RPS is currently working with several businesses in the industry including Virridor, Waste Recycling Group (WRG) Donarbon and Cyclerval. Many of these projects have significantly long bid processes and the Waste Design Team have been working hard at producing masterplans and 3D visualisations to win these major bids.

Donarbon is a small family run Waste Management Company, who, with the help of RPS has successfully bid against other major Waste Management companies to win one of the largest waste projects in the country. It was announced last month that Donarbon have been chosen by Cambridgeshire County Council as preferred bidder for the composting facility in Cambridge. RPS has completed the design for a composting facility including reception hall, preparation building and visitor centre.

RPS is also working on a number of other bids including various projects for WRG. These include MRF, MBT, in-vessel composting and EFW facilities at various confidential locations. RPS is also working with Cyclerval, a technology provider, on the planning submission stage of a new £30million EFW facility in Exeter.

There are several methods of managing waste - and RPS' expertise includes all of the below:

Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT)

MBT enables recovery of resources such as metals, plastics and glass found in household waste to be recycled. It consists of any number of combinations of mechanical sorting and biological treatment processes for mixed waste streams. MBT generally, but not exclusively is used to process unsorted household waste. MBT reduces waste by a mixture of mechanical movements and biological substances.

Composting

This process produces compost through aerobic decomposition of biodegradable organic matter. Composting is the controlled decomposition of organic matter. To encourage the most active microbes a compost pile needs the correct mix of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen (from air) and water.

Materials Recycling Facility (MRF)

A clean MRF accepts recyclable materials that have been collected in comingled wastes from kerbside collection separated at source from municipal solid waste generated by either residential or commercial sources

A dirty MRF accepts a mixed solid waste stream and then separates out designated recyclable materials through a combination of manual and mechanical sorting. The sorted recyclable materials may undergo further processing required to meet technical specifications established by end-markets while the balance of the mixed waste stream is sent to a disposal facility such as a landfill.

A clean MRF should be able to recover 90% of waste to send for recycling, a dirty MRF only between 5-45%, with the rest going to landfill.

Energy From Waste (EFW)

Recovering energy from waste refers to any waste treatment which creates energy in the form of electricity or heat from a waste source that would have otherwise been disposed of in landfill. EFW facilities are usually found as incinerators. Modern incinerators are vastly different from the old dirty incinerator, and efficiently burn waste to capture the released heat to make steam and electricity. Modern incinerators can also reduce the volume of the original waste by 90%, depending upon composition and use of outputs[citation needed]. Unlike the older designs, modern incinerators incorporate air pollution control systems and continuous emissions monitors.

For more information contact:
RPS Newark - Planning and Development
T: 01636 605 700