LARAC Chair, Joy Blizzard, commenting on the immediate closure of the Knowaste nappy recycling site in West Bromwich, expressed the association's great regret that current Local Authority nappy recycling schemes will be thrown into disarray by this announcement.
"Having developed collection schemes for nappies, they are now left with nowhere to recycle them. It's very disheartening. Knowaste is looking for a new site, but there will be a long gap before their future plans are going to be any use to local authorities. In effect Local Authorities are left 'holding the baby'."
As if to illustrate Joy's point, Rhondda Cynon Taff Council launched their nappy recycling scheme this week and Monmouthshire are left with 40,000 redundant leaflets advertising their nappy recycling scheme. Paul Quayle, LARAC's Wales rep and Waste Education and Awareness Officer at Monmouthshire County Council had this to say:
" Having led the way with the UK’s first nappy recycling collection' the residents of Monmouthshire and Cardiff had taken to the scheme with great enthusiasm. Around 10 tonnes of nappies a week were being taken to the Knowaste Facility, with plans well advanced to extend collections across Wales. We are now left trying to explain this sudden decision to our residents. Meanwhile we are actively looking for alternative solutions – having established the infrastructure to collect nappies weekly we are keen to see if we can avoid having to send this material back to landfill."
The Knowaste website showed the following announcement on the morning of 22nd May.
Announcement from Knowaste
Today, the Board of Knowaste has announced that the company is looking for a new recycling site in the West Midlands region, having outgrown its existing location in West Bromwich.
However, the company regrets that as a result of this decision it will be closing the current site from immediate effect. Whilst the first ever operation of its kind in the UK has proven the concept for recycling absorbent hygiene products - thereby representing a major breakthrough for handling such waste, which has traditionally gone to landfill - the current site does not meet the future requirements of the business. These include space for additional facilities and extra energy capability to take advantage of new market opportunities, which have been identified for the company's recycled materials.
Knowaste will therefore be directing all future investment at an improved site, which will meet the company's strategic objectives going forward. The process for finding an ideal site has already begun and the company is looking for a location, which can accommodate its plans to introduce new washing, drying and plastic processes. This will allow the business to generate a broader range of recycled materials from the feedstock received. The company is also looking for the new site to offer a more sustainable operation, for example the reuse of the heat from the process to dry the recycled materials.
Knowaste would like to thank all its staff, customers and suppliers, who have made this groundbreaking development possible.
In the meantime the company will be providing updates on this website relating to its search for a new Midlands location as well as progress on the proposed sites in Scotland, South Wales, London and Manchester.
Please direct all current enquiries to Paul Richardson or Roy Brown
