| Transfer Stations have been in use in the United | | | | served to spur on the development of transfer |
| Kingdom since the 1950s when in Central London | | | | stations and the shipping of waste right out of the |
| the inner city landfill sites, some no larger than | | | | UK's cities into larger and better controlled landfills. |
| bombed out war time sites, became full. Many of | | | | The first occurred when the Greater London |
| these had been filled with ash from small manually | | | | Council (GLC) was formed in 1965 which by |
| loaded and stoked hearth incinerators. Incinerators | | | | pooling the resources of the individual borough |
| such as that in the London Borough of Merton | | | | councils brought major rationalisation and much |
| had only burnt the residual waste material after | | | | needed public investment in more efficient waste |
| extensive hand picking and recycling, and as a | | | | handling for disposal in London. |
| result they only needed small landfills - but were | | | | The second took place right across the country, |
| superseded by transfer stations which no longer | | | | and began in 1974 when larger unitary council |
| incorporated any recycling facilities at all. | | | | authorities were created, and the waste disposal |
| To accommodate the ever larger volumes of | | | | function in England transferred to the County |
| unsorted and un-recycled waste it became | | | | Councils from the individual boroughs. However, as |
| necessary to transport waste further away to | | | | before, the accent as on larger and better |
| suitable holes in the ground outside the city. Soon | | | | engineered landfills, and not minimising waste to |
| the waste had to be transported for more than | | | | preserve the finite capacity of our landfills. |
| half an hour, one way, to landfills in the suburbs or | | | | With greater financial and physical resources and |
| the green belt. To have a full gang of men either | | | | also for the first time being able to plan over |
| sitting in the cab of a refuse collection truck (dust | | | | wider areas the new authorities proudly created |
| cart) or awaiting its return before they could | | | | larger treatment plants and landfill sites to obtain |
| collect more waste from domestic bins was | | | | the benefits of scale. |
| clearly not cost effective. Distances were not | | | | This era saw for the first time in the United |
| great by today's standards but traffic congestion | | | | Kingdom the implementation of waste planning |
| was extensive and transport speeds were as a | | | | strategies based upon the emerging science of |
| consequence very low. | | | | waste management including mathematical |
| As the roads were so poor (no dual carriageways | | | | modelling for site selection on both economic and |
| or "clearways" were available in those days in | | | | environmental grounds. |
| London), the strategy of using a transfer station | | | | This era which continued until the GLC was |
| or depot where waste from the street collection | | | | abolished by Margaret Thatcher in 1986. For the |
| was deposited and transferred into larger "bulk" | | | | first time the construction of a new generation of |
| vehicles, became recognised to be a sensible | | | | large incineration plants was enabled. A first for |
| strategy. People forgot that soon all the suitable | | | | London was the large incinerator at Judkins Lane |
| holes would become filled up with waste, and | | | | which accepts waste from a number of nearby |
| largely ignored recycling. | | | | boroughs. Economy of scale allowed energy |
| Indeed, in London many of the first transfer | | | | recovery with power generation, and many other |
| stations were river transfer stations (such as | | | | refuse treatment schemes embodying rail, river |
| Cringle Dock, and Walbrook Dock, and | | | | and road transportation were implemented for |
| Northumberland Wharf) where waste loaded onto | | | | which complex transfer stations were built which |
| barges was simply initially taken out into the | | | | remain in use today. |
| Thames Estuary and dumped at sea. Later, and | | | | Ironically, very little recycling was done by the |
| to this day, these same transfer station sites | | | | GLC although, when abolished, it had been trying |
| continue to operate from modernised and | | | | to put that right and was investing heavily in |
| extensively updated facilities. Ever since the early | | | | Household Waste Recycling Centres. Indeed, the |
| 1960s when sea tipping was banned, the river | | | | sad fact was that far more recycling had been |
| borne waste has been taken by tugs to landfills | | | | carried out during, and immediately after the |
| on the Essex Marshes. | | | | second world war than in the years leading up to |
| The UK Institute of Waste Management first | | | | our current resurgence of recycling. |
| issued detailed formal guidance to its members on | | | | In the end it was public opinion which forced our |
| planning and operating transfer stations in 1963, | | | | politicians to recognise that society simply has to |
| but you will search in vane for any reference to | | | | make best use of the earth's resources, and not |
| recycling. | | | | squander hard won materials and energy. |
| The IWM cites two major upheavals in local | | | | Recycling has a large role to play in this. |
| government structure which occurred which | | | | |