HISTORIC PRESS RELEASE : Treasury Minister sees waste at work [February 2003]

The press release issued by HM Treasury on 13 February 2003.

Economic Secretary to the Treasury, John Healey, was in Kirklees, Yorkshire, today to see some of the ways waste is put into action in the region.

As Chair of the short-term Ministerial Group on Waste, an initiative announced in the Government’s Pre-Budget Report, Mr Healey was keen to see waste technologies in use on the ground.

Visiting two Huddersfield waste management sites, Mr Healey said:

“This is proving to be a useful first-hand experience. I have seen some novel approaches to waste management in practice and I have been struck by the commitment shown by all concerned.”

The Minister toured the materials recycling facility and the energy from waste plant on Diamond Street, Huddersfield, both operated by SITA Kirklees. The materials recycling facility deals with 12,000 tonnes of material collected from local homes each year. Similarly, the energy from waste plant can deal with 136,000 tonnes of household and commercial waste annually. Waste is incinerated and, using state of the art technology, the heat produced is used to raise steam to drive a turbine and produce electricity for the National Grid.

Accompanied by Cllr David Payne of Kirklees Council’s Environment and Transportation Cabinet, Mr Healey heard how the Council and SITA are also currently considering using some of the energy produced for district heating.

From high tech turbines the Minister then moved on to more basic technology with an award-winning Huddersfield project that turns waste cardboard into caviar using little more than worms, and at the same time gives local young people a chance to gain some specialised training and national vocational qualifications.

The ABLE project, which recently won a National Grid Community 21 Award, involves a partnership between the Green Business Network, East Wakefield PCT, and Turning Point. It involves a cyclical process in which waste cardboard is put to use as bedding at a local equestrian centre, before being composted in worm beds, and the excess worms fed to sturgeon fish that, long-term, will be sold as fish and caviar to local restaurants. Met by Project Leader Graham Wiles, Mr Healey was told how the scheme has just been given 34 acres of land by Yorkshire Water to roll the scheme out in the Wakefield district.