Komatsu growth in waste management a ‘CERT’ following Welsh composting project
01/10/2006

An initiative by Cardiff University for Carmarthenshire County Council is providing an innovative approach to creating compost from garden and household waste as part of the Welsh Assembly Government’s commitment to compost 15 percent of municipal waste by 2009/2010.

The Carmarthenshire Environmental Research Trust (CERT) was set up as a not-for-profit operation at a site in Nant Y Caws from funding supplied by Shanks First Environmental Body, CWM Environmental and the Welsh Assembly Government.  This is part of the government’s ‘Wise About Waste’ commitment to compost, separate out and process waste from municipal, commercial and industrial waste generated throughout Wales, with funds provided through the Strategic Recycling Scheme.

Under the stewardship of Guy Hewings, Director of CERT, the project is now entering its second phase, funded by the Strategic Recycling Scheme and Carmarthenshire County Council.  With some 5,000 tonnes of garden waste currently being processed to create soil enhancer compost, the next phase will see the capacity of the site increase to 14,000 tonnes, bringing an investment from CERT into mechanised handling of the waste.  Central to this mechanisation are two vehicles supplied by Marubeni-Komatsu, the sole distributor of Komatsu plant equipment in the UK.  A WA100M-5 wheel loader and a WH609-1 telescopic handler from the Komatsu range have been operating at the site since February 2006 and have made a significant impact on the waste recycling operation.  Guy Hewings comments –“Given the expansion of the site’s capacity we went out to tender for vehicles that could help us.

We talked to the three main manufacturers and Komatsu proved the best and most cost effective option.  The telehandler is used to load waste material from the floor to the screening machine while the wheel loader has been bought because of its excellent manoeuvrability which is especially useful in our indoor operations.”

The telescopic handler offers a 3,500kg lifting capacity, including a grab attachment on the bucket.  The WA100M-5 is a compact wheel loader that makes it ideal for tight areas, an important consideration given that CERT has a further £286,000 of funding to build a new area to expand the operation into kitchen waste which will offer an area less than 12 metres wide within which the wheel loader will need to manoeuvre.

Carl Jennings, Area Sales Manager for Marubeni-Komatsu, said –“We are seeing an increasing market for our vehicles in recycling and waste treatment applications.  This is set to grow as the focus on environmental alternatives to landfill are sought, highlighted by the target in Wales of up to 600,000 tonnes of biodegradable municipal waste diverted from landfill by 2010, rising to a maximum 1.7million tones by 2020.  We are constantly looking at ways of modifying our machines to make them even more suited to these specific applications.”

In vessel composting is required to treat certain types of organic waste and is relatively new technology in the UK.  Research by the School of Engineering, Cardiff University has provided engineering data to aid the design of these types of systems, and is demonstrated in 3 PhD Theses, one completed and two more to follow shortly.  Other local authorities, all of whom are facing targets for recycling biodegradable waste and reducing the amount which goes to landfill sites, are naturally watching the Carmarthen approach with interest, particularly given the year on year increase of £3 per tonne from the current £24 per tonne landfill tax.

Guy Hewings continues –“We are currently selling the end product from the composting process to local companies, the public at civic amenity sites and the National Botanical Gardens, where it is being used as a mulch and soil enhancer.  The local focus ensures we keep transport costs low and further encourages a responsible approach to recycling and waste management within the community.”

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