A waste recycling company has invested in a pair of JCB machines to feed its latest composting facility.
The 436HT Wastemaster wheeled loaders were bought by Norse Environmental Waste Services (NEWS) for its in-vessel facility in Norfolk which is designed to turn up to 45,000 tonnes of green waste a year into a natural soil improver for farmers.
Food and green waste from local authority schools and roadside collections is composted in a 12-week process. The waste material is transported to the site by truck and tipped in the first half of the facility, where a Wastemaster loads it into a shredder before transporting the material to the composting vessels in purpose-built concrete tunnels.
Naturally occurring micro-organisms within the waste break down the material releasing nutrients and increasing the temperature in the tunnels to 60-70°C. After this process has taken effect the material is removed from the first tunnel and loaded into a second where the composting process continues. Finally the composted material is removed and laid in a maturation pad until ready for redistribution.
Both loaders are used with a variety of buckets and grabs, depending on the material and the stage in the process. They are also equipped with P3 rated carbon filters for the cab air conditioning system. In addition, the operators wear air-fed masks with additional filtration while working in the facility.
NEWS opted for the Wastemaster machines because they have been developed specifically for waste applications.
