Westbury refuse plant: Work begins

Wiltshire's first mechanical biological treatment (MBT) is being built in Westbury

Construction work has begun on the first refuse plant in Wiltshire to give household waste a second chance.

The mechanical biological treatment (MBT) facility is designed to sort through "black bin-bag" refuse and find what can be recycled or recovered.

The £20m plant being built at Northacre in Westbury will treat up to 60,000 tonnes of household waste a year.

Hills Waste Solutions said it would reduce the proportion of waste going to landfill to less than 20%.

The MBT plant, being built by Hills, is expected to produce around 28,200 tonnes of refuse-derived fuel each year and recover 1,800 tonnes of recyclable metals.

The proportion of the county's refuse being diverted away from landfill will increase from about 63% to more than 80%.

Alan Pardoe, Hills group chairman, said he was "delighted that construction is starting on the Hills' Northacre facility".

He said: "This is a significant milestone in both the company's development and the way Wiltshire handles its household waste."

The plant is expected to be operational towards the end of summer 2013.