North Lanarkshire Council has announced a new contract with Viridor Waste Management that will see 80% of waste converted to energy.

The contract will see 64,000 tonnes of waste treated every year.

This material, which would previously have gone to landfill, will be treated at Viridor's new Energy Recovery Facility in Dunbar, where it is converted into energy.

In December 2019, North Lanarkshire and four other Scottish local authorities will begin a 25-year partnership with Viridor to treat and process their residual waste at Dunbar, through the Clyde Valley Residual Waste Contract. The waste from North Lanarkshire over the next few months will help commission and optimise the new facility.

Andrew McPherson, Head of Regulatory Services and Waste Solutions, said: "This is a major step forward for the council in diverting the majority of our household waste from landfill.

"Our residents are helping us to recycle more plastic, paper, metal and glass through our kerbside service, but previously the rubbish from general waste bins went to landfill which is expensive and bad for the environment.

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"Now, more than 80% of that general waste will be converted into energy which feeds directly into the national grid to power homes and businesses.

"Through the Clyde Valley Residual Waste Contract with Viridor, we are securing long-term financial and environmental benefits in North Lanarkshire and other partner areas."

Viridor's £177million facility at Dunbar will generate 30MW of low carbon energy every year into the national grid - enough to continuously power 39,000 homes.

Viridor's Head of Local Authority Contracts Scotland, Steven Don, said: "Recycling and energy recovery are both crucial and equally important components of Scotland's waste and resource management systems because it's important to achieve a responsible and resource-efficient way to deal with the materials that businesses and householders throw away.

"Energy recovery facilities provide an essential, safe, efficient and cost-effective solution to putting residual waste (that which cannot be recycled) to work to produce low carbon energy which contributes to Scottish energy security."

The Clyde Valley Residual Waste Contract is a partnership of five local authorities (East Dunbartonshire Council, East Renfrewshire Council, North Ayrshire Council, North Lanarkshire Council and Renfrewshire Council) who engaged in a competitive tendering process for the treatment and processing of residual waste.

This 25-year partnership is designed to deliver improved recycling and residual waste treatment and will bring a number of community benefits along with helping to translate a 'Zero Waste' policy into practice for the Clyde Valley authorities.

(MH/CM)