The Eco-Parks Concept - 'The sustainable alternative to landfill'
What Is an Eco-Park?
The Wales Environment Trust Ltd has done considerable work to promote the concept of 'waste' as a resource and the capture or realisation of that resource value within Eco-Parks or Waste Resource Parks. At its most simplistic level, an Eco-Park would take the form of an industrial estate situated around a Material Recovery Facility (MRF) whereby the tenants of the park either produce secondary materials or use them as a feedstock in their production process. In recognition of their contribution to meeting the diversion requirements of the Landfill Directive, Eco-Parks have been promoted by The Wales Environment Trust Ltd as the cornerstone of regional waste strategies and are recognised by the Welsh Assembly Government (NAG) – referenced in the Technical Advice Note (Wales, 21, 2001). They are designed to stimulate the development of stable local markets for increasingly added value products manufactured from recyclate.
One of the fundamental prerequisites to enable an Eco-Park to function efficiently is the need for pre-sorted recyclate to arrive at site. The Wales Environment Trust Ltd highlights the work done within the public and voluntary sectors to this end. The scheme run by Newport Wastesavers and the Cleanstream initiative proposed by Cylch are ideal examples of source separation within the voluntary sector to facilitate an Eco-Park. Similarly, an initial 3-year funding of £40million p.a. to local authorities from WAG has allowed kerbside collection of recyclables on a massive scale to become achievable.
Putrescible material will be dealt in an on-site composting plant, whilst most of the dry recyclables will provide the feedstock material for further reprocessing and product manufacture. A wide range of small enterprises will undertake these reprocessing and manufacturing activities, producing a wide range of high value-added products on-site. For example, companies may use Newsprint for making housing insulation, artificial snow, animal bedding etc. Companies may utilise glass for inclusion in paving slabs, as a decorative mulch cover, aquarium bedding etc. Residues from these processes will form the feedstock for a small on-site high-technology waste-to-energy plant.
This in turn will produce energy and provide cost effective heating for the Eco-Park. An important and integral part of the development of an Eco-Park will be public participation, hence it is envisaged that a hands-on educational centre, shops, garden centre, greenhouses and food and drink facilities will be incorporated into a park.
A visual impression of an Eco-Park
Key to facilities
1. Material Recovery Facility
2. Residual Waste Treatment Facility
3. Composting Plant
4. Green House
5. SME's Manufacturing With Waste
6. Visitors Centre
7. Garden Centre
8. Offices
9. Product & Manufacturing Display Area
10. Play & Picnic Area
11. Shops
12. Public Recycling Bins
The Benefits of Eco-Parks
1.Reduced landfill dependency
2.Expanding existing companies
3.Creating new business
4.Generating sustainable jobs
5.Improving GDP
Positive Progress To Date
The Wales Environment Trust Ltd initiated the concept of an Eco-Park at the beginning of 1998. Even at this early stage it was clear that local authorities would have to work in groups or partnerships in order to provide a municipal waste stream of sufficient size to economically sustain the businesses on an Eco-Park. In early 1999, the Wales Environment Trust Ltd launched the ‘Partnerships in Waste' initiative whereby every local authority in Wales was approached and asked to consider tackling their waste problem in co-operation with neighbouring authorities with funding contribution from the Wales Environment Trust Ltd. Six local authorities in South East Wales (Caerphilly, Merthyr, Blaenau Gwent, Torfaen, Monmouth and Newport took up this offer and chose AEA Technology as their preferred consultants. In September 2000, AEA Technology presented their findings to the group of six local authorities and concluded a need for an integrated waste management solution. At the same meeting, the Wales Environment Trust Ltd presented their vision of an Eco-Park and it was warmly received. In parallel with this operation, the Wales Environment Trust Ltd commissioned Ecotec Research and Consulting to undertake an initial feasibility study (part-funded by the WDA) on Eco Parks. This research obtained findings on how many of these facilities may be needed in Wales, where they would be located, the physical size of the site or site clusters, the capacity of the facility and estimated costs. The company anticipates that there may be a need for 4 or 5 of these ‘parks' ideally located on brown field sites throughout Wales.
The Wales Environment Trust Ltd is now confident that Eco-Parks will form part of the sustainable waste management solution not only for Wales but also for the UK and Europe as a whole. In Wales this confidence stems from the enthusiasm of the six local authorities, the determination of the WDA and the support from all sectors of the Welsh Assembly for Wales. The development processes to build the first Eco-Park and to plan the others are of the highest priority to The Wales Environment Trust Ltd and this process will continue to be accelerated.
Similar International Developments
Eco Industrial Parks are talked about in three ways. Firstly, they are sometimes referred to as industrial communities sharing resources and aspiring to produce zero waste. However, more commonly they are referred to as Waste Resource Parks whereby waste is converted into feedstock and used in product manufacture on the same site. A third variation is what is sometimes called a virtual park where materials are processed in the same way through to end products but this takes place on several dispersed sites. There are some facilities with similar objectives to those of The Wales Environment Trust Ltd's Eco-Park in other countries. The best example that the company is aware of is in Monterey California. There are also some good European examples such as the Valdemingomez facility in Madrid. There are also several examples of industrial communities that share resources while aiming to produce zero waste. This ethos will also be carried forward into an Eco-Park. Some of these examples are in Denmark and there are several in the USA where the development of Eco-Park like concepts is most advanced. A wealth of information on the different types of Eco Industrial Parks and relevant examples is available from the US Environmental Protection Agency's web site.
Email: info@walesenvtrust.org.uk
