What happens to the waste we can’t recycle?

The journey of  your household waste that can’t currently be recycled begins once it is collected from residents’ households.

• Household waste is taken from the kerbside to the Knowsley Rail Transfer Loading Station, which is operated by SUEZ, one of Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority’s contractors.
• At this Transfer Station, the waste is tipped from the collection vehicles into a large bunker capable of handling 3,600 tonnes of waste at a time.
• From the bunker, it is loaded into sealed containers, which are then placed on rail carriages.
• A train transports the waste-filled containers to the Wilton Energy-from-Waste facility on Teesside.
• Each week, the equivalent of 80,000 wheelie bins of household waste is sent from the rail transfer loading station to Wilton.
• This takes nine trains, pulling 84 containers at a time, each filled with 13 tonnes of waste.
• Waste is delivered to the Wilton energy-from-waste facility by train.
• It is tipped into the bunker, where it is mixed to ensure an even burn.
• The waste is loaded by crane into the hopper, then travels down the feed chute into the furnace.
• Inside the furnace, a series of grate bars move the waste through the furnace where it is dried and burned at temperatures of around 1,000°C.
• Burning waste in the furnace creates hot flue gas, which is used to heat water in the boiler pipes.
• The hot water is turned into steam, which drives a turbine to generate electricity for the national grid and heat for local industry.
• The bottom ash, left after burning the waste, is processed on site – the metals are extracted for recycling and the remaining ash is treated before being sold as an aggregate.
• The air emissions control system chemically cleans the flue gases to remove pollutants and passes them through bag filters to capture solid particles.
• The resultant air pollution control residue is sent for treatment and specialist disposal.
• The cleaned gases are released through the stack.
• Emissions are continuously monitored and are regulated by the Environment Agency.

For more information, and to learn more about the Journey of Waste visit: www.suezmerseyside.co.uk