Minister opens innovative new waste facility

A new £6million waste management facility will play a critical role in meeting stringent European recycling targets, Environment Minister Edwin Poots said today.

The Minister was commenting as he officially opened Natural World Products’ (NWP) new state-of-the-art organic waste recycling facility on the site of the former Glenside Quarry in Belfast. NWP will use world leading technology, known as in-vessel composting, to recycle bio-waste such as garden clippings and food waste collected from households across Northern Ireland.

Mr Poots said: “Meeting the current and future challenges of recycling waste in Northern Ireland is important not just for the local environment but also the economy.

“That is why my Department, through the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP), has made a significant investment in the capital costs of this innovative facility which will take Northern Ireland’s recycling capacity to a higher level.”

The Minister acknowledged the progress that had been made in Northern Ireland in recent years in handling waste. He said: "It is essential that everyone plays their part in helping Northern Ireland meet the stringent European recycling targets. This recycling facility, the largest of its kind in Northern Ireland, will go a long way to helping us reach those targets and each year will recycle 60,000 tonnes of organic waste."

NWP has recently entered into a unique partnership with the owner and manager of the nearby local amenity land, the Colin Glen Trust. This sponsorship from NWP will allow local school children to come and see how best practice recycling works and educate them about environmental issues.

Notes to editors:

1. Natural World Products (NWP) has over 20 year’s experience in recycling activities across Northern Ireland at three recycling facilities based in Belfast, Portadown and Keady.

2. The new state-of-the-art facility is located on a 13.7 acre site, making it the largest recycling facility in Northern Ireland.

3. NWP received a £1.5million grant towards the cost of the project from the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP), the largest amount ever awarded by WRAP in Northern Ireland, to assist with the capital costs for building the facility. The money for the grant is being provided by the Department over a three year period and is administered through WRAP’s Organics Capital Grant Scheme.

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