ISWA visit world-class Greater Manchester facilities

Stephen Jenkinson (Chief Executive Officer Viridor Laing Greater Manchester) Limited, Councillor Neil Swannick (Chair Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority), Councillor Elaine Boyes (Lord Mayor of Manchester), David Newman International Solid Waste Association President)

David Newman International Solid Waste Association (ISWA) President flew in from Italy to visit Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority’s and Viridor Laing (Greater Manchester) Limited’s (VLGM) world class facilities on Friday 11 January 2013. The Lord Mayor of Manchester, Councillor Elaine Boyes, the Chair of Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority, Councillor Neil Swannick and Stephen Jenkinson (Viridor Laing Chief Executive Officer) welcomed David to the city.

David became involved in the waste industry in 1998 and since then has held and still holds several prestigious positions including Managing Director of the Italian Composting Association (CIC), Director of the Italian branch of ISWA, General Secretary of the Italian association of bioplastics producers, and since September 2012, President of ISWA.

GMWDA and VLGM signed the Recycling and Waste Management Contract in April 2009.The Contract is creating state-of-the-art recycling facilities across the whole of Greater Manchester. David was keen to visit the GMWDA world class facilities and on Saturday morning visited one of our largest sites at Longley Lane, Sharston, Manchester, to look at the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF), Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) and Mechanical and Biological Treatment facility (MBT).

Through the Recycling and Waste Management Contract we are currently recycling 40.9% which has increased significantly from 7% in 2002/03 with a target of 50% by 2015. We are diverting 57% away from landfill with a target of 75% by 2015.

Greater Manchester's waste accounts for 5% of the UK’s municipal waste, this Contract will make a powerful contribution to ensuring that the UK complies with its requirements under the European Union Landfill Directive, and in turn will deliver important carbon benefits.

GMWDA Chair, Councillor Neil Swannick said: “We are delighted to show the president of ISWA round our world class facilities which are an integral part to our long term solution to manage Greater Manchester’s household waste and recycling. We are very proud of what Greater Manchester has achieved and we will continue to strive towards our aim of zero waste to landfill, where everything thrown away becomes a resource.”

David Newman, International Solid Waste Association President said “Greater Manchester should be proud of the results it is achieving in such a short space of time. To undertake an investment of this magnitude in these harsh economic times requires investor courage and a long term vision from the public authorities. I am pleased to see Greater Manchester has become a virtuous example in waste management and I really hope the City takes the opportunity to promote its achievements around the world; there is a lot to be learnt here.”

Lord Mayor of Manchester Councillor Elaine Boyes said: “It was an honour to welcome the ISWA president to Manchester and his visit demonstrates that our recycling infrastructure is setting a global example. Greater Manchester has seen a remarkable increase in the amount of waste recycled over the last decade. I’m sure this will continue to rise as more people begin to understand the importance of recycling and the environmental consequences of sending waste to landfill.”

Stephen Jenkinson (VLGM) Chief Executive Officer said “We are delighted to host this visit for the ISWA in Greater Manchester, it will provide the opportunity for them to see at firsthand how we see waste as a resource and create green energy as well as share our best practice with members of ISWA around the world.”