Cheshire East Council revealed recently that it is sending virtually all of its black bin waste to be converted into usable energy, meaning only a small percentage is heading to landfill.
When the council was formed in 2009 it sent 100% of its residual waste to landfill – a total of 95,800 tonnes which was enough to fill 169 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
Cheshire East has since reduced the total amount of waste sent to landfill to less than 5%.
The council now transfers all black bin waste to two energy plants outside of the borough, where it is used as a resource to generate usable heat and power.
Cllr Don Stockton, Cheshire East Council’s cabinet member with responsibility for environment, commented: “We are truly leading the way at Cheshire East with our commitment to transforming our recycling and waste service and we have a fantastic infrastructure to move to a more sustainable waste management system.”
He continued: “When you consider the journey that we have been on since the formation of this authority nine years ago, you can’t help but feel proud of what has been achieved.
“And the public, of course, deserve a massive ‘thank you’ for making it all possible. Without the residents of Cheshire East being so committed to this, we would simply not be where we are today.
“We are grateful to everybody in Cheshire East who chooses to recycle and reuse waste so that, together with this change away from landfill, we can positively impact our environment for generations for years to come.”
The development of an environmental hub on Cledford Lane in Middlewich has ensured that the move to replace landfill as the main means of disposal for black bin waste has gone smoothly.
The purpose-built hub is in a central location, which enables the authority to provide an efficient service with first-rate facilities.
