20 January 2004

Onyx Environmental Group’s new £13 million material recovery facility (MRF) has reached new milestones in the construction schedule.

The facility, situated on the A31 near Alton, is the second MRF to be built in Hampshire. The demolition of the site’s existing buildings, were completed last year and have paved the way for construction of this new cutting edge facility.

The latest developments to the MRF have included the installation of two Trommels. These enormous interior drums will act as the front line filter at the plant separating plastic bottles and cans from paper.

The recyclables will pass through the rotating Trommels. The cans and plastic bottles will drop through a hole in the front section, paper products will work along the Trommel and pass through another hole, leaving the oversized material, such as cardboard, to be filtered out through the end section. This is one of the most efficient methods for separating paper from other dry recyclables.

This month also sees the completion of the steelworks and the cladding to the building. Over the next few months the MRF equipment will be installed inside the building with a final completion during autumn this year.

"It is exciting to be able to see this new cutting edge facility taking shape," said John Collis, director of Onyx Hampshire. "Work is progressing well and the arrival of the two Trommels is a milestone in the construction programme.

"When it is completed later this year, the Alton MRF will provide much needed additional processing capacity and enable us and the residents of Hampshire to work towards achieving the goal to recycle 40% and beyond of the county’s household waste."

Once operational, the new MRF will be the most advanced in Europe with the capacity to process 85,000 tonnes of recyclable material collected from households across the county.

Ends

PHOTO CAPTION: Reaching a milestone, the installation of the Trommels.

For more information please contact:

Jo Garland

01962 764000