SRCL’s eighth clinical waste Alternative Treatment (AT) site, at Knowsley, near Liverpool, which was officially opened recently, is designed to recover 100% of the treated waste as refuse-derived fuel (RDF)
The RDF will be used in the cement industry as an alternative to virgin fossil fuels, diverting 4,500 tonnes of waste from landfill annually.
Specifically commissioned to service customers in North-West England, the new £2 m ‘AT’ plant can process up to 48 tonnes of clinical waste per day. Its opening was attended by over 50 guests from NHS and private healthcare organisations, who during a tour, learned more about the chemical-free sterilisation process for clinical waste.
Before the plant visit, two presentations, by SRCL’s group sales director, Lisa Algar, and head of compliance, Stuart Budd, focussed on the changing healthcare landscape, and how clinical waste management services must adapt.
Stuart Budd said: “It was interesting to note while networking that opinions ranged from there being too much legislation, to not enough official guidance around a particular area of clinical waste management. These are gaps that industry leaders like SRCL will have to bridge, working alongside industry bodies such as the Chartered Institute of Wastes Management. The NHS must still achieve its target of a 34% CO2 reduction by 2020; smarter waste management will play a significant role.”
