| When many of us see the term MRFs we think | | | | (DETR 2000b: 194) will be required to meet its |
| that the official name for these facilities is a | | | | aims in England and Wales alone. Why reduce |
| Material Recycling Facility, and this in many ways is | | | | organic matter being sent to landfills? The reason |
| what they are. However, waste management | | | | is that the organic matter is the main source of |
| professionals will tell you that the correct term for | | | | pollutants in any Municipal Solid Waste landfills. |
| them is Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs). | | | | So, at its core any Material Recovery/Recycling |
| MRFs are a waste management option specifically | | | | Facility is a waste disposal facility that separates |
| linked to recycling, bridging the gap between | | | | the recycling material before it is sold on and |
| collection of recyclables and reprocessing. | | | | recycled, and as far as possible, they are |
| However, it has not strictly been correct in many | | | | operated to be as "self funding" as possible. |
| districts in the past to have said that they were | | | | However, although all council and private MRF |
| solely for the purpose of recycling. Both within | | | | operator's waste services departments do |
| and outside Europe (the EU) a proportion of the | | | | attempt to identify sustainable and profitable |
| waste is now and will be for the foreseeable | | | | markets for the recycled material, into which they |
| future, sent to landfill. In a commercially based and | | | | sell their recovered materials, the earnings created |
| unregulated MRF only those materials which could | | | | do not come close to meeting the very high |
| profitably be recycled by the operator would be. | | | | operating costs. |
| However, due to public pressure and in principle | | | | It is interesting to note that the UK Waste |
| environmentally sound reasons in most parts of | | | | Strategy 2000 recognises that a system based |
| the world it has been found that recycling should | | | | on new facilities and extensive separate kerbside |
| not just be a largely voluntary activity carried out | | | | collection of recyclables will be an important |
| only where the market provides an economic | | | | element in meeting recovery targets. But, the |
| benefit from such recycling. Due to risk and price | | | | driving force in this process is the attainment of |
| volatility in the recycled materials market, without | | | | the targets, and any revenue from this is |
| government encouragement, recycling has simply | | | | incidental. In the document, it states that it is |
| just not been taking place to the extent that, any | | | | hoped that this may increase the economic |
| consideration of the long sustainability of | | | | viability of recycling schemes, including kerbside |
| civilization, was going to need. | | | | collection, by allowing localized sorting of materials |
| In short, society was rapidly moving toward the | | | | (see paragraphs 5.19 - 5.22). As stable markets |
| point of burial under its own rubbish. Worse and | | | | develop and a demand is established for the |
| more pervasive still was, and is still, the danger | | | | recyclates, it may be that the value of the |
| from the gradual contamination of groundwater | | | | recycled materials rises. However, this is only a |
| around the landfills, by the landfills. If this was | | | | hope of government, and cannot be guaranteed. |
| allowed to continue might have a far more serious | | | | So, recycling initiatives and operations are driven |
| effect on the health of society than the rubbish | | | | by the need to meet statutory targets. Recycling |
| itself. The reason for this being that so many | | | | involves collecting materials that can be marketed |
| areas rely on their groundwater for drinking | | | | to produce more products containing a |
| water. | | | | percentage of recycled materials such as paper, |
| Therefore, MRFs perform an increasingly | | | | cardboard, cans, glass and plastic bottles. The |
| important role for communities in many countries. | | | | process means that less raw materials will need |
| Indeed, many more of them are going to be | | | | to be mined (metals) or grown (trees) and less |
| needed to provide much increased waste | | | | energy will be consumed in the manufacture of |
| recycling, in each and every district, of all our | | | | new products. |
| towns and cities. MRFs are also essential to the | | | | Now you have read this article you will not be one |
| planned reduction in the amount of organic matter | | | | of those ignorant of the important role of the |
| which will be sent to landfills throughout the EU. | | | | MRF in your district. In fact waste management is |
| This is recognised by the UK government as they | | | | far from a boring subject, and there are rapid |
| form an important role within the Government's | | | | developments in the technology and large |
| Waste Strategy 2000 (DETR 2000a and DETR | | | | expansion plans taking place right now. |
| 2000b), which predicts that as many as 316 MRFs | | | | |