Tip: If your primary interest is in Anaerobic Digestion read on. You should know about MBT Plants because they very often include an Anaerobic Digestion Process.
Mechanical Biological Treatment Plants are explained. We introduce the MBT Plant concept, and how they improve recycling and help avoid greeenhouse gas emissions by diverting organic waste away from landfill as required by the EU landfill Directive.
For many people, they have have a pretty fair understanding of what an incinerator is, and they visit their local Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) quite regularly, so are reasonably knowledgeable about what happens there. But...
What is a Mechanical Biological Treatment Plant (MBT)? Watch our video - also available on YouTube.com. We talk you through a flow chart - don’t expect a lot of pretty pictures!
Most people are also able to grasp the concept of waste transfer stations. The name says it all, as it is simply where the small loads from the refuse trucks are made up into large “bulk” loads for cost effective transport to the landfill.
But, beyond that there is little knowledge of MBT.
However, it is one of the waste management technologies which are being increasingly used by the local authority waste disposal contractors toavoid having to ship waste (especially organic waste) out to landfills. There could be quite a lot of them around within the next 10 to 15 years.
These Mechanical Biological Treatment Plants are beginning to be built in the UK.
Also, here are quite a number in the EU states already, and the Germans and the Austrians are the leaders in introducing them.
In Germany there are about 50 MBT plants built and operating (January 2008), and clearly the local people have no, or very few, objections.
MBT Plants are designed for maximum recycling, and usually include a composting and/or an Anaerobic Digestion stage.
They also are intended to make the quality of the much reduced quantity of waste, which is the remaining fraction of municipal solid waste (MSW) which cannot be re-used or recycled much less damaging when the residual quantity eventually arrives at the landfill.
MBT plants are much more popular with the general public than incinerators, as there is no question that an MBT plant operator would not absolutely maximise re-use and recycling of the incoming materials.
We are certain that incinerator operators re-use and recycle to the maximum in accordance with the requirements placed upon them and to the best capability of their equipment, as well. However, the public and environmental pressure groups don’t always see it that way.
