Leeds City Council is committed to reducing the amount of waste we have to bury in the ground at landfill sites. Because the government and the European Union do not want us to bury our waste, every year it becomes more expensive to do so. More importantly, the rotting waste damages the local environment and releases gases which contribute to climate change. We cannot continue to bury our waste in the ground.
Our first priority is to use our influence to bring about reductions in the amount of waste generated in the first place. In addition to this, by 2020 Leeds must be recycling 50% of its household waste. To do this the council must consider improving its current household recycling services. We are looking at options for changing the frequency of collections and the range of things we collect from households, to keep the amount of waste that we need to treat or bury to a minimum. This could include emptying your green bin more often and collecting new materials like glass, garden waste and food waste.
However, even after we’ve taken all these steps, there will be some waste that isn’t recycled, but neither can we bury it in landfill sites. We are therefore looking to develop a treatment facility for this waste so that we can get some value back from the material that is otherwise buried in the ground.
There are a number of different technological processes that could be used in Leeds to treat the rubbish that is not recycled. Further information on these technologies is available by following the link on this page. The Council will need to enter into a formal partnership with a private company to build and operate the new facility.
The decision has not yet been taken about which technology will be used to deal with the waste that isn’t recycled and will not be made until 2010. Once this decision is taken the successful contractor will seek planning permission for the site that it will be built on. We will consult with the residents of Leeds as part of this planning process. If planning permission is granted, the facility will be built between 2012 and 2013, and start to process waste in 2014.
A detailed search has taken place to find a location for a waste treatment facility to deal with the waste that is not recycled. The search involved assessing the suitability of over 2000 sites across the city against national, regional and local planning criteria. Four potential sites have now been identified. They are Knostrop sewage works, land adjacent to this site, the wholesale market and the former Skelton Grange power station site. The Council does not have a preferred site, and proposals can be put forward to develop facilities on any suitable site either from, or in addition to, those named above.