‘Cooking’ plan for domestic rubbish

Sep 11 2007 by Val Woan, Liverpool Daily Post

A MASSIVE American-style waste recycling plant is planned for Garston Docks.

West Midlands-based Jack Allen Holdings is proposing to build several plants in Britain, including one in Liverpool.

The company said the scheme would create 75 jobs, and help the city meet environmental targets.

The plant would be the UK’s first development using technology that “cooks” household waste rather than incinerating it.

Business development manager Peter Coe said waste went through “steam cooking” system.

He said: “Metals come out clean, plastics come out as pebbles. The rest is a fibrous material that can be made into chipboard or mixed with plastics to make things like road signs, decking or bus shelters.”

Alternatively, the sterilised waste can be “digested” and turned into a compost-like material for use in soft landscaping, or converted into a gas which can be used to produce electricity and power the whole plant.

Mr Coe said it could handle all Liverpool’s household rubbish.

Stringent European rules coming into effect in 2009 could result in millions of pounds of fines for councils which fail to cut the amount of waste sent to landfill, or to hit recycling targets.

Over the past week, the firm has been explaining the process to residents and councillors.

Richard Oglethorpe, Lib Dem councillor for nearby Cressington ward, said: “This is a very big development and people need to be aware of what is being proposed and have their say.”

The developers hope to apply for planning permission in October.