A landfill is a structure built into the ground where layers of solid waste are filled and compacted, usually an old quarry, chalk pit or clay pit. West Sussex’s previous six landfill sites are now closed and maintained by West Sussex County Council, along with the numerous privately operated sites which are monitored and maintained by the operators. They are monitored for hazardous landfill gas and leachate, a liquid that may harm the environment. The Environment Agency also sample surface and groundwater for contamination.
What happens to household waste in West Sussex?
Rubbish collected kerbside in black bins across West Sussex, along with non-recyclable rubbish from West Sussex’s 11 household waste recycling sites, is taken to a Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT) facility at Horsham, with some residual waste then going to landfill in Redhill. At the MBT, it’s sorted and separated using a variety of machines in an effort to divert as much waste as possible away from landfill. This includes:
- Mechanical pre-treatment – a process that separates biodegradable waste, refuse-derived fuel, metals and inert materials.
- Wet pre-treatment – biodegradable waste such as food waste is mixed with water to form a slurry, with impurities removed.
- Anaerobic digestion – the slurry is pumped into a hydrolysis holding tank to start a biological breakdown process, and pasteurised to kill pathogenic bacteria. Biogas is produced from the slurry that’s combusted to produce heat and electricity.
What’s the problem with landfills?
Theoretically, we will use up all the available space if we continue to rely on landfills. But that’s not all. Discharges can contaminate the soil and water and release greenhouse gases. Alternative solutions to landfills are an environmental priority, including increasing recycling rates.
What happens to rubbish that goes into a Rabbit skip?
Waste that goes into a Rabbit skip helps reduce rubbish that could otherwise be destined for landfills. That’s because Rabbit has invested in the technology to generate green electricity from waste.
- All waste collected by Rabbit is processed through a fully automated materials recovery facility to remove all recyclable materials. Soil, bricks and hardcore go to the construction and aggregate industries, metals are sent directly to metal merchants and plastics are sent to specialist plastic pre-processors.
- The remaining, non-recyclable, materials are finely shredded and screened to remove any additional metals before being burned to generate super-heated steam which drives high-pressure turbines that drive a generator to produce up to 5 megawatts of green electricity.
- The exhaust from the combustors is treated through a cooling process and filter plant, with all emissions being maintained below permitted levels and monitored 24/7. Even the ash produced is recycled into aggregate.
Contact Rabbit today for more information about recycling, skip hire and plant hire. Reach us on 01903 762020 or email info@rabbitgroup.co.uk.
