Friday, February 08, 2008

Aerobic Digestion - the future?

This morning the Environment Select Committee went to look at the Aerobic Digester which is part of the waste management system for Easington District. It's an amazing system - from rubbish in a wheelie bin to useable compost in under a month! By stirring the mix and pumping in air it composts most of the biodegradeable material and all that's left is an inert mix with metal, plastic and small amounts of glass and other hard materials which can be removed and recycled or reused. Because Easington has to send its waste to landfill the digester has made a huge difference to its waste management costs and achieving targets for recycling. In Stockton the benefits wouldn't be the same - most of our waste goes to the Energy from Waste plant, but if a carbon emission tax is ever imposed the balance of the calculation might change. Either way, it was very interesting to see it happening and to be able to discuss the possibilities for the future.
It was also encouraging to hear that already over a thousand responses to the questionnaire have been received. If anyone living in Stockton borough is reading this and hasn't completed it please do so as soon as possible. In fact, why not follow the link and do it now!

No comments: