Cwm Harry binned by Powys

 

Agrivert Ltd has been named as the preferred supplier to treat the region's food waste which will see food waste taken out of Wales to the company's existing anaerobic digestion sites in England - although the company says it hopes to establish such a unit in central Wales as part of its long-term contract with the council.

 

The move will mean Cwm Harry will not provide the food waste collection contract once its current contract comes to an end. It currently composts waste at a site in the town. Powys County Council says this won't happen until December and it is working with the company to "mitigate" any impact.

 

A spokesperson from Powys said: "We feel we have negotiated an excellent solution for Central Wales.  The Agrivert solution will not only provide significant environmental benefit, it will also considerably reduce landfill disposal costs for the tax payer pays, therefore offering great value in fiscal and environmental terms."

 

The move will see collected food waste treated by a process called Anaerobic Digestion (AD), which will divert waste from landfill, convert the food waste into a valuable fertilizer and produce renewable electricity. Both Ceredigion and Powys’ food waste, being treated through the facility, will produce enough green electricity to power around 850 homes, whilst the fertilizer will be spread on farmland near the plant.

According to the authorities, AD is considered to be more environmentally friendly than composting, the method currently used to treat food waste in Central Wales, because of its potential to produce electricity.  The contract with Agrivert also offers cost savings compared to the current arrangements and avoids landfill costs.

 

In deciding which company should be awarded the contract, the councils considered a wide range of issues including the impact on the environment and the cost.

 

Agrivert’s Chief Executive, Alexander Maddan commented: “During the dialogue process, Agrivert have developed an excellent working relationship with Ceredigion and Powys and we look forward to cementing this relationship and driving up recycling rates over the period of the contract.”