Articles

First Landfill Recovery Scheme in Europe Achieves 100% Recycling Rates

Zero waste to landfill is one of Mytum & Selby’s main aims, as a waste recycling company Mytum & Selby view all waste as a valuable resource and aim to seek the latest technologies to improve recycling rates and reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill.

There are many landfill sites in the UK most of which when full are covered and landscaped, however can no longer be classed as habitable or built on. Mytum & Selby saw an opportunity with a full landfill site in Goole to tackle this issue and treat, reuse and recycle old landfill waste, making the site useable and build an MRF.

In 2007 the former landfill site in Goole, East Yorkshire was granted permission as an MRF, with the aim to be fully operational by 2013. The ambitious landfill recovery scheme was the first of its kind in the UK and involved removing all waste materials from the landfill to reuse and recycle accordingly. All glass, paper, plastics and metals were reclaimed and reprocessed by Mytum & Selby, woods and organic matter were sent to their sister site The Maltings Organic Treatment where they were treated and recycled into compost and any other materials were stored on-site to be dealt with as required. Aggregate materials were used for levelling and landscaping the site and consequently recovered stone and rubble will be used to help build the MRF.

Mytum & Selby completed the landfill recovery scheme in 2012 and the former landfill site has now been officially declared suitable for use, making Mytum & Selby the first waste recycling company in Europe to complete a landfill recovery project and achieve 100% recovery and reuse of materials.

The planned MRF will be a state of the art recycling facility, providing 225,000 tonnes capacity on a 17-acre site. Mytum & Selby will use this MRF to achieve 90% recycling rates and help businesses and local authorities achieve their recycling targets, all working towards a zero waste to landfill philosophy.

Sending waste to landfill is harmful to the environment and human health, however this can be avoided by treating and recycling waste properly. By excavating the former Goole landfill site, Mytum & Selby have tackled the waste to landfill issue and achieved great results, setting the high standard for future projects and hopefully inspiring others to treat and recycle waste appropriately.