening.
According to Bryn Group’s website, “certain end uses, such as landscaping and construction, do not require the same degree of screening, while the higher-quality grade-one compost we sell for horticultural and agricultural uses is screened to a much finer standard”.
This type of compost has been spread on a section of the fields at the recycling site, known as bunds.
Mark estimates that the size of the bund is around 200-300 square metres.
Mark, who has lived in his home all his life and played on the fields as a child, said: “I have memories playing on those fields catching newts and the rest, and this has ruined it all.
“There was a flock of Canada geese on the bund the other day, which is fantastic to see, but I couldn’t stop thinking about the plastic and what it would do to them.
“This is our children’s and grandchildren’s future.”
Mark is also concerned about the smell caused by the recycling site, as well as the dust from the quarry.
“The smell from the recycling and the flies – we have had to buy one of those large UV units like you see in a fish shop, it’s that bad.”
In relation to the plastic, a spokesman for Bryn Group said: “The recent incident was an isolated event, for which we have apologised unreservedly.
“We have liaised with Natural Resources Wales and the actions we have taken are in line with their requirements.
“The compost that was contaminated with plastic has been removed from the surface of the bund and will be treated through our Material Resource Facility (MRF). That process involves several stages, starting with it being sorted through the MRF ‘picking line’ to separate the different materials.
“We have a rigorous Integrated Management System in place for the processing of compost, which is why we have secured PAS 100 Product accreditation for our compost. We are conducting a thorough review to see how this incident occurred, and our findings will inform any necessary additional measures to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
“Our review will include conversations with our clients about the unacceptable level of contamination present in the green waste arriving on site.
“In the interim, we are conducting additional checks before compost is signed off for use.”