The Skip Magazine

Worcestershire’s household rubbish could be transformed into a useful eco-fuel, if plans for a revolutionary £35 million waste processing plant go ahead.

Plans to construct the plant on a site at Hartlebury, near Kidderminster, are under consideration by Worcestershire County Council and its private waste contractor, Mercia Waste Management.

At present the council’s plans include a new plant for dealing with recyclable waste, which is due to open at Norton, near Worcester, next year. However, under these plans, all non-recyclable rubbish will still go straight to landfill.

Estech Europe is the waste company offering an alternative solution. They have been involved in negotiations with Worcestershire Council and Mercia Waste over the possibility of building a hi-tech Fibrecycle plant at Hartlebury.

The waste company are proposing to use technology that puts non-recyclable waste through a process called steam autoclaving, sterilising it with high-pressure steam and transforming it into a fibrous pulp.

Estech Europe claims that this pulp can then be used as a clean, renewable energy source, or put to other uses such as making paper. It says its solution would cut the amount of waste Worcestershire sends to landfill by as much as 80 per cent.
Managing director of Estech, Jonathan Allen said,

"We are in discussions with Mercia Waste Management. We would like to build a plant but first we have to conclude a deal with Mercia. We would like to get the negotiations completed during the summer and then start (building) on the ground in the autumn, but we have to be patient."

The company already has the planning permission to build the plant and says it would be able to deal with more than 100,000 tonnes of black bin waste each year.

Mercia Waste Management, which is paid by the council to dispose of the county's waste, is demanding strong evidence that what it sees as unproven technology is the best long-term solution.

Mercia director Javier Periero said,

"We are looking at all the options. We have asked Estech to prove the things they say they can achieve, and we're waiting for some of the details. But there are other options."
The county has long wanted to build an incinerator to burn its non-recyclable waste, although in 2002 opposition from local residents stopped a plant being built near Kidderminster.

Earlier this year, the council's Tory leader George Lord said he was in favour of an incinerator somewhere in the two counties.

They say that for every winner, there has to be a loser. On one side of the coin, we have the discovery of a £40,000 table in a skip and, on the other, we have Chris Evans accidentally throwing out some very valuable artwork. Sorry, Chris, but on this occasion you’re definitely a loser.

The Radio Two DJ was packing his art collection into boxes during a recent house move when the terrible error occurred. He had decided to throw out some of his paintings, so put them in separate boxes, intended to go to a local charity shop.

However, Evans said that his ‘handy man’ had made a mix up with the boxes which led to the Damien Hirst painting being discarded.

He now believes that the work – one of Hirst’s classic dot paintings – is lying in a charity shop somewhere waiting to be snapped up at a bargain price. A similar painting by Hirst was sold at auction for £240,000 last year!

Chris Evans, 42, said “I had no idea I'd done it. We've been clearing out the house.”
He also said that he’d made a hurried effort to trace the whereabouts of the painting and buy it back. He didn’t seem to be too bothered about the whole episode, though, as he told the story in fits of laughter on his drive-time radio show.

It’s certainly not the first time art has been mistakenly discarded – last year a sculpture by Turner Prize artist, Anish Kapoor, valued at £350,000, was shockingly dumped in a skip by builders whilst in the care of a London fine arts storage company!

A piece of ‘art’ masquerading as a bag of rubbish was also thrown into a hire skip by a cleaner at The Tate Gallery a few years back.

The lost Hirst painting is now thought to be in a charity shop somewhere in Cranleigh or Godalming, Surrey. So if you’re feeling lucky it might just be worth a browse…

An antique table rescued from a skip in Welshpool, Powys, has sold at auction for £40,000!

The table was pulled from the hire skip after being dumped during a house clearance. To the untrained eye, it could easily be passed over as just another cheap example of replica Edwardian furniture. But when Jeremy Lamond, Fine Art Director at Halls Auctioneers, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, spotted it, “My heart skipped a beat,” he said – hilariously.

Instantly recognising the brass fittings on the table, Mr Lamond named it as a very rare example of work produced by 19th century architect Edward William Godwin.

Once underway, the auction was contested by three telephone bidders. Eventually, it sold to a specialist dealer in London. The family who had tried to dispose of the table are said to be delighted with the price it sold for. As is Mr Lamond, “In terms of significant discoveries during my career, this table has got to be right up there in the top 10 because it is so rare.”

Indeed, so unusual is this piece that the only other examples of its type are to be found in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the National Trust's Ellen Terry Memorial Museum at Smallhythe Place, Kent.

When asked about dumping antiques, Mr Lamond said, “People have nothing to lose and everything to gain from getting a professional valuation.”

So take heed. Check those skips before you consign them to the landfill. If you bury £40,000 worth of rare walnut loveliness, you’ve only got yourself to blame.

IN THIS MONTH'S ISSUE OF 'THE SKIP'...

• A table found in a skip sells at auction for £40,000

• Volunteers in a community clean-up project are forced to return the rubbish!

• The new CIWM president talks about challenges ahead for the waste industry

• Skip hire insurance and how to deal with customer liability

• 'Skip Hunk of The Month' & 'Skip Chicks'

• Advice from industry experts

• And much more...

In today’s era of landfill charges and LATs reporting, the weighbridge is at the heart of
a waste organisation’s data collection. Downtime can bring an operation to a halt so an effective preventative maintenance programme is vital says Chris Thorpe, service manager for Avery Weigh-Tronix.

Weighbridges are precision weighing instruments designed to meet stringent weights and measures regulations while operating in extremely harsh environments.

Collecting and reporting waste data is essential for waste disposal authorities, transfer stations and landfill operators. In modern waste management the weighbridge is like a cash register for an organisation. Landfill charges, waste sorting & recycling transactions and landfill taxes all need accurate data.

Indeed, with charges set to increase by 100% over the next three years for active waste going to landfill, it pays to recycle and importantly measure or weigh the different categories of waste. With the weighbridge and its software at the heart of this reporting regime, it is essential that it remains operational and also reports weight data accurately.

Having the right service and maintenance agreement in place is essential, but there is much that weighbridge operators can do to ensure that equipment stays reliable. Perhaps the first thing is to be aware of the most common causes of damage or failure.

For example, if the load cell or weighbar is left in water or even in very damp conditions it can fail prematurely. This is one of the most common causes of inaccurate weighing and leads to rejection by trading standards officers.

Second, “shock loading” can cause excessive movement of the weighbridge platform damaging the structure. This can be due to the heavy braking of a vehicle, impact damage caused by a loading shovel or by heavy loads dropped directly onto the weighbridge or into a vehicle positioned on it.

Another common problem is electrical disruption, including mains borne interference through the weighbridge indicator supply or a lightning strike, either directly or via dissipation when the surrounding ground becomes electrically charged. Modern weighbridge designs generally incorporate protection against lightning, but it is important to check the weighbridge for damage after any thunderstorm.

So, assuming you already have a maintenance contract in place, what else can an operator do to help keep the weighbridge operational and legally compliant?

The answer lies in housekeeping and good practice, with daily, weekly, monthly and twice yearly tasks. These simple tasks are important as accumulation of dirt, debris, water or slurry will affect the integrity of the weighbridge. In the short term this will lead to inaccurate weighing and, if allowed to continue, the load cells or weigh bars will fail, making the weighbridge unusable.

On a daily basis, for example, it is best practice to visually inspect the platform to ensure it is free from debris. Check that the side and end frames are not fouled. Next ensure that the digital display reads zero before the vehicle drives onto the platform.

Make sure that vehicles approach the platform slowly and avoid sudden braking and for an accurate weight reading ensure that all of its wheels are on the weighbridge.

For pit-mounted installations where T section rubber is fitted, check it is located correctly and that any pit drainage system and/or automatic pumps are working correctly. For surface mounted weighbridges make sure there is clearance between the superstructure and the ground .

Weekly tasks involve carefully checking the load cell assemblies for debris build up, which should be removed carefully without damaging the load cell cables.

You should also carry out a weekly weigh check using a loaded vehicle. Compare the vehicle’s weight when it is weighed at each end of the weighbridge and in the centre of the platform. If discrepancies of ± 2 indicated divisions are found then it should be reported.

In the example below, the weight is displayed in 20kg increments. At 25980Kg the weight is acceptable at -1 indicated division, but at 26060kg at the front end of the platform it is unacceptable with +3 indicated divisions.

For a pit-mounted weighbridge, check the pit monthly for possible “ponding” of water, debris build up or other damage to the leading edge of foundations, and the side and end frames of the platform. If the platform has moved excessively since the last inspection, then report it to your maintenance service provider.

You should also repeat the end-middle-end test as detailed in the weekly tasks and record the readings. After doing this jet wash the weighbridge to remove any loose debris and any material beneath the platform, taking care to avoid the load cells or weighbars. Rebalance, or zero, the weighbridge and repeat the end-middle-end test noting the readings. Compare these before and after results and report any discrepancies.

Finally, once every six months you should check the weighbridge for any signs of structural damage. For example, inspect the foundations for any significant movement or cracks and report any signs to your maintenance service provider. For surface mounted weighbridges visually check the load cell cables and again report any damage.

Never electrically weld on the weighbridge structure without consulting your service provider as this can seriously damage your loadcells or weighbars.

Also if the weighbridge needs cleaning out then you must take into account that waste can produce methane and other dangerous gases. For pit mounted weighbridges, you must ensure that suitably certified gas detectors are used in compliance with the Confined Space, Health and Safety legislation, both before and during such work.

With proper care your weighbridge will give longer trouble free operation in between planned maintenance visits. But remember not to get carried away by ‘DIY service’. Do not attempt to carry out detailed repair or maintenance work as this may affect its operation and contravene Weights and Measures regulations.

This is where a planned maintenance contract is essential, taking into account the way a weighbridge is used and its frequency of use, as this will vary from one organisation
to another. Maintenance contracts can be flexible to meet your needs. Avery Weigh Tronix often finds that a basic package is fine for a new weighbridge in its first year, with extra cover added progressively as the equipment ages.

A basic package will typically only include a scheduled preventative maintenance visit or visits – ranging from monthly to annual visits. Additional features can include emergency cover for breakdowns, labour costs for repairs, parts and even replacement of load cells or weighbars.

If replacement parts are fitted, you may need to get the weighbridge re-verified to ensure it meets weights and measures legislation – check whether your service supplier can do this for you as not all service and repair companies have the necessary skills, tools and experience.

To meet your due diligence obligations you should also have your weighbridge calibrated regularly – at least once a year. Again your maintenance service provider should be trained and qualified to offer this service.

If the worst should happen you should also check your contract for response times. Even in the remotest regions of the UK, an eight hour response time is achievable and much shorter response times are available for critical operations.

In summary your weighbridge is one of the most important elements of your business. Without it operating properly, you risk mis-measurement. Even worse, if the problems build up and the weighbridge becomes inoperable it could slow or even close down your operation.

Finally there is the nightmare scenario, of non-compliance with Weights & Measures and the risk of legal action by Trading Standards with all the damage to your reputation, to say nothing of the direct financial losses.

Even though your weighbridge looks a simple, robust, heavy duty piece of kit that can ‘look after itself’, a few minutes spent on basic housekeeping each day, an hour each week and a couple of hours each month, will make all the difference to its reliable, trouble free operation.

This month’s Skip Hunk is Dave ‘The Pie’ Haskins from 5 Star Skip Hire. You may have difficulty picking him out, what with his face being as red as his truck!

Q. Hi Dave. I’ll ask the obvious question to start with - what’s ‘The Pie’ bit in your name all about?

A. Well, it’s quite easy to explain really. I always have at least one pie a day - have done since I was about 15 I think. (Apart from one time at my Nanna’s in Whitley Bay when the chippy closed early due to a potato theft).

Q. Wow, that’s an impressive claim! So what’s the best thing about working at 5 Star Skip Hire then?

A. There’s an absolutely cracking pie shop two minutes from the yard. Second best is Amanda in the office - partly because she’s a cracking good laugh, but mainly cos she loves pies. Sometimes we eat lunch together on a wall.

Q. So, have you been busy recently then - it looks like you’ve caught the sun on your rounds.

A. Yeah, I’ve been busy. This isn’t sun burn though. My blood pressure’s shot from all the pies.

Q. Oh, right. There’s a down side to all things enjoyable I suppose. So, what’s your favourite thing about The Skip magazine, Dave?

A. The logo. It looks a bit like a cross-section of a pie.

Q. I suppose it does, when you think about it. They say beauty is in the pie of the beholder! Do you have any other hobbies besides pastry products, then?

A. Yes, I’m part of a Band Aid tribute act, actually. We play round the local pubs every Christmas for charity.

Q. Oh great. For a minute there, I thought everything about you was going to be pie related! What’s the band called?

A. We’re called ‘Do They Know It’s Ginsters?’

Blinking heck, that’s enough for me. Pie pie everyone!

Dear The Skip,

In response to your article of issue 33, this government has not got a green policy; it has a mean policy. We all welcome a better environment and responsible Waste Management Companies strive hard to comply.

Albeit, this government does not encourage or reward responsible hardworking companies at all. Instead they continually introduce penalties and taxes etc.

Why do they never provide opportunities or support to enable us to comply? We all know that the reduction in landfill sites is inevitable and an increasing problem but not one that has occurred overnight. Why is there no infrastructure in place?

There is no help with developing future sites for recycling plants etc. Local Councils are not pro-active; they are narrow minded and do not welcome such visual sites. All the brownfield sites available should be utilised for the development of the appropriate area, in particular replacing work where it has previously been lost. Not all businesses are call centres or distribution warehouses. To recycle certain material, the distance to travel outweighs the tipping costs - with respect to fuel costs and time taken this does not help our carbon footprint. If more sites were available this would encourage recycling and sites would be more widespread. We need forward thinking Government representatives but where are they???

Regards,

Debbie Garlick
Potteries Waste Limited.

THE SKIP SAYS: Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Debbie. You raise some very valid points. As for finding any “forward thinking Government representatives” - there’s probably more chance that Elvis is currently working on a policy for rationalising skip permit pricing.

The use of new technology, called Viper, means that VOSA is cracking down on overloaded vehicles. It is time for the waste industry to take action, but to do so they need accurate and reliable solutions argues Chris McAllister, market manager for Avery Weigh-Tronix’s waste division.

VOSA states that overloading continues to be one of the most frequent offences for HGVs, ranking alongside tachograph and drivers’ hours offences. It is a serious health and safety issue because it increases braking distances in an emergency and makes the vehicle more difficult to control. None of us want to be associated with the consequences of a serious road traffic accident.

Overloaded vehicles also cause extra wear and tear on the road network and VOSA is taking the issue very seriously.

According to the Road Traffic Act, overloading your vehicle is an absolute offence. This means that an offence is committed even where the driver or operator had no knowledge of the overloading. Beware if someone else loads the vehicle, as the consignor can and often does state the weight incorrectly. Wherever possible get the consignor to confirm the cargo weight in writing and make sure that this information is printed on the weight bill as this can be used as evidence in mitigation.

If your vehicle is stopped and directed to a weighing site and is then found to be overweight, the driver and any other person who permits the use of the vehicle may be liable for prosecution.

In addition the authorised officer will issue a prohibition notice making it illegal for the vehicle to travel on the road. This notice must be cleared in writing before the vehicle can proceed and it is up to you to meet the costs of offloading excess weight safely.

The penalties for overloading can be severe. There is a maximum fine of £5,000 per offence i.e. per axle, per gross and per train overload and you can also have your licence disqualified. Convictions can also affect the decision of the traffic commissioner to suspend revoke or renew an HGV driver’s licence.

In practice there are two statutory defences. First it must be shown that the vehicle was proceeding to the nearest available weighbridge or was proceeding from the weighbridge to the nearest suitable offloading point. The second defence is that the vehicle was loaded to within its legal limits and that the weight had increased in transit by no more than 5 percent and nothing had been added to the vehicle since it was first loaded.

In the past enforcement may have been an issue. The only solution was to have random checks at fixed sites with police officers stopping vehicles. Once word got out, many vehicles could easily avoid inspection sites. In 2003/04 for instance VOSA weighed 41,731 UK and foreign vehicles with a prohibition rate of 7.84%.

Beware the Viper

Now, however, VOSA is using new technology and has new powers to make enforcement more effective.

In 2004 it gained the power to stop vehicles itself, following accreditation from chief officers. The police have now trained a number of VOSA staff who can operate in specially marked cars. Since that time there have been significant increases in the number of vehicles stopped and prohibitions issued.

More recently the organisation has started using a combination of weighing in motion sensors and automatic number plate recognition called VIPER. In-road piezoelectric strips measure a vehicle’s weight and each individual axle to a margin of better than 5% and cameras record the number plates of any overloaded vehicles. The system will identify the type of vehicle and, if it is overweight, will record its number plate and other details. Such targeting reduces the need to stop law-abiding drivers, but increases the chance of those that are inadvertently overloaded being caught.

A recent pilot study recorded a 700% increase in identifying and prohibiting overweight vehicles. In this study the system identified 434 vehicles as being overweight. These vehicles were stopped and 379 were found to be actually overweight. A total of 344 weight prohibition notices were issued. Since then road checks between February and April were 100% effective and only non-compliant operators were stopped.

Such was its success that VIPER has won the Intelligent Transport Society’s technology award for excellence. There are now four sites operating with another 10 to be added by April 2008. Negotiations are ongoing for further sites.

Weighing up a solution

So it is no longer good enough to estimate the weight of your vehicle or, if a third party is loading it, accept their word that it is within legal limits. It has always been the responsibility of the operator and/or driver. Some may have been tempted to gamble in the past, but the chances are that they will now be caught.

Equally with fuel prices increasing and margins tight, you do not want to err too much on the side of caution and significantly underload your vehicle.

Potentially there are several proven solutions. One, of course, is to visit a weighbridge, but this is not always convenient.

For most, the best option is to install On Board Weighing. You can then monitor and check the load yourself. In theory this is the ideal answer, but unfortunately some systems have in the past been unreliable.

The good news is that the technology is getting better and there are now more reliable and accurate systems on the market.

So if you are specifying on board weighing what should you ask the supplier?

Chris Hodge of Commercial Motor magazine has some recommendations. He suggests asking: “Can it be tailored to suit an individual vehicle or operation? Can it be transferred from one truck to another? Is it accurate to within 50kg? Is it simple to operate? Is it robust and reliable? Does the system come with a tailor made warranty? Is it quick and easy to install? Does the system come with a nationwide aftersales and service backup?”

He finishes off the list by questioning whether the system allows your drivers to load safely and if it helps ensure that you’re not losing money by underloading.

I would add to this list and suggest that you ask for references and proof points. For example, how many technicians are in my local area? How quickly can they get to me – time off the road is money lost. And can simple repairs be done at the roadside?

One recent advance that makes such systems inherently more reliable is the introduction of digital load cell technology. This is not new technology for weighbridges and other applications, but it is new for On Board Weighing.

Using digital load cells halves the number of wires in the chassis cable from four to two. It also reduces the amount of cable needed, eliminates any need for a junction box and minimises the number of chassis cable contacts. Quite simply there is less to go wrong.

In addition, reliability is better because the temporary presence of moisture in the connectors will not affect digital data transmission. In an analogue system this would stop it working.

Will all of this make overloaded vehicles a thing of the past? Probably not, but new technology means that VOSA will catch more of those who transgress and genuine errors are not a defence in law. So beware the VIPER and make the most of current technology to help you stay legal while also maximising your load for efficiency. It’s a delicate balancing act, but one that you have to get right.

A major magnetic equipment manufacturer has successfully solved numerous Aluminium Recycling problems world wide. Master Magnets Ltd is a world leader in the field of Metal Separation applications, they are now willing to share the secrets behind their success.

The recycling of aluminum generally produces significant cost savings over the production of new aluminum even when the cost of collection, separation and recycling are taken into account. Over the long term, even larger national savings are made when the reduction in the capital costs associated with landfills, mines and international shipping of raw aluminium are considered.

The environmental benefits of recycling aluminium are also enormous. Only around 5% of the CO2 is produced during the recycling process compared to producing raw aluminium (and an even smaller percentage when considering the complete cycle of mining and transporting the aluminium).
Also, open-cut mining is most often used for obtaining aluminium ore, which destroys large sections of the world's natural land.

Recycling Aluminium has been further improved through Master Magnets high performance ‘Eddy Current Separator’. In the late 80’s Master Magnets recognised a need in the market for a machine which can separate Aluminium (Non Ferrous) from other metals and non metallic’s (E.g Iron and Plastics). Therefore Master Magnets launched the Eddy Current Separator into the market place.

Operating Principle

An Eddy Current Separator basically consists of a short belt conveyor with its drive at the return end. Inside the delivery pulley a rotor fitted with magnets spins at high speed generating a high frequency alternating magnetic field. In a similar manner to electric motors the alternating magnetic field sets up an electric current in conducting metals within its influence, which in turn produces a magnetic field opposing that of the rotor. Conducting metals are therefore repelled by the rotor, and tend to jump away from it. In operation non metallics are discharged as from a normal conveyor. Non ferrous metals, because of the repulsive force, take a higher trajectory passing over a splitter plate placed between the two flows.

The separating efficiency depends on the frequency of the alternating magnetic field, the strength of the magnets, the speed of the conveyor and the position of the splitter plate. All of these factors should be taken into account when selecting a machine for a particular application. In order to allow non ferrous metals to be repulsed by the rotor, material on the conveyor should ideally be in a monolayer, so throughput will depend on the density and particle size of the material, and the width and speed of the conveyor.

Applications

Eddy Current Separators are increasingly used wherever separation of non ferrous metals from a product stream can give a more valuable product, whether the end use is in recycling, reduction of waste, raw material production or any other process where separation is beneficial. Typical examples of applications are :-

• Separation of non ferrous metals in auto shredder residue

• Separation of non ferrous metals from solid waste incinerator ash

• Sorting aluminium beverage cans from non metalllics

• Removal of contamination from crushed glass cullet

• Extraction of contaminants from process lines

• Separation of non ferrous dross from foundry sand

• Non ferrous metal removal in WEE recycling plants

• Removal of aluminium components in UPVC window recycling

At the heart of many Material Recycling Facilities (MRF’s) an Eddy Current Separator will remove non ferrous metals from domestic, commercial and industrial waste.

Technology from Master Magnets

Master Magnets ECS designs incorporate the latest generation neodymium-iron-boron rare earth magnetic elements to give the high field strengths necessary for efficient separation. Careful design of the rotor within the outer pulley shell ensures that the product is as close as possible to the magnets, as does the selection of high quality thin section conveyor belts.

Various combinations of rotor size and magnetic design are available depending on the application. The standard rotor functions well on such applications as municipal waste recycling. The ‘Fines’ rotor will treat small particle sizes where high rejecting forces are required, and a special design treats coarse, light material such as beverage cans. All are available in widths from 300mm to 1500mm depending on the throughput required.

Master Magnets’ latest version of the eddy current separator is lower in cost and specifically designed for can sorting.

Master Magnets can supply a complete solution to a non ferrous separation problem, from laboratory sample testing to design and installation of a complete separation plant. After careful consideration of the operational requirements the plant will be designed to give a long and trouble free life, and to produce separated materials to the customer’s specification. In house experience will be drawn on to ensure that hoppers, feeders, conveyors, magnetic separators, and all other parts of the plant are compatible, and together function efficiently.

For more info, call 0844 560 7706 and quote ‘Recycling Aluminium TS35’.

This has to be the waste management mantra to all skip companies looking to reduce their future landfill tax bill.

As landfill tax and gate fees increase, skip companies’ waste disposal methods need to be smarter and further opportunities to recycle identified.

Fairfield Materials Management believes that Greater Manchester-based skip companies should be sorting and separating incoming green or garden waste material as a means of saving on landfill charges, and redirecting it to Fairfield’s site in East Manchester.

Landfill tax on biodegradable waste was increased at the beginning of April 2008 by a further £8.00, to £32.00 per tonne. This price doesn’t include the gate fee.

Fairfield offers a ‘throw-away’ gate fee of £25.00/tonne for green waste; a price that has encouraged many landscapers and skip hire companies through their gates.

With zero waste ambitions for the New Smithfield wholesale market site on which it is based, Fairfield has contributed to a phenomenal increase in recycling rates on the market from 8% to 60% in 3 years.

Fairfield is a social enterprise that was set up in 2003 in order to divert thousands of tonnes of green and vegetable waste away from landfill and eradicate unnecessary transportation. Its in-situ composting facility on the New Smithfield wholesale market processes fruit & veg waste from the traders and makes it into a BSI PAS100 compost.

The result?

A: many happy skip hire firms that are enjoying lower disposal costs.

B: a dark brown, nutrient-rich compost, in which waste really has been turned into goodness.

As Emma Smith, Projects Manager says, “Companies trying to dispose of their green waste material like to come to us because we provide a very low cost service. We also think they like our genuine environmental intentions”.

Fairfield provides a 6 day drop-off service at its New Smithfield market site in East Manchester. Large green waste customers are billed at the end of the month.

Fairfield's green waste service will help customers to be more sustainable, to help save the earth, and to save the pounds in their pocket.