Monday 31st June 2008
Camden Report Shows Significant Additional Carbon Associated with MRF
A recent energy audit, commissioned by the London Borough of Camden and undertaken by ADAS, looked at the current approach, co-mingled collections into a MRF and the previous kerbside sort collection scheme in the borough. It was released last week.
The report stated: “The overall effect of the MRF is to increase the carbon footprint from 68% of the former system at collection to the transfer station to 177% after the MRF and delivery as far as the M25.” It added that the carbon footprint of the MRF treatment amounts in fact to as much as those of the collection and bulk transport combined.
Alexis Rowell, LB Camden councillor and Community Champion, described his borough’s co-mingled collections as “not very environmentally friendly”. He went on: “The carbon cost of commingling has been transferred to the MRF. We crush all our recycling up in the back of waste trucks and then spend huge amounts of energy trying to separate it at a MRF in Greenwich. So, for example, our paper gets so contaminated with glass fragments that no British papermaker can turn it into recycled paper.”
Andy Moore, CRR coordinator, said: “We’ve raised concerns during this last year about material quality from MRFs. WRAP’s recent report tells us that single stream MRFs are more expensive than kerbside sort. Now comes evidence that they increase the carbon footprint of collections. It is becoming increasingly difficult to understand the rationale for building single-stream MRFs. We urge more local authorities to consider carefully their choice of collection system.”
Information for Editors:
1. The Campaign for Real Recycling wants central government and local authorities to act urgently to improve the quality of materials collected for recycling in the UK. Real recycling is about maximising the economic, environmental and social benefits of recycling for everyone, from the local council tax payer to the global re-processing industry. Our concern is that collection systems that gather a range of different materials in one bag or bin and then compact them could permanently undermine the environmental and financial benefits of recycling. Our campaign aims to influence local authority policy and practice, and build consensus within the UK of the economic and environmental importance of highly separated collections.
2. Campaign for Real Recycling supporters:
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