From Accountant to Entrepreneur

There’s no accounting for what business ideas will become a reality or for the ‘type’ of person that will make it as an entrepreneur. This was the message from Knowaste’s CEO, Roy Brown when he addressed a conference of senior managers at Ernst & Young’s Toronto office yesterday (Monday 3rd May). 

Roy Brown, a former accountant, spoke of how he made the successful transition from the professional services sector into the unchartered territories of nappy recycling technology, and how his training for the former proved invaluable for his success in the latter.  

Drawing on the skill set required for a career in professional services, Roy enlightened the group about the transferable nature of these skills and how well placed accountants are for running their own business. 

Imparting the knowledge and experience accrued over his long and successful career, Roy said: “As an entrepreneur, you are the leader, the manager, the investor. You are responsible for growing your business. Understanding your business' finances reduces the risk involved in being an entrepreneur. No amount of planning, estimating, or calculating can prevent failure, but having a firm grasp of accounting basics will show you where to make changes to avoid problems and find growth.” 

He concluded the session by urging the group to “find their inner entrepreneur” – to test ideas, challenge one another, and investigate opportunities to develop not only their clients but also themselves. 

Planners Back a £12m nappy Recycling Site

Express & Star

March 31, 2010

Chris Moriarty Plans to build a £12 million nappy recycling centre in Sandwell have moved a step closer after being backed by council planners.  Construction work has already begun on the pioneering Knowaste recycling centre. 

It is being built on land leased from neighbouring Giffords Wood Recycling in Kelvin Way, West Bromwich.  Planning permission is already in place for a recycling operation to run but Knowaste has now also been granted permission to build a 1,700 sq ft extension to one of the buildings on the site.  It will be the first premise of its kind in the country.   

Canadian firm Knowaste Ltd has now applied for a waste management licence and asked Severn Trent for consent to discharge trade effluent. 

The plant is expected to be up and running by the end of the year and will employ around 25 people, operating 24 hours a day throughout the week, with around three to four deliveries every hour during the day. 

Chief executive of Knowaste, Roy Brown, said in the UK nappies accounted for up to six per cent of waste going to landfill. 

“There is therefore a clear and pressing need for a cost effective and environmnetally friendly solution to the challenge of dealing with nappy and adult incontinence product waste, “ he said. 

“Our solution not only helps reduce the waste that goes to landfill, but also provides an environmentally sound method of capturing energy from the remaining waste stream, which will be used to power the plant and also sold back to the grid.” 

A neighbouring £20m power plant will be built by Verus Energy Off Kelvin Way to use waste processed by Knowaste to generate heat and power. 

For more information of Knowaste or SmallPlanet visit:  www.knowaste.com  and  www.smallplanetbuilding.com. 

For more information please contact Kathryn Williams on 01179 073 400 or email: Kathryn.Williams@jbp.co.uk.

Town Pins Down Deal for Recycling Nappies

Express & Star

February 15, 2010

Sally Walmsley 

The country’s first nappy recycling plant is on course to open in West Bromwich this year, bosses announced today. 

Canadian firm Knowaste has started preparatory work on the £12 million centre in Kelvin Way, after the scheme was moved from the originally proposed site in Tyseley, south east Birmingham. The recycling centre will be followed by a £20 million power plant being built by Verus Energy to turn the nappy waste into energy, earmarked to go up within the next two to three years on land alongside Kelvin Way. 

Bosses at Knowaste today said that they were expected to have their plant up and running by the end of the year.   

The firm also hopes to build another four around the country. 

Constructuion work on the 67,500 sq ft site is expected to take between six and eight months and once open it will handle up to 36,000 tonnes of nappies per yar. 

Roy Brown, President and CEO of Knowaste, said:  “Building work is currently in progress on the site in West Browmwich and the plant will be fully operational towards the end of the third quarter of 2010.  

 Knowaste is fully committed to the plans to opent he UK’s first nappy recycling plant and is progressing well”.  

 Up to 15 lorries and smaller vans are expected to make deliveries to and from the site every day and the company is hoping to set up partnerships with companies around Europe.   

A contract has already been agreed with a specialist nappy collection contractor, Alpha Wastecare, and Mr. Brown said they already had significant interest and were in advanced discussions from other waste collection business, washroom amangement companies and local authorities. 

For more information of Knowaste or SmallPlanet visit:  www.knowaste.com  and  www.smallplanetbuilding.com.

For more information please contact Kathryn Williams on 01179 073 400 or email: Kathryn.Williams@jbp.co.uk.

Nappies Plant is Now On Course

Express & Star

February 15, 2010

Sally Walmsley 

The country’s first nappy recycling plant is on course to open in West Bromwich this year, bosses announced today. 

Canadian firm Knowaste has started preparatory work on the £12 million centre in Kelvin Way, after the scheme was moved from the originally proposed site in Tyseley, south east Birmingham. 

The recycling centre will be followed by a £20 million power plant being built by Verus Energy to turn the nappy waste into energy, earmarked to go up within the next two to three years on land alongside Kelvin Way. 

Bosses at Knowaste today said that they were expected to have their plant up and running by the end of the year.  

The firm also hopes to build another four around the country. 

Constructuion work on the 67,500 sq ft site is expected to take between six and eight months and once open it will handle up to 36,000 tonnes of nappies per yar. 

Roy Brown, President and CEO of Knowaste, said:  “Building work is currently in progress on the site in West Browmwich and the plant will be fully operational towards the end of the third quarter of 2010.   Knowaste is fully committed to the plans to opent he UK’s first nappy recycling plant and is progressing well”.   

Up to 15 lorries and smaller vans are expected to make deliveries to and from the site every day. For more information of Knowaste or SmallPlanet visit:  www.knowaste.com  and  www.smallplanetbuilding.com. 

For more information please contact Kathryn Williams on 01179 073 400 or email: Kathryn.Williams@jbp.co.uk.

Nappy Recycling to Become a Reality

Waste Matters

January 26, 2010

 Ernestine Allen 

A recent survey (Ask-A-Mum Survey 2008), revealed that 95% of parents want nappy recycling as part of their standard household waste collection and 93% of mums and dads feel a degree of uneasiness when throwing nappies out with the rest of their waste.  Their feelings are not unfounded.  More than three billion nappies are thrown away in the UK year after year.  Described as the “convenience curse” of the 21st century, until now, disposable nappies have been one of the few remaining household items that go straight to landfills or incinerators. 

In the UK around 8 million disposable nappies are used every day and one baby’s disposable nappies fill 40 black sacks in a year.  Approximately 1 million tonnes of Associated Hygiene Products such as nappies, adult incontinence and feminine hygiene products are produced per annum.  This means that all these nappies end up in landfill.  Disposable nappies may take up to 500 years to decompose, essentially making them present in our landfills forever.  In addition to this, the soiling in them means that as they rot, methane, a greenhouse gas,about twice as bad as C02, is released contributing to global warming.  This means that the disposable nappies used in a child’s life could produce up to 630 kg of methane. 

The use of disposable nappies has increased over the past 20 years as a result of their convenience.  Because of the convenience argument, most parents have opted to use dispoable nappies over cloth/real nappies which are being sent straight to landfill.  Many councils offer a subsidised real nappy service but statistics show that a staggering 690,000 tonnes of nappy waste are still sent to landfilleach year.  According to the Environment Agency, the carbon footprint of recycling disposable nappies is not yet known.  Although the process diverts nappies fromlandfill, there are still issues about the energy used to recycle them.  However, due to the landfill restrictions in the UK, nappy recycling is a viable option until UK consumers change their behaviour and turn to waste reduction. 

The UK’s first ever nappy recycling plant is set to open in West Browmwich in 2010.  When up and running, theis unique solution will enable recycling of approximately 36,000 tonnes of the city’s nappies and other absorbent hygiene products including bedliners and incontinence products.  The plastic recyclates from the process can then be recreated into a variety of products, including plastic cladding, bicycle helmets, plastic injection and extrusion products and roof tiles. 

Roy Brown, President and Chief Executive of Knowaste Ltd said:  “More than 750,000 tonnes of nappy waste is disposed of in the UK each year – a figure that not only illustrates the need to find an alternative to landfill, but also highlights the importance of developing alternative uses for post-consumer nappies.  There is an obvious potential for synergy between the material waste produced by industry and householders and the raw materials required to produce construction products.  We see this as a win-win opportunity for consumers and industry.” 

For more information of Knowaste or SmallPlanet visit:  www.knowaste.com and  www.smallplanetbuilding.com.

For more information please contact Kathryn Williams on 01179 073 400 or email: Kathryn.Williams@jbp.co.uk.

Nappy Power Plant to Create New Jobs

February 3, 2010

Chris Moriarty

Sandwell Express & Star Energy

Firm Unveils £20m Scheme for Site Newar Recycling Centre A £20 million power plant that would turn nappy waste into energy is set to be built in West Bromwich, alongside a new £12m nappy recycling centre. 

London-based Verus Energy has revealed plans to build a power plant in Kelvin Way, creating dozens of new jobs for the area.  It will be based near to a pioneering Knowaste recycling centre which, it has emerged, will now be built on a site off Kelvin Way after bosses ran into planning difficulties on the originally proposed site in Tysely, Birmingham.   

Preparatory work by the Canadian firm, Knowaste, has begun on the site and trials could start in April, if building work is completed to test the facilities.

Hundreds of thougsands of tons of used nappies will be processed to prevent them going to landfill.   

The company will work in partnership with Verus Energy which will use waste processed by Knowaste to generate heat and power energy at its neighbouring plant. 

The Verus base would be build on land on the site of Giffords Pallets, which will continue to operate as normal.   

The energy-generating plant could take up to three years to build but the recycling centre could be up and running within months as planning permission for recycling was already in place at the site.   

Supply

Verus Energy director Tim Jervis said they were developing the project with Knowaste to help reduce the reliance on fossil fuels and cut down on waste going to landfill.

“Knowaste would supply us with whatever they can’t recycle and would otherwise go into landfill, and we are saying we can get some energy out of it and stop the methane going tinto the atmosphere.”  He said. 

“Its going to be two to three years until the site is operational. 

“It would be an employer but I wouldn’t like to say how many jobs yet at this stage, but it will provide sustainable, local jobs, as these plants have a life of at least 25 years.” 

The firm is planning similar plants elsewhere in the country including another in the East Midlands but the West Bromwich branch is expected to be one of the first to open. 

The Knowaste centre would be the first of its kind to open in the UK. For more information please contact Kathryn Williams on 01179 073 400 or email: Kathryn.Williams@jbp.co.uk.

Plant to Recycle Nappies

February 3, 2010

Express & Star A £20 million power plant that would turn nappy waste into energy is set to be built in West Bromwich, alongside a new £12m nappy recycling centre. 

London-based Verus Energy has revealed plans to build a power plant in Kelvin Way, creating dozens of new jobs for the area.  

 It will be based near to a pioneering Knowaste recycling centre which, it has emerged, will now be built on a site off Kelvin Way after bosses ran into planning difficulties on the originally proposed site in Tysely, Birmingham.   

Preparatory work by the Canadian firm, Knowaste, has begun on the site and trials could start in April, if building work is completed to test the facilities. 

Hundreds of thougsands of tons of used nappies will be processed to prevent them going to landfill.   

The company will work in partnership with Verus Energy which will use waste processed by Knowaste to generate heat and power energy at its neighbouring plant. 

 For more information please contact Kathryn Williams on 01179 073 400 or email: Kathryn.Williams@jbp.co.uk.

Nappies on the Roof!!?!!

November 13, 2009

Guy Battle’s Bloghttp://www.planet-positive.org/blog 

Earlier this year, concerned about my growing family’s impact onthe environment, I was engrossed in teh nappy debate; disposables or reusables? (see blog) Finally, with a little help from my GreenParent.com friends, I opted for second hand reusble nappies, washing at 40 degrees C and line drying.  Unfortunately, my experiment did not last very long as the hassle of handling and washing proved too much for us.  Yes, I feel bad, but one has to be real and recognise one’s practical limits – Reusable nappies are not for us – sorry! 

But all is not lost and there is hope on the horizon offered int eh form of Knowaste. 

Knowaste is a Canadian company which potentially provides an alternative and acceptable solution.  The company is providing the UK’s first absorbent gygiene product recycling facility which will not only recylce an estimated 750,000 tonnes of nappy waste produced every year int eh UK, but also provide a treatment system for the large quantities of feminine hygiene products (a market int eh UK worth £298m a year) and the ever growing adult incontinence pad market. 

The first Knowaste plant will open in West Bromwich in mid 2010 for collections from the Birmingham area with four other plants are planned by 20104 for Manchester, Liverpool and London. 

The Birmingham plant alone will prevent 36,000 tonnes of nappy waste, feminine hygiene products and adult incontinence pads from going to landfill each year with the “waste” being reused to produce resalable, clean and hygienic sterile plastics and an energy source capable of fueling the plant, with excess energy sold to the national grid.  

Not wanting to take their word for it, dcarbon8 are currently carrying out a full LCA according to ISO 14044 and working to measure the environmental impacts of the treatment of the waste, in comparison to other forms of waste disposal for UK operations. 

But I understand for the dc8 team that Knowaste is not stopping there as they have recently launched a new company called SmallPlanet Building Products which plans to use the plastic recovered from the recycling plant to manufacture roofing tiles and systems.  Who would have thought that nappies would end up on your roof!! 

Is it a good solution, is it “acceptable”.  Well we will find out and I will publish the data whatever the answer but on the face of it, they could provide an option to the increasing number of parents, like me who really do care about how nappies are disposed of BUT cannot or are unable to cope with the real practicalities of dealing with the reusable nappy. 

For more information please contact Kathryn Williams on 01179 073 400 or email: Kathryn.Williams@jbp.co.uk.

Let's Talk Trash: Knowaste Turns Dirty Diapers into Profit

November 9, 2009

Jace Shoemaker-Gallowaywww.triplepundit.com 

Did you know the average baby goes through 5,000 to 6,000 dirty diapers by the time he or she is potty trained?  That accounts for nearly one tonne of waste per child.  Although disposable diapers are convenient, they also create a burdenon our landfills.  Disposable diapers can take up to 500 years to decompose.  And, untreated human waste poses another environmental concern – the potential to contaminate groundwater resources. 

So, imagine being able to divert thougsands of tonnes of dirty diapers from landfills on an annual basis.  That is exactly what Knowaste will be soon doing.  Beginning in May 2010, Knowaste Ltd, will open a new recycling facility in the United Kingdom.   With the feminine hygiene market in the UK worth £298 million a year, this presents further opportunities for local authoritities and specialist collection companies.” 

It is estimated about 8 million disposable diapers are used on a daily basis in the United Kingdom.  Now thats a lot of dirty diapers!  Disposable diapers consist of three parts:  wood pulp, gel polymers and mixed plastic.  According to the company website, 98% of the disposable diaper or incontinence pad can be removed from the waste stream using their patented technology. 

Here is how it works.  Once the soiled products are collected and transported to teh Knowaste facility, the products are sent to a shredder that breaks them apart.  They are washed, sanitized, deactivated and mechanically separated into plastic components or organic resideu.  A special chemical treatment is used to deactivate the polymers. 

Plastic materials are removed, filtered, cleaned and compressed into small pellets. The plastic is then recycled into a variety of products including shoe insoles, vinyl siding, wallpaper, bicycle helmets and roofing tiles, to name a few. 

Non-recyclable waste is converted into green energy which will power the facility or will be sold to the nations grid.  The water used during the process is treated and reused again. 

Besides diapers from nurseries, the new Birmingham plant will also accept adult hygiene waste from nursing homes and hospitals.  The Birmingham facility is the first of five proposed plants inthe UK.   

Established in 1989, Knowaste recycles other absorbent hygiene products besides diapers – bed liners, adult incontinence and feminine hygiene products.   

For more information please contact Kathryn Williams on 01179 073 400 or email: Kathryn.Williams@jbp.co.uk.

Nappy Recycler to Generate Energy from Waste

November 9, 2009

Tiffany HollandRecycling and Waste Management News (MRW) 

The UK’s first nappy recycling plant will be capable of powering itself after teaming up with energy from waste developer Verus Energy. 

Knowaste’s recycling plant, to be built in West Bromwich, is to install an energy island on site.  Additionally, due to technical advancements, it will now be capable of reprocessing feminine hygiene products as well as disposable nappies and adult incontinence waste.

Knowaste president and chief executive Roy Brown said:  “Our intention has alwasy been to ultimately generate green energy from the waste streams on site and our partnership with Verus has sped the process along. 

With the feminine hygiene market in teh UK worth £298 million a year, this presents further opportunities for local authoritities and specialist collection companies.” 

The plant will use two large autoclaves to first dry and sterilise the material, reducing volume by 75% and minimising odour.  The individual components – absorbent polymers, organic residue and plastic – can be recycled into different products and recently, Knowaste announced the plastic could be recycled into roof tiels. Around 98% of the materials can be removed from the waste stream and the remaining waste will be used to fuel the energy island.  

For more information please contact Kathryn Williams on 01179 073 400 or email: Kathryn.Williams@jbp.co.uk.

Tackling climate Change One Dirty Nappy at a Time

November 3, 2009

BusinessGreen (web) 

The UK’s first ever nappy recycling facility will power itself from the waste it processes. 

The company behind the UK’s first nappy recycling facility has announced it is to partner with waste-to-energy firm, Verus Energy, to generate power fromt eh waste processed at its planned West Midlands site. Knowaste said it would use a bacteria based process to break down the nappy and other sanitation waste collected at the facility to generate biogases such as methane.  The gases will be captured and burned, generating energy that will help power the plant and be sold to the grid. 

Roy Brown, president and chief executuve of Knowaste, said:  “We are delighted that within nine months of our doors opening next spring, as well as helping divert from landfill the 750,000 tonnes of nappy waste thrown away each year, we will also be generating renewable energy.” 

In another devlopement, the plant, which is expected to come into operation from May 2010, will also accept feminine hygiene waste, a market in the UK worth 298m a year. 

Knowaste said that plant will feature tow large autoclaves that will dry and sterilise the waste material, reducing its volume by 75%.  Further separation then enables 98% of recyclable materials to be removed from the waste stream, leaving the organic waste to be processed to generate energy. 

Knowaste said it is already looking at a site in South East England for a potential second facility. 

Tim Baldwin, head of sustainable development at Advantage West Midlands, the regional development agency for the area, welcomed the planned development arguing that the recognition of waste as a “valuable resource” would help to “create wealth, employment and, of course, minimise our global impact on the environment”.

For more information please contact Kathryn Williams on 01179 073 400 or email: Kathryn.Williams@jbp.co.uk.

From Nappy to Roof Tile

Reusable Bag Blog

http://www.reusablebagblog.com

Posted by admin – in Eco Friendly Community

October 1, 2009

Our friend, Lynnette, at Knowate Ltd, the world’s leading developer of recycling technologies for nappies and personal care products, has launched a new sustainable roofing solutions venture.  Here’s a summary of their press release on the new company and it’s vision.T

he new company, SmallPlanet Building Products Ltd, will manufacture innovative global roofing solutions made from recycled plastic.  Initially, this recycled plastic will come from a   variety of sources but the ultimate aim is to use the plastic recyclates produced at the UK’s first Knowaste nappy recycling plant scheduled to open early in 2010 Birmingham.

This plant will process and sanitize nappies and adult incontinence products, resulting in two outputs:  plastic and cellulose organic residue for green energy.  The plastic will be recreated into a variety of products, including plastic cladding, decking and roof tiles.

SmallPlanet will market and distribute roofing products to building contractors, roofing supply companies, homebuilders and architects and DIY, hardware and gardening stores.  Long-term plans will be for SmallPlanet to represent other manufacturers of recycled building materials such as decking and siding, thereby extending the product range.

Roy Brown, President and Chief Executive of Knowaste Ltd added:  “More than 750,000 tonnes of nappy waste is disposed of in the UK each year – a figure that highlights the importance of developing alternative uses for post-consumer nappies.  There is an obvious potential for synergy between the material waste produced by industry and householders and the raw materials required to produce construction products.  We see this as a win-win opportunity.

SmallPlanet roofing materials will be manufactured by Mailbox Mouldings in Stalybridge, Cheshire.  The environmentally friendly production process utilizes recycled materials that are both pliable and durable to produce the roof tiles that will be available in a standard black colour or with an additional natural stone granulate in Forest Green, Granite Grey, Traditional Red and Broadleaf Brown.The tiles are UV resistant, colourfast and non-corrosive and their ultra-light weight nature allows for easy installation.  The unique design also makes the materials easy to play, saw and cut and produce good thermal insulation and sound absorption. 

The tiles are suitable for a wide range of buildings and purposes including non-traditional and traditional housing, pre-fabricated and industrial buildings, over-roofing of asbestos, felt or industrial sheeting, conversion of flat to pitched roofs, sheds, conservatories, garages and stables.  

Knowaste

Local Government News

September 1, 2009

The world’s leading developer of recycling technologies for nappies and personal care products, Knowaste Ltd, has launched a new sustainable roofing solutions venture.

The new company, SmallPlanet Building Products Ltd, will manufacture innovative global roofing solutions made from recycled plastic.  Initially, this recycled plastic will come from a variety of sources but the ultimate aim is to use the plastic recyclates produced at the UK’s first Knowaste nappy recycling plant scheduled to open early in 2010 in Birmingham.

Tel:  01600 891594 or visit www.knowaste.com

Poop Scoop

Roofing Cladding & Insulation

September 1, 2009

A new recycling plant due to be built in Birmingham will supply roof tiles made from recycled nappies.

Due to open next year, the facility is being developed by Knowaste, a specialist in turning the plastic element of sanitary waste into building products.

The recycling process sanitises the waste to produce two outputs:  plastic and cellulose organic residue.  While the organic residue can be used for green energy, the plastic can be made into a variety of products.

The roof tiles will be manufactured by Mailbox Mouldings and distributed by Knowaste’s subsidiary company, SmallPlanet Building Products.

Roy Brown, president and chief executive of Knowaste said:  “more than 750,000 tonnes of nappy waste is disposed of in the UK each year – a figure that high lights the importance of developing alternative uses for post-consumer nappies.“

There is an obvious potential for synergy between the material waste produced by industry and householders and the raw materials required to produce construction products.”

The roof tiles will be available in black, green, grey, red…and brown. 

Recycled Tiles Made from Nappies is not a Bum Deal

Project Scotland

September 1, 2009

A company that specializes in recycling technology for nappies and personal care products has launched a new business to manufacture plastic cladding, decking and roof tiles.

Knowaste Ltd says the new business, SmallPlanet Building Products, will initially use recycled plastic from “a variety” of sources but wants to use plastic recyclates produced at a nappy recycling plant scheduled to open early in 2010 in Birmingham.

The plant will process and sanitise nappies and adult incontinence products to produce plastic and cellulose organic residue for green energy.  SmallPlanet will market and distribute the roofing products to building contractors, roofing supply companies and house builders.

Long-term plans are for SmallPlanet to represent other manufacturers of recycled building materials.

Bill Knoupe, general manager of the new company, said:  “There is a real opportunity to open up a new market in construction offering sustainable products that come with clear benefits for the building and housing sector, which are increasingly being asked to improve sustainability credentials.  Once the tiles have been commercialized, they will offer the construction industry a new sustainable opportunity and a “quick win” to meet maximum recycled content requirements while also reinforcing their green credentials.”

Roy Brown, president and chief executive of Knowaste, added:  “More than 750,000 tonnes of nappy waste is disposed of in the UK each year, a figure that highlights the importance of developing alternatives uses for post-consumer nappies.  There is an obvious potential for synergy between the material waste produced by industry and householders and the raw materials required to produce construction products.”

Roofing materials will be manufactured by Mailbox Mouldings in Cheshire and tiles will be available in a standard black colour or with an additional natural stone granulate in “Forest Green, Granite Grey, Traditional Red and Broadleaf Brown.  The lightweight products are said to be UV resistant, colourfast and non-corrosive.   

Disposable nappy Recycling in the UK

MyZeroWaste.comBlog by Mrs. Green

September 23, 2009

Recycling nappies to make roof tiles!

It’s no surprise that a recent survey showed 95% of parents wanted disposable nappy recycling as part of their standard household kerbside collection.

It seems guilt runs high among parents when it comes to ditching disposables in the landfill; with 93% of parents feeling unease when throwing nappies in the bin.

And yes, we could all use washable nappies like the good old days, but we live in an era of convenience and busy schedules which doesn’t always involve soaking buckets and a line full of freshly washed nappies.

More than three billion nappies are thrown away every year in the UK, so it’s a huge problem in terms of waste.  Up until now, the only answer has been to landfill or incinerate them.

However, thanks to a company called Knowaste Ltd, the UK’s first nappy recycling plant is opening in Birmingham 2010!

I’ve been having a yarn with Bill Knoupe – Knowaste Director – who tells me that the plant will be able to recycle approximately 36,000 tonnes of nappies and other absorbent hygiene products including bedliners, and incontinence products.

Knowaste Ltd have established a recycling process that sanitises every nappy and enables 98% of the disposable nappy to be removed from the waste stream.  And, if you’re wondering what happens to the plastic, it can be recycled into a variety of products including plastic cladding, bicycle helmets and roof tiles.  Where there’s muck there’s brass!

The roof tiles are currently available through Knowaste’s latest venture – SmallPlanet Building Products.  The plastic is currently sourced in Belgium, but once the Birmingham plant is up and running, Knowaste hope to reduce their carbon footprint by recycling and manufacturing all the tiles in Britain.

Bill was quick to tell me that the recycled roofing tiles are UV resistant, cheap to buy and quick and easy to install.

The great news is that Knowaste are working with Local Authorities to get kerbside collection of disposable nappies up and running.  They are currently running trials in Birmingham and hope to expand collections across the UK.

I’m so excited about sharing this story with you as many parents feel such guilt about using disposable nappies.  Let’s hope it takes off soon and we can start turning our “waste” (boom boom) into a valuable resource.   

SmallPlanet Building Products Ltd, to Manufacture Innovative Global Roofing Solutions Made from Recycled Plastic

MHW Materials Handling World Magazine

September 7, 2009

The world’s leading developer of recycling technologies for nappies and personal care products, Knowaste Ltd has launched a new sustainable roofing solutions venture.

The new company, SmallPlanet Building products Ltd, will manufacture innovative global roofing solutions made from recycled plastic.  Initially, this recycled plastic will come from a variety of sources but the ultimate aim is to use the plastic recyclates produced at the UK’s first Knowaste nappy recycling plant scheduled to open early in 2010 in Birmingham.   

This plant will process and sanitise nappies and adult incontinence products, resulting in two outputs:  plastic and cellulose organic residue for green energy.  The plastic will be recreated into a variety of products, including plastic cladding, decking and roof tiles.

SmallPlanet will market and distributor roofing products to building contractors, roofing supply companies, homebuilders and architects and DIY, hardware and gardening stores.  Long term plans will be for SmallPlanet to represent other manufacturers of recycled building materials such as decking and siding, thereby extending the product range.

Bill Knoupe, General Manager of SmallPlanet Building Products Ltd, said:  “The construction industry is a significant user of material resources and energy, consuming 420 million tonnes of construction products in the UK every year.“

There is a real opportunity to open up a new market in construction, offering sustainable products that come with clear benefits for the building and housing sector, which are increasingly being asked to improve sustainability credentials.  Once the tiles have been commercialized, they will offer the construction industry a new sustainable opportunity and quick win to meet maximum recycled content requirements while also reinforcing their green credentials.“

Our aim is to fill the gap for quality recycled building materials, made from products whose disposal would otherwise go to landfill and in doing so, drive the successful introduction of recycled roofing materials in the United Kingdom.”

Roy Brown, President and Chief Executive of Knowaste Ltd added:  “More than 750,000 tonnes of nappy waste is disposed of in the UK each year – a figure that highlights the importance of developing alternative uses for post-consumer nappies.  There is an obvious potential for synergy between the material waste produced by industry and householders and the raw materials required to produce construction products.  We see this as a win-win opportunity.”

SmallPlanet roofing materials will be manufactured by Mailbox Mouldings in Stalybridge, Cheshire.  The environmentally friendly production process utilizes recycled materials that are both pliable and durable to produce the roof tiles that will be available in a standard black colour or with an additional natural stone granulate in Forest Green, Granite Grey, Traditional Red and Broadleaf Brown.

The tiles are UV resistant, colourfast and non-corrosive and their ultra-light weight nature allows for easy installation.  The unique design also makes the materials easy to play, saw and cut and provide good thermal insulation and sound absorption.  The tiles are suitable for a wide range of buildings and purposes including non-traditional and traditional housing, pre-fabricated and industrial buildings, over-roofing of asbestos, felt or industrial sheeting, conversion of flat to pitched roofs, sheds, conservatories, garages and stables. 

Old Nappies to be Recycled into Building Products

Anthony Clark

PRW.com

August 27, 2009

The Knowaste recycling plant at Tyseley, Birmingham, has signed a deal with SmallPlanet building products that will see plastics recovered from nappies turned into plastic cladding, tiles and other building products.  The £12 million facility, which is due to be completed in spring 2010, will be capable of annually processing 36,000 tonnes of nappies.“

There is a real opportunity to open up a new market in construction, offering sustainable products that come with clear benefits for the building and housing sector, which are increasingly being asked to improve sustainability credentials,” said Bill Knoupe, general manager of SmallPlanet Building Products.

The Tyseley plant is the first of four UK plants planned by Knowaste.  Aside from recycling nappies and personal care products, it will also convert organic waste into methane.

Green Nappy Plant Knowaste Secures DIY Product Deal

Neil Elkes

Birmingham Mail

August 27, 2009

The developer of Britain’s first disposable nappy recycling facility in Birmingham has signed a deal to turn the recovered plastic into DIY products.

The £12 million Knowaste plant at Tyseley, set to open in spring 2010, has linked up with new company SmallPlanet Building Products Ltd.

It means that plastic recovered from old nappies and incontinence products can now be turned into roof tiles, plastic cladding and other product s and sold to the construction industry and DIY stores.

The plant on the Atlas Industrial Estate, currently under construction, will be able to recycle 36,000 tonnes of nappies a year which would otherwise have gone to landfill.

Bill Knoupe, general manager of SmallPlanet Building Products Ltd, said that building companies using their products would find it easier to meet recycling targets and emphasise their green credentials.“

Our aim is to fill the gap for quality recycled building materials, made from products whose disposal would otherwise go to landfill,” he added.

The Tyseley plant is the first of four planned by Knowaste in the UK. 

Recycled Nappies to be Used for DIY Products

DIYweek.net

August 25, 2009

Recycling technologies developer, Knowaste, launches new venture, which sees roofing materials manufactured from recycled plastic in nappies and incontinence products.  

The new company, SmallPlanet Building Products Ltd, will manufacture a range of roofing solutions made from recycled plastic – initially from a variety of sources.

However, Knowaste’s ultimate aim is to utilise the plastic recyclates produced at what will be the UK’s first nappy recycling plant. 

The plant is scheduled to open in Tyseley in Birmingham next spring and will process and sanitise nappies and adult incontinence products, were the plastic will be recreated into a variety of DIY products, including plastic cladding, siding, decking and roof tiles.

The company plan to market and distribute the roofing products to building contractors, roofing supply companies, homebuilders and DIY, hardware and gardening stores. 

SmallPlanet general manager Bill Knoupe said: “Our aim is to fill the gap for quality recycled building materials made from products whose disposal would otherwise go t landfill and in doing so, drive the successful introduction of recycled roofing materials in the United Kingdom.”

The roofing materials will be manufactured by Mailbox Mouldings in Stalybridge, Cheshire.  Roof tiles will be available in a standard black, green, grey, red and brown.

Recycled Nappy Plastics to be Made into DIY Products

Sarah FlanaganRecycle.co.uk

August 25, 2009

The UK’s first disposable nappy recycling developer has announced reaching an agreement in Birmingham to turn the plastic recovered from the process into DIY products. T

yseley will be the site of the new £12 million Knowaste plant that is scheduled to open in the spring of 2010.  Its link with SmallPlanet Building Products will mean that the plastic recovered from disposable nappy and incontinence product recycling will be made into plastic cladding, roof tiles and other building products – to be sold to DIY stores and directly to the construction industry.

The plant, situated on the Atlas Industrial Estate, is currently under construction.  It will recycle 36,000 tonnes of disposable nappies and incontinence products annually that would otherwise have been sent to landfill, where they would take hundreds of years to decompose.

Bill Knoupe, who is the general manager of SmallPlanet Building Products, commented:  “The construction industry is a significant user of material resources and energy, consuming 420 million tonnes of construction products in the UK every year.  There is a real opportunity to open up a new market in construction, offering sustainable products that come with clear benefits for the building and housing sector, which are increasingly being asked to improve sustainability credentials.”

According to Knoupe, the construction companies that use the new recycled products will find that it is easier for them to meet their recycling targets and to highlight their green credentials in marketing and advertising campaigns.  He said:  “Our aim is to fill the gap for quality recycled building materials made from products whose disposal would otherwise go to landfill.” 

Thanks to www.birminghampost.net for the above quotes.  For more information on this article, please visit their website.  

Nappy Recycling Developer to Turn Recovered Plastic into Roof Tiles

20 August 2009

Article Available Online at:  www.BirminghamPost.net

The developer of Britain’s first disposable nappy recycling facility in Birmingham has signed a deal to turn the recovered plastic into DIY products.The £12 million Knowaste plant at Tyseley, set to open next spring, has linked with SmallPlanet Building Products, Ltd.  It means plastic recovered from old nappies and incontinence products can be turned into roof tiles, plastic cladding and other building products and sold to the construction industry and DIY stores.

The plant on Atlas Industrial Estate under construction will recycle 36,000 tonnes of nappies a year which would otherwise have gone to landfill and taken hundreds of years to rot.  Bill Knoupe, general manager of SmallPlanet Building products, Ltd, said:  “The construction industry is a significant user of material resources and energy, consuming 420 million tonnes of construction products in the UK every year.  There is a real opportunity to open up a new market in construction, offering sustainable products that come with clear benefits for the building and housing sector, which are increasingly being asked to improve sustainability credentials.”Building companies using their products would find it easier to meet recycling targets and emphasise their green credentials.  “Our aim is to fill the gap for quality recycled building materials, made from products whose disposal would otherwise go to landfill.”

The tough but lightweight tiles will be available in traditional slate colours and suitable for a wide range of buildings and homes.The Tyseley plant is the first of four planned by Knowaste in the UK and will also convert any organic waste into methane energy. 

Knowaste chief executive Roy Brown said:  There is an obvious potential for synergy between the material waste produced by industry and householders and the raw materials required to produce construction products.  We see this as a win-win opportunity.”

Roof Tiles Will Soon be Made from Recycled Nappies

August 6, 2009

Read the article on-line at:  www.edie.net/news/news_story.asp?id=16802

Knowaste, the recycling specialist, will open the plant next year and the roofing products will be made by Mailbox Mouldings and distributed by Knowaste's spin-off company Small Planet Building Products. Until the plant is up and running, the tiles will use recycled plastic from a variety of sources. The roof tiles will be available in black, green, grey, red and brown.

The recycling process turns the waste into plastic and cellulose organic residue for green energy. The plastic will also be used for decking and cladding.

Roy Brown, president and chief executive of Knowaste, said: "More than 750,000 tonnes of nappy waste is disposed of in the UK each year - a figure that highlights the importance of developing alternative uses for post-consumer nappies.

"There is an obvious potential for synergy between the material waste produced by industry and householders and the raw materials required to produce construction products."

Source: BMJ

New Plant Will Make Roof Tiles from Nappies

Original Article Available online at:  www.Building.com30 July, 2009By Stephen Kennett Birmingham recycling plant will turn plastic element of sanitary waste into building productsA recycling plant is to be built in Birmingham that will supply roof tiles made from recycled nappies.The facility, due to open in 2010, is being developed by Knowaste, a specialist in recycling nappies and adult incontinence products. The roofing products, which will be manufactured by Mailbox Mouldings and distributed by Knowaste's spin-off company Small Planet Building Products, use recycled plastic that will initially come from a variety of sources until the Birmingham plant is up and running.The recycling process sanitises the waste to produce two outputs: plastic and cellulose organic residue for green energy. The plastic will be made into a variety of products, including plastic cladding, decking and roof tiles.Roy Brown, president and chief executive of Knowaste, said: “More than 750,000 tonnes of nappy waste is disposed of in the UK each year – a figure that highlights the importance of developing alternative uses for post-consumer nappies. There is an obvious potential for synergy between the material waste produced by industry and householders and the raw materials required to produce construction products.”The roof tiles will be available in black, green, grey, red and brown.

Read more: http://www.building.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=747&storycode=3146006&c=3#ixzz0MqA6eaHL 

Roof Tiles to be Made from Recycled Nappies

By:  Stephen HurrellAugust 4, 2009Original Article Available at:  www.clickgreen.org.uk 

Roofing tiles are traditionally made from concrete, slate or clay, but one UK company has discovered a novel new material – used nappies.

Knowaste has launched a new company, SmallPlanet Building Products, which will produce roof tiles from plastic waste from the sanitising of nappies and adult incontinence products.

The unlikely venture will begin production of plastic cladding, decking and roof tiles when the UK’s first Knowaste nappy recycling plant opens in Birmingham in 2010.

The recycling of nappies produces the plastic needed for the tiles, as well as a cellulose organic residue that can be used for green energy.

Bill Knoupe, General Manager of SmallPlanet Building Products, points out that the construction industry is a significant user of materials and energy.

He said: “There is a real opportunity to open up a new market in construction, offering sustainable products that come with clear benefits for the building and housing sectors, which are increasingly being asked to improve sustainability credentials.

“Once the tiles have been commercialised they will offer the construction industry a new sustainable opportunity and quick way to meet maximum recycled content requirements while also reinforcing their green credentials.

“Our aim is to fill the gap for quality recycled building materials, made from products whose disposal would otherwise increase landfill and, in doing so, drive the successful introduction of recycled roofing materials in the United Kingdom.”

Nearly three billion nappies are thrown away each year, with around 90 percent ending up in landfill sites, causing a large number of councils in the UK to join the Real Nappy Campaign in an effort to reduce the quantity of nappies at landfill sites.

Knoupe believes Smallplanet Building Products can offer a solution to the problem. He said: “Our aim is to fill the gap for quality recycled building materials, made from products whose disposal would otherwise go to landfill and in doing so, drive the successful introduction of recycled roofing materials in the United Kingdom.”

Roy Brown, President and Chief Executive of Knowaste, added: “More than 750,000 tonnes of nappy waste is disposed of in the UK each year - a figure that highlights the importance of developing alternative uses for post-consumer nappies. There is an obvious potential for synergy between the material waste produced by industry and householders and the raw materials required to produce construction products. We see this as a win-win opportunity.”

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Making a Clean Start

Birmingham Post

Mar 5 2009 Agenda

 

Peter Douglas Osborn says a new recycling plant is part of the tradition of public health advances.

The decision to approve a groundbreaking recycling plant in Tyseley arises directly from the fact that this country produces 750,000 tonnes of nappy waste per year, which at present finds its way into municipal and country landfill sites.

The project, to be run by a company called Knowaste, will provide 22 jobs and deal with 36,000 tonnes of local nappies a year, which will then be recycled into roof tiles and cladding.

It is hoped that methane resulting from the process, by being burnt in power generation equipment, will make the site self-sufficient and possibly contribute electricity to the National Grid.

The civic relevance is, in effect, a public health issue and our need to tackle that issue. Not since 1842 has this country decided to deal with the potential health problems arising from the non-treatment of human waste left in a static environment. The dangers of contamination, which can feed into the water table and in some places to the water supply, are obvious.

In those early days of Victorian welfare experimentation, one Thomas Chadwick was employed to deal with reducing the number of deaths arising from dreadful sanitary conditions.T

he Chadwick Sanitary Report of 1844 addressed the frequent and, that year, calamitous outbreaks of Asian flu, cholera and typhus. Nearly ten per cent of Britain’s city population regularly fell ill as a result of these two diseases and, in a bad year, as many as eight per cent could die.

It was not limited to the poor and destitute. These diseases knew no class barriers, indeed the Queen’s Consort – Prince Albert - died of typhoid, probably from drinking contaminated water, in the last days of 1861.

However, when Parliament accepted the Chadwick report in 1848, the outcome was the first Public Health Act, and, for Birmingham, a consequent devolved public health committee, whose expenditure would be funded by a novel finance-raising power – the ‘rate.’

This was the origin of the local government that still exists today, where the population can be charged rates to administer their collective welfare.

The main features of the 1848 Public Health Act were the establishment of a Central Board of Health, then devolution of responsibility for water supplies and drainage to corporations, which allowed towns with corporation status to have a local board of health. As a further incentive, those towns where the death rate exceeded 2.3 per cent could have a local Board of Health imposed upon them.

However, the national Central Board of Health was not represented in the Cabinet by a minister, as it is today, so had limited power or funds. It was actively opposed in some areas and in those districts improvements were slow, hence the outbreaks as late as 1865.

Coupled with the fact that there were few qualifications in the subject and therefore less qualified staff to fulfil the obligations, the improvements were slow and under-funded until specific Corporation Acts, such as the Birmingham Corporation Act of 1875.

This enabled Joseph Chamberlain to introduce the Artisans Dwelling Act, enabling the compulsory purchase of the unsanitary and dilapidated buildings, or slums, that surrounded Birmingham’s Town Hall. This was his first great project that saw the health of the city improve and, in a spin-off benefit, provide space for the new Council House, municipal buildings and the building of a new street to be called Colmore Row.

Comment was made in the second reading of the Corporation Act that, although the Great Reform Bill of 1832 gave Parliamentary representation to the city, the Municipal Corporations Act of 1835 did not democratise Birmingham. Councillors voted in by rate-payers could be out-voted by self-appointed Aldermen, who were not ratepayers.

Last month, the planning committee welcomed this new departure as both an improvement in taking up recycling, but also attending to the consequential health concerns, as a contribution to the sustainability of the city.* Peter Douglas Osborn is chairman of Birmingham City Council’s planning committee.

Green Light for UK's First Nappy Recycling Plant

Plans to build the UK's first nappy recycling plant in Tyseley, near Birmingham, have been given the green light.

 

February 2, 2009

Complete Article Available at:  www.letsrecycle.com

 Knowaste hopes to reduce the number of disposable nappies which are sent to landfill in the UK.

Birmingham city council last week (February 19) granted planning permission for Canadian nappy recycling firm Knowaste to build a 36,000 tonne-per-year capacity facility which will recycle disposable nappies and other absorbent hygiene products.

The facility is expected to take waste collected from local hospitals by Birmingham-based collection firm Alpha Wastecare (Midlands) and recycle it into a variety of products including plastic cladding, roof tiles, bicycle helmets and plastic injection and extrusion products.

Knowaste is expecting the £12 million facility to be operational by the end of 2009 or early in 2010. It claims its process will remove 98% of the material in disposable nappies from the waste stream.

A spokesman for Knowaste said that whilst the majority of investors in the project were venture capitalists, some of the money was coming from commercial banks. It has appointed a contractor to build the facility and the spokesman said it will be "working on a plan over the coming weeks" but could not confirm when exactly construction would begin.

Knowaste chief executive, Roy Brown, said: "Disposable nappies have been described as the ‘convenience curse' of the 21st century. Until now, they have been one of the few remaining household items that go straight to landfills, or incinerators. In the UK we produce 750,000 tonnes of nappy waste each year, enough to fill Wembley Stadium hundreds of times over. "

There is therefore a clear and pressing need for a cost effective and environmentally friendly solution to the UK and global challenge of dealing with nappy and adult incontinence product waste. Our pioneering recycling solution can help reduce the waste that goes to landfill by at least 4%."

Tonnage

Simon Bradley, business manager at Alpha Wastecare (Midlands), acknowledged that tonnages for the plant had not yet been secured by his firm. However, he said that the company was in "positive" talks with a number of hygiene contractors for the Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust.

He explained that Alpha Wastecare (Midland) would supply separate 70 litre bins, free of charge, to hospitals so that nappies could be source-separated.

He added: "Now it has planning permission we expect to get things signed soon. One contractor has already indicated its commitment to signing with us."

Alpha Wastecare (Midlands) is also in on-going talks with a number of local authorities in the area about developing a kerbside nappy collection for households.Facilities 

Facility

The Tyseley facility is the first of a number of nappy recycling facilities that Knowaste is hoping to build in the UK. It is investing £20 million in the UK and said Tyseley is the "cornerstone" of its plans.

In Jannuary, Mr Brown revealed that the company was in talks with the London Waste and Recycling Board (LWaRB) to build a nappy recycling plant in London and had been scouting areas in the north east for another suitable site (see letsrecycle.com story).

Overall, Knowaste intends to build five more facilities by 2012. But, Mr Brown, stressed: "While we are looking at other sites, the focus is getting the Birmingham facility up-and-running."

Mr Brown added: "Our longer-term goal is to open plants in other locations in the UK, which will further enable local authorities to meet their increasingly tough landfill diversion targets and avoid landfill taxes and penalties.

"When all our plants are fully up and running 13% of all the UK's nappy waste will be diverted away from landfill and recycled."

UK waste adviser Peter Jones, who sits on the LWaRB, commented: "Extending the line of materials that can be recycled to include nappy waste presents further opportunities for families, especially those with small children and will help boost the nation's recycling rate."

This technology is also an exemplar for the NHS in terms of hospital and domicilliary incontinence products as it can also make a significant contribution to the Government's Green Procurement objectives."

Looking to the future, the policy need in the UK to further reduce the waste we send to landfill must be driven by innovative, low carbon solutions for the management of waste materials. Today's decision by Birmingham City Council represents a courageous and positive step."

In January, Mr Brown said he hoped the Tyseley facility would be a catalyst for people to see nappy recycling is possible and pave the way for more facilities in the UK. Knowaste is also planning to build facilities on the Continent in Portugal and Slovenia.

Relief for Parents' Disposable Nappy Guilt

From The Times

February 20, 2009

Read the entire article:  http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article5769183.ece

 

Lewis Smith, Environment Reporter

A scheme to recycle thousands of tonnes of used disposable nappies into everything from tiles to bicycle helmets and, eventually, to extract methane from them to generate energy is about to start.

The first of five plants designed to reclaim the plastic and fibres used to make nappies and incontinence pads will open in Birmingham, with four others planned by 2014 for cities such as Manchester, Liverpool and London.

The £12 million Birmingham plant will be able to process 36,000 tonnes a year, with plastic recovered from the nappies and pads used initially to make roof tiles. Other items, including cycling helmets, shoe insoles and cladding, could be made later.

In a second phase, which executives at Knowaste, the Canadian company that will operate the plant, hope to have running by the end of 2011,  methane will be extracted from the used nappies and sold to the national gas grid.

Babies go though more than 3,600 throwaway nappies each before they are potty-trained, and parents are only too well aware of the guilt induced by the feeling of waste. An estimated 800,000 tonnes of nappies and incontinence pads are used every year in Britain and virtually all end up in landfill.

By setting up nappy recycling sites in several cities. Knowaste, which has already opened plants in Canada and the Netherlands, hopes to reduce the quantity of material being sent to landfill by 4 per cent. Roy Brown, the company's chief executive, said: “This stuff doesn't biodegrade. It is going to be there for 50 or 100 years from now. These are valuable materials that should be reclaimed. Other than our process there's very little you can do with it.”  

Collections of nappies and incontinence pads will be made only at commercial premises such as nurseries and care homes to begin with, but kerbside collections may eventually be introduced. Mr Brown said he hoped that council recycling centres and re-cycling sites at supermarkets and other locations would install containers where parents could leave nappies.

As well as plastics, nappies and pads contain fibres, cellulose and superabsorbent polymers. The longer fibres can be separated for making products such as biodegradable plant pots. The rest will be used to improve sewage processing, Knowaste says, though at a later stage the superabsorbent polymers could be separated and re-used. Planners at Birmingham City Council welcomed the plant for the environmental benefits that it will bring and for creating 22 full-time jobs.

MRW - Green Light for UK's First nappy Recycling Facility

Article online at www.MRW.co.uk

Liz Gyekye
20 Feb 2009

Birmingham City Council has granted planning permission to build the UK’s first nappy recycling plant in the city.

The £20 million facility will be built by recycling company Knowaste and built in Tyseley, Birmingham. Once up and running the facility can recycle 36,000 tonnes of the city’s nappies and absorbent hygiene products including bedliners, and incontinence products.

The recycling facility uses a gasification process to shred the material and separate the plastics from the nappy. The slurry that is left is used to create energy to power the plant.

Every nappy is sanitised. The plastic recyclates from the facility can be recreated into a variety of products including plastic cladding or roof tiles.

Knowaste chief executive Roy Brown said: “Disposable nappies have been described as the convenience curse of the 21st century. Until now, they have been one of the few remaining household items that go straight to landfills, or incinerators.  In the UK we produce 750,000 tonnes of nappy waste each year, enough to fill Wembley Stadium hundreds of times over.

There is therefore a clear and pressing need for a cost effective and environmentally friendly solution to the UK and global challenge of dealing with nappy and adult incontinence product waste. Our pioneering recycling solution can help reduce the waste that goes to landfill by at least 4%.”

Brown hopes to open plants in other locations in the UK in the future and aims to recycle 13% of all of the UK’s nappy waste.London Waste and Recycling Board adviser Peter Jones said that “this new technology represents a new dawn for the UK and the way we tackle our rubbish”.
He added: “This technology is also an exemplar for the NHS in terms of hospital and domiciliary incontinence products as it can also make a significant contribution to the Government’s Green Procurement objectives.”The facility will be built by the end of the year. 

Original article available at:  http://www.mrw.co.uk/page.cfm/action=Archive/ArchiveID=26/EntryID=5129

Green Light for UK's First Nappy Recycling Plant

Thursday 19 February 2009 

Birmingham City Council has today granted planning permission to build the UK’s first nappy recycling plant in the city. 

The 28000 sq ft plant in Tyseley, Birmingham, is the cornerstone of a £20m plus UK investment programme by Knowaste Ltd, the world’s leading developer of recycling technologies for nappies and personal care products. When up and running, this unique solution will enable recycling of approximately 36,000 tonnes of the city’s nappies and other absorbent hygiene products including bedliners, and incontinence products. 

The Knowaste recycling process sanitises every nappy and enables 98% of the disposable nappy to be removed from the waste stream. The plastic recyclates from the Knowaste process can be recreated into a variety of products, including plastic cladding, roof tiles, bicycle helmets and plastic injection and extrusion products. The sludge that is produced from the process is high in cellulose fibre content, which means it has excellent dewatering characteristics. 

In the longer term green energy will be generated from the bio mass treatment of the sludge. This will create a methane gas and can be sold back to the Grid. 

Roy Brown, President and CEO of Knowaste, said: “Disposable nappies have been described as the ‘convenience curse’ of the 21^st century. Until now, they have been one of the few remaining household items that go straight to landfills, or incinerators. In the UK we produce 750,000 tonnes of nappy waste each year, enough to fill Wembley Stadium hundreds of times over.  

“There is therefore a clear and pressing need for a cost effective and environmentally friendly solution to the UK and global challenge of dealing with nappy and adult incontinence product waste. Our pioneering recycling solution can help reduce the waste that goes to landfill by at least 4%. 

“Our longer-term goal is to open plants in other locations in the UK, which will further enable local authorities to meet their increasingly tough landfill diversion targets and avoid landfill taxes and penalties. 

“When all our plants are fully up and running 13% of all the UK’s nappy waste will be diverted away from landfill and recycled.” 

Birmingham-based waste contractor, Alpha Wastecare (Midlands) Ltd is the chosen UK-partner for collection of the waste. Paul Richardson, Managing Director, Alpha Wastecare (Midlands), commented: “With a number of landfill sites in the UK already near to capacity, focusing on developing new recycling solutions is critical to the future management of waste. The UK has made great strides in increasing recycling rates over the last 15 years but we still lag behind many other European countries. We are delighted to be working with Knowaste and are confident this new technology will help close this gap in recycling rates.” 

UK waste adviser Peter Jones said: “Recycling is a valuable and important contribution to the fight on global warming and this new technology represents a new dawn for the UK and the way we tackle our rubbish. 

“Two thirds of households now recycle as a way of life. Extending the line of materials that can be recycled to include nappy waste presents further opportunities for families, especially those with small children and will help boost the nation’s recycling rate. 

“This technology is also an exemplar for the NHS in terms of hospital and domicilliary incontinence products as it can also make a significant contribution to the Government’s Green Procurement objectives. 

“Looking to the future, the policy need in the UK to further reduce the waste we send to landfill must be driven by innovative, low carbon solutions for the management of waste materials. Today’s decision by Birmingham City Council represents a courageous and positive step.” 

The Tyseley facility will be based on Knowaste’s successful models in other countries, which have recycled over 200,000 tonnes of nappies. 

Knowaste is also making significant headway in Europe with plans to open its first processing facility in Slovenia this summer after signing a joint venture agreement with Slovenian waste disposal company Aico Eko d.o.o. The company is also part of a consultation being undertaken by the Portugese government, which is investigating the feasibility of nappy recycling. Plans to create recycling facilities in Germany and Belgium are also at an advanced stage. 

In addition, Knowaste will be undertaking a road show across the UK in June, visiting 10 cities to showcase the technology and further raise awareness of the environmental benefits of nappy recycling. 

The planning permission follows a recent survey carried out by askamum.co.uk, the website of Mother & Baby magazine, which was commissioned by Knowaste and showed that parents in the UK are keen to see disposable nappy recycling become reality. The study amongst 1,600 plus parents revealed that the vast majority (95%) want disposable nappy recycling as part of their standard household waste collection to avoid them being landfilled. Moreover, 84% would prefer to dispose of nappy waste by recycling as against incineration (8.6%). 

Furthermore the Nappy Days study revealed that 93% of mums and dads feel a degree of uneasiness when throwing nappies out with the rest of their waste. More than nine in ten would segregate nappies for collection and recycling in a similar way to other items, such as glass and tins, and 83% would support a fortnightly collection if they knew nappies would be recycled rather than taken to landfill. 

Ends 

Notes to editors

For more information please contact Sarah Rice, Matt Wooldridge, Kathryn Williams or Chris Lawrance on 01179 073 404 or email sarah@jbp.co.uk or kathryn@jbp.co.uk 

 

About Knowaste

The Knowaste vision is to contribute to the long-term health of the planet by introducing cost effective technologies that can recycle disposable absorbent hygiene products. The company began research in this area in 1989 and has been commercially active for the past 10 years. Knowaste has processed and diverted over 200,000 tonnes of nappies in that time. The company is also planning processing facilities in Portugal and Slovenia by 2009. Website: www.knowaste.com   

Nappy Recycling Company Confident of Planning Success

January 22, 2009

LetsRecycle.com

Canadian nappy recycling firm Knowaste has said it is confident it will receive planning permission next month to build the UK's first nappy recycling facility at Tylseley, in Birmingham.

If permission is granted the company is anticipating being able to begin construction on its 36,000 tonne-a-year capacity facility in March this year.

Roy Brown, the firm's chief executive, told letsrecycle.com that he was "expecting" the £10 million facility to get planning permission from Birmingham city council in February 2009, and he indicated that Knowaste had worked "very closely" with the planning department and the local community to ensure that approval was given. And, Mr Brown said: "We're hoping by the fourth quarter of 2009 we can be operational."

The company announced that it has chosen the site in April last year (see letsrecycle.com story) and, speaking to letrecycle.com yesterday, Mr Brown said contracts were already in place with Midlands-based waste management firm, Alpha Wastecare, to supply nappies, in a deal that is set to start in the fourth quarter of 2009.

Mr Brown explained that he hoped the proposed new facility, to be built on an industrial estate, would be a catalyst for people to see that nappy recycling is possible and pave the way for the company to build more facilities in the UK.And, he said facilities like Tylseley were necessary to divert the 800,000 tonnes of nappies per-year that end up in landfill and revealed that Knowaste is ploughing ahead with plans to build five more facilities by 2012.

London

Knowaste is currently in discussion with the London Waste and Recycling Board (LWARB) and the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, to build a facility in the London area. Knowaste originally began talks with former mayor Ken Livingstone in 2005 (see lestrecycle.com story). In the long-term Mr Brown hopes London will have four facilities in total with the first one becoming operational in 2010.And, the company is also scouting areas in the north east - between Sheffield and Newcastle - to find a suitable location for another new facility.

Downturn

This is despite the economic downturn that has gripped the nation and affected the funding of new facilities in some sectors. Mr Brown explained: "Waste is not recession-proof but it will be created and this type of waste is especially difficult to treat."He added: "Funding for our facilities does not come from banks; we work with venture capitalists and provide our own funding from internal revenues."We do not believe we will have any difficulty getting funding because the key focus for our investors is getting planning permission."

Markets

Knowaste is also confident about markets for outputs from its reprocessing process, which is currently designed to produce plastic roof tiles. Mr Brown said the market for roof tiles had reduced because of the "difficulties in the construction sector". However, he explained that this is not a problem for Knowaste as its reprocessing process can be altered to produce other, more marketable, products.The process also produces methane which can be converted into electricity which can be sold to the National Grid and Mr Brown said the Tylseley facility will produce 3MW.Mr Brown said he is "looking forward" to Knowaste fulfilling its 10-year contract with Alpha Wastecare, and the contract with the collection firm has increased from 30,000 tonnes to 36,000 tonnes-a-year since it was signed last year. Mr Brown explained that the Birmingham facility would have to run 24/7 to process this amount of material.

Municipal trials

Alpha Wastecare collects nappies from NHS buildings, such as hospitals, and other clinical organisations. It is also planning to collect from the municipal waste sector.Simon Bradley, business manager at Alpha Wastecare, explained that, in the next few months, it is due to run a kerbside trial collection covering 200 homes with a local district council and is in talks with another local authority nearby about another trial.

Related links·         Knowaste  ·         Alpha Wastecare

Mr Brown said disposable nappies are a long-term problem and added that government incentives to encourage people to use reusable nappies have failed. He explained 97% of people with children choose disposables and he does not see this changing.He commented: "That's where the problem is and that is why we are addressing the issue. 36,000 is just a drop in the ocean as about 800,000 tonnes is produced each year. The Tylseley plant will just scratch the surface of the need."     

 For more information please contact Sarah Rice or Matt Wooldridge on 01179 073 400 or email: sarah@jbp.co.uk or matt@jbp.co.uk

New Manager Appointed to Tyseley Nappy Recycling Project

Press Release

Jan 15 2009

Birmingham PostKnowaste, the nappy recycling technologies firm which has revealed plans to build the UK’s first nappy recycling plant in Tyseley, has appointed Dave Jelley general manager.Mr Jelley, aged 58, born in Birmingham and who lives in Walsall, has been in the waste industry 38 years including time spent running his own business. 

He has been working with designers and construction engineers to build Material Recycling Facilities at SITA, Willenhall and at AWM, Wolverhampton. Mr Jelley’s role will be initially to project-manage development of the new facility at Tyseley upon planning permission being granted, and develop close links with local stakeholders.When the plant is open he will be responsible for operations including the daily running and staffing of the site, managing transportation, deliveries and maintenance. 

He said: “I have been in the industry 38 years and this is the most exciting business I have been involved in to date.Knowaste’s technology is set to revolutionise the way the UK deals with nappy waste and ensure it does not go to landfill. The region will be able to be proud of itself for leading the way in the UK when it comes to recycling innovation.” Proposals for a 42,000 sq ft plant at the former Atlas Works site on Redfern Rd recently went on display at Birmingham City Football Club. 

The plant will be capable of recycling 30,000 tonnes of nappies a year, reducing the amount of municipal waste sent to the region’s shrinking landfill and helping the local authority meet landfill diversion targets.Recycled plastic is used to make products such as roof tiles while non-recyclable waste is used to generate electricity sold into the grid. The new facility will be based on Knowaste’s models in other countries which have recycled over 200,000 tonnes.Bedliners and incontinence products will also be recycled to make a variety of products including plastic cladding and roof tiles. If its planning application is successful, Knowaste hopes the plant will be operational this year. 

For more information please contact Sarah Rice or Matt Wooldridge on 01179 073 400 or email: sarah@jbp.co.uk or matt@jbp.co.uk  

UK�S FIRST RECYCLING SOLUTION TO BE LAUNCHED

Health Estate Journal

The development of a pioneering nappy recycling facility - a first for the UK, which will initially serve hospitals – is being planned for early next year. Plans for the processing facility in Tyseley in Birmingham have been submitted by Knowaste, the world’s leading developer of recycling technologies for nappies and personal care products. 

The company has already signed its first contract with Birmingham-based waste contractor Alpha Wastecare (Midlands) Ltd, who will initially collect from commercial premises such as hospitals and nurseries, which generate nappies. The contract with Alpha will enable Knowaste to process some 30,000 tonnes of nappy waste per annum for ten years when the facility is fully operational. 

Knowaste is investing some £20m plus in recycling facilities across the UK over the next five years, which in addition to handling some 100,00 tonnes of nappies will also process other absorbent hygiene products, including bedliners and incontinence products.  Up to now nappies and other absorbent products have been one of the few remaining household items that go straight to landfills, incinerator or composting facilities. Based on the fact that a child in nappies up to the age of two and half years will use 6,000 nappies, combined with a UK population set to rise by seven million by 2031, there has been an urgent need for a recycling solution.  Knowaste’s patented nappy-recycling technology and process sanitises every nappy and separates its components. Green energy is generated from the bio mass treatment of the sludge -  the product that is left following the separation of the waste materials during the recycling process. This creates methane and can be converted into energy to run the recycling process or sold back to the Grid. The recyclates from the Knowaste process can be used to make plastic extrusion and cladding products, as well as roof tiles. 

Roy Brown, Chief Executive of Knowaste said: “In the UK the need to recycle more and divert waste from landfill is high on the political agenda. In response to this challenge our recycling process enables 98% of the disposable nappy to be removed from the waste stream and thereby offers a sustainable, low cost, environmentally friendly waste management solution for this previously landfilled product.  “When all our plants are fully up and running 13% of all the UK’s nappy waste will be diverted away from landfill and recycled.” The new facility will be based on Knowaste’s successful models in other countries which have recycled over 200,000 tonnes of nappies.   -          ends – 

Notes to editors

 For further information please contact Kathryn Williams, Chris Lawrance or Sarah Rice on 0117 9073400   

BIRMINGHAM MANAGER APPOINTED TO HEAD UP OPERATIONS

PRESS RELEASE

December 17, 2008

 Knowaste, the world’s leading developer of recycling technologies for nappies and absorbent hygiene products, which recently revealed its plans to build the UK’s first nappy recycling plant in Tyseley, has appointed Dave Jelley as General Manager. 

Jelley (58), who was born in Birmingham and lives in Walsall, has been in the waste industry for 38 years, which has included running his own business. Recently he has been working with designers and construction engineers to build Material Recycling Facilities at SITA, Willenhall and at AWM, Wolverhampton. Jelley’s role will be initially to project manage the development of the new nappy recycling facility at Tyseley upon planning permission being granted and to develop close links with local stakeholders.

When the plant is open he will be responsible for all operations.  This will include the daily running and staffing of the site, managing transportation, deliveries and general maintenance.  Jelley said: “I have been in the industry 38 years and this is the most exciting business that I have ever been involved in to date. “Knowaste’s technology is set to revolutionise the way the UK deals with nappy waste and ensure that it does not go to landfill.

The region will also be able to be proud of itself for leading the way in the UK when it comes to recycling innovation.” Proposals for a 42,000 sq ft plant at the former Atlas Works site on Redfern Rd recently went on display at Birmingham City Football Club.   

The plant will be capable of recycling 30,000 tonnes of Birmingham’s nappies a year, significantly reducing the amount of municipal waste sent to the region’s shrinking available landfill, helping the local authority to meet landfill diversion targets.Recycled plastic is used to make products such as roof tiles while the non-recyclable waste is used to generate electricity which is sold into the Grid.  

When fully operational the new facility will be based on Knowaste’s successful models in other countries which have recycled over 200,000 tonnes of nappies. Bedliners and incontinence products will also be recycled to make a variety of products including plastic cladding and roof tiles.   If its planning application is successful Knowaste hopes the plant will be operational in 2009.   

For more information please contact Sarah Rice or Matt Wooldridge on 01179 073 400 or email: sarah@jbp.co.uk or matt@jbp.co.uk   

 

CHANGING THE WAY WE DISPOSE OF NAPPIES

PRESS RELEASE

November 12, 2008 

The vast majority of parents (95%) in the UK want nappy recycling as part of their standard household waste collection rather than send them to landfill, according to a new survey by askamum.co.uk. And the Nappy Days Survey also shows the average family is willing to pay an extra £2.15 a month to have nappies collected for recycling – with 8% willing to pay up to £10. 

The findings provide insights into how parents view disposable nappies within the wider recycling picture – with 93% feeling a degree of uneasiness when throwing nappies out with the rest of their waste.  Editor of askamum.co.uk Nichola Lashmar said: “The askamum.co.uk survey clearly shows that our parents are seriously concerned about the number of disposable nappies they are being forced to throw away on a daily basis.  "The research shows that the fact these incredibly common household waste items are still sent straight to landfill without any option for recycling is a worry for parents. "

Landfill sites in the UK are already seriously over used so it is vital we find alternatives such as recycling for disposable nappies." The research also showed more than 90% would segregate nappies for collection and recycling in a similar way to other items, such as glass and tins. And 83% supported a fortnightly collection knowing nappies would be recycled rather than taken to landfill. 

Only 12% of the total number of respondents consistently use or used washable cloth nappies – despite 43% of families having planned on using them prior to their baby being born. Over half of respondents said they had no plans to use washable nappies from the start. Currently in the UK there are no recycling facilities for nappies, however, plans have recently been submitted by Knowaste, an international provider of technology solutions for absorbent hygiene products, to provide such a service in Birmingham. 

Roy Brown, chief executive of Knowaste, said: “The askamum.co.uk survey clearly shows that parents want the choice of being able to recycle disposable nappies – with 86% preferring this to other options such as incineration, composting and landfill. “This information, direct from the parenting community, demonstrates that recycling options for nappies could be a significant way of helping local authorities reach vital targets. “If we want to help close the gap in recycling rates compared to other countries in Europe there must be a concerted effort to look at the options available to deal with nappies and other absorbent personal hygiene products, such as incontinence products.”

Ends

 Notes to editors: www.askamum.co.uk is the website for Mother and Baby and Pregnancy & Birth magazines. We provide real solutions for real mums, embrace the diverse roles they play and get them talking to each other. Link to Audit Commission report: “Well disposed: responding to the waste challenge” http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/reports/NATIONAL-REPORT.asp?CategoryID=&ProdID=C0CDCBFE-24E0-494d-824D-F053A576661E&fromPRESS=NATIONAL-REPORT  Sunday Times report on washable nappies not being as environmentally-friendly as first thought: www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article4969413.ece  Link to Knowaste website: www.knowaste.com  Key findings from the survey: 

• 1,645 mums and dads took part
• 30% men – 70% women
• Average age 30.7 years
• 63.5% were married; 23.8%; 6.4% were single
• 70.6% had at least one baby in nappies
• 80% did not know that it will soon be possible to recycle nappies in the UK
• 95% said they like to see nappy recycling in their area
• biggest reason given (circa 84%) to having a local nappy recycling service was the fact that nappies are one of the largest household items still disposed of in landfills with no effort to divide the material
• 93% feel a degree of uneasiness about throwing their nappies out with the rest of their waste
• 93% of respondents would be prepared to segregate nappies as they do for other waste items
• 82% happy to have fortnightly collection for nappies knowing they could be recycled rather than sent to landfill
• 59% are worried about government plans to tax domestic waste but 64% are willing to pay for nappy recycling. Average amount willing to pay per month £2.15
• One third said they would not be willing to pay anything.
• 84% would prefer to dispose of nappy waste by recycling as against incineration (8.6%)
• The majority of respondents felt that a combination of the individual, nappy manufacturers, local authorities, and the waste industry should be responsible for the costs of nappy recycling
• Majority of respondents felt that incineration and recycling both have a part to play in effective waste management but when it came to nappies it was heavily biased to recycling

 Key nappy recycling facts: 

• Populations are rising fast, which will create more nappy waste
• The latest records in the UK by the National Statistics Office sets the population at 60.2 million and set to rise to 67 million by 2031
• In England and Wales the number of Live births in England and Wales increased for the fifth successive year in 2006
• The use of disposable nappies has increased over the past 20 years as a result of their convenience
• In the UK around 8million disposable nappies are used every day and one baby's disposable nappies fill 40 black sacks in a year
• At least four-and-a-half trees are needed to produce the disposable nappies for one baby
• Disposable nappies may take up to 500 years to decompose, essentially making them present in our landfills forever
• For every tonne of nappy waste recycled, 400kg of wood, 145 cubic metres of natural gas and 8,700 cubic metres of water is saved

 

Nappy recycling plans go on show in Birmingham

Oct 29 2008  <http://www.birminghampost.net/birmingham-business/birmingham-business-news/environmental-and-sustainable-industry/2008/10/29/>

Knowaste, a developer of recycling technologies for nappies and personal care products, has revealed plans for the UK’s first nappy recycling plant, in Tyseley.

Proposals for a 42,000 sq ft plant at the former Atlas Works on Redfern Rd will go on public display in the international suite at Birmingham City FC 10am – 8pm. Members of the development team will be on hand.

Recycled plastic from nappies is used to make roof tiles while non-recyclable waste is used to generate electricity.

Knowaste president and CEO Roy Brown said: “Birmingham is recognised as one of the UK’s leading cities in terms of commitment to recycling and sustainable technologies. We’re excited by the prospect of becoming part of this community and I look forward to meeting people, Tyseley residents in particular, who would like to find out more.”

The plant will be capable of recycling 30,000 tonnes of Birmingham’s nappies a year, significantly reducing the amount of municipal waste sent to the region’s shrinking available landfill, helping the local authority to meet landfill diversion targets.

The new facility, which will replace derelict industrial buildings, will be based on Knowaste’s successful models in other countries which have recycled over 200,000 tonnes of nappies.

Bedliners and incontinence products will also be recycled at the plant.

If its planning application is successful Knowaste hopes the plant will be operational in 2009.

The £6 million plant is set to create around 15 new jobs and could potentially generate turnover of around £50 million for its owner.

Knowaste has signed an agreement with Birmingham-based collection company, Alpha Wastecare (Midlands) to collect the used items from hospitals and nursing homes in the city.

It is thought the contract could be worth £45 million to Alpha over the 10-year agreement period.

Once the nappies have been collected they will be delivered to the plant where the reprocessing begins.

The nappies are first washed and then the material is mechanically separated into individual components so the super absorbent polymers, wood pulp and plastic can be recycled.

The reclaimed components comprise pulp fibres and plastic components which are then shipped to a company in Belgium where they are used to manufacture cladding, roof tiles and guttering.

The plant would be self-sustaining as all the non-recyclable waste is converted into green energy to power the facility.

Currently around 800,000 tonnes of used nappies finds its way into landfill in the UK – enough to fill Wembley Stadium eight times. Notes to editorsFor further information please contact Chris Lawrance or Jennifer Bryant-Pearson on 0117 9073400, or email chris@jbp.co.uk; jennifer@jbp.co.uk  

PLANS FOR UK�S FIRST NAPPY RECYCLING PLANT REVEALED

Thursday 23 October 2008 Knowaste, the world’s leading developer of recycling technologies for nappies and personal care products, is revealing its plans to build the UK’s first nappy recycling plant in Tyseley. Proposals for a 42,000 sq ft plant at the former Atlas Works site on Redfern Rd will go on display in the International Suite, Birmingham City Football Club on Thursday 30 October, 10am – 8pm.  Members of the development team will be on hand to respond to queries.   Roy Brown, president and CEO, Knowaste, said: “Birmingham is recognised as one of the UK’s leading cities both in terms of commitment to recycling and embracing sustainable technologies. We’re excited by the prospect of becoming part of this community and I look forward to meeting people, and Tyseley residents in particular, who would like to find out more about Knowaste and our plans.”  The plant will be capable of recycling 30,000 tonnes of Birmingham’s nappies a year, significantly reducing the amount of municipal waste sent to the region’s shrinking available landfill, helping the local authority to meet landfill diversion targets. The new facility, which will replace derelict industrial buildings, will be based on Knowaste’s successful models in Canada which have recycled over 200,000 tonnes of nappies.  Bedliners and incontinence products will also be recycled to make a variety of products including plastic cladding and roof tiles.   If its planning application is successful Knowaste hopes the plant will be operational in 2009.   Notes to editors:For more information please contact Sarah Harris or Matt Wooldridge on 01179 073 400 or email sarah@jbp.co.uk or matt@jbp.co.uk

Pioneering Nappy Recycling - Could be Heading to Kent

September 5, 2008 

Kent has been earmarked as a potential site for a pioneering recycling facility, which provides the first ever environmentally friendly and cost effective solution for disposable nappies. Canadian company Knowaste has confirmed that it is looking at Kent as a potential location to site its recycling technology for absorbent hygiene products, including nappies, bedliners, and incontinence products, as part of a UK-wide £20m investment programme.

Recently the company announced its first site in Birmingham, which will go live at the beginning of 2009. In Kent, 800,000 tonnes of household waste is generated annually and it is estimated that circa 5% of landfill waste in the UK is made up of disposable nappies.  The Knowaste recycling process enables 98% of the disposable nappy to be removed from the waste stream and recreated into a variety of products, including plastic cladding, roof tiles, bicycle helmets and plastic injection and extrusion products. 

Roy Brown, President and CEO of Knowaste, said: "In the UK the need to recycle more and divert waste from landfill is high on the political and local government agenda and we are currently looking at a number of prime locations across the UK as part of our business growth plan for the next five years. "Through first the Kent Waste Forum in 2005, Kent Waste Partnership and Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy, the county is showing itself to be very aware of the significant problems presented by nappy disposal and the need for further recycling.”  Continued Brown: “Kent, like the rest of the UK, has a nappy waste challenge to face up to. Based on the national average of some 5% of landfill waste being disposable nappies, this equates to some 4,000 tonnes a year in the county’s case.” 

There is currently 750,000 tonnes of nappy waste created in the UK alone which is enough to fill hundreds of Wembley stadiums. When all our plants are fully up and running 13% of all the UK’s nappy waste will be diverted away from landfill and recycled.

Knowaste’s plans are likely to be well received by local authorities, including those in the Kent region. The UK has been set targets by the EU Landfill Directive to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill to 7% of the 1995 levels by 2010. Local authorities also face a spiralling landfill tax bill with the Treasury agreeing to increase the Landfill Tax standard rate – currently £32 per tonne – going up each year in April until at least 2010/11. 

Once its initial investment programme in the UK is complete, Knowaste aims to handle 100,000 tonnes of nappies per annum across the country, as well as processing other absorbent hygiene products including bedliners, and incontinence products. Up to now nappies and other absorbent products have been one of the few remaining household items that go straight to landfills, incinerator or composting facilities. Based on the fact that a child in nappies up to the age of two and half years will use 6,000 nappies, combined with a UK population set to rise by seven million by 2031, there has been an urgent need for a recycling solution. 

The Real Nappy campaign was introduced to encourage people to use washable cotton nappies. However, the Environment Agency’s report identified a number of environmental issues with this scheme and washable nappies due to the increased amount of energy used at home to wash the nappies, the water consumed, and drainage waste. This further highlights the increasing need for an effective recycling system in the UK. 

The Knowaste vision is to contribute to the long term health of the planet by introducing cost effective technologies that can recycle disposable absorbent hygiene products. The company began research in this area in 1989 and has been commercially active for the past 10 years. Knowaste has processed and diverted over 200,000 tonnes of nappies in that time.  

Notes to editorsFor further information please contact Chris Lawrance or Sarah Rice on 0117 9073400, or email chris@jbp.co.uk; sarah@jbp.co.uk

Knowaste moves into Eastern Europe

 Knowaste, the world’s leading developer of recycling technologies for nappies and personal care products, has announced that it will be opening its first processing facility in Slovenia in the summer of 2009 after signing a joint venture agreement with Slovenian waste disposal company Aico Eko d.o.o.

The agreement involves Knowaste building and operating a facility for the recycling of absorbent hygiene products including disposable baby nappies, incontinence materials and disposable bed liners, into sanitized re-usable paper pulp and plastic components.  By partnering with Aico Eko, Knowaste expects to process some 10,000 tonnes of nappy waste per annum. 

The joint venture agreement follows Knowaste’s announcement last month of its first site in the UK in Birmingham, which is due to go live at the beginning of 2009 and is part of a £20m investment programme by the company across the country. 

The agreement marks the introduction of Knowaste’s recycling technology in Eastern Europe. The facility, which will be based in Ilirska Bistrica, will enable 98% of the disposable nappy to be removed from the waste stream and recreated into a variety of products, including plastic cladding, roof tiles, bicycle helmets and plastic injection and extrusion products. 

Nappies are one of the few remaining household items that, until now, could not be recycled and they can take up to 500 years to decompose, creating significant public health and environmental risks. 

Barbara Sterlekar, a Director at Aico Eko d.o.o, said: “Recycling is nowadays the best possible way to treat waste. The scale of nappies and incontinence products generated across the world creates a major environmental challenge. We are therefore delighted to be positively contributing to the environment by recycling these absorbent hygiene products in Slovenia through our agreement with Knowaste.” 

Roy Brown, President and CEO of Knowaste, said: “In response to this challenge our recycling process offers a sustainable, low cost, environmentally friendly waste management solution for nappies and other absorbent hygiene products. 

“It diverts untreated human waste from landfills thereby preventing public health risks; diverts some 98% of nappy waste from going to landfill, thereby dramatically reducing associated gases such as methane and carbon dioxide; and at the same time creates new products.” 

The Knowaste vision is to contribute to the long term health of the planet by introducing cost effective technologies that can recycle disposable absorbent hygiene products. The company began research in this area in 1989 and has been commercially active for the past 10 years. Knowaste has processed and diverted over 200,000 tonnes of nappies in that time.  

Knowaste is planning more than 20 recycling facilities for absorbent hygiene products throughout Europe in the next five years. 

Notes to editorsFor further information please contact Chris Lawrance or Jennifer Bryant-Pearson on 0117 9073400, or email chris@jbp.co.uk; jennifer@jbp.co.uk

Birmingham to get first nappy processing facility

Liz Gyekye. April 23, 2008

Waste management firm Knowaste has announced that it will open its first nappy processing facility in Birmingham later this year.

The company signed a contract with Birmingham-based Alpha Waste Care which will collect nappies from nursing homes and hospitals and deliver them to the plant.

Knowaste chief executive Roy Brown said that the plant will process 30,000 tonnes of nappy waste per year. Brown said that 98% of disposable nappy or incontinence pads could be removed from the waste stream. According to Knowaste, the outer coating materials of nappies are made from mixed plastics.

Brown said: "When the nappy is received by us we use a gasification process to shred the material, pulper it, separate the plastics and de-water the slurry. We then scoop up all the plastic and the recycled material is then used to make plastic roofing. The slurry that is left is then used for energy to power the rest of our plant.

Knowaste hopes to expand its projects in the UK and is planning to build more facilities over the next five years. Brown is in talks with local councils and is trying to arrange householder nappy collections to tackle the estimated three billion nappies that are thrown away in the UK each year.

Knowaste chief executive Roy Brown

UK's first nappy recycling plant

Karen McVeigh
The Guardian, April 24, 2008
Article history

Britain is to get its first disposable nappy recycling plant, which will convert the mountain of waste which goes into landfill every day into plastic, cladding and roof tiles. Knowaste, a Canadian company which recycles nappies and other products in the US, plans to invest more than £20m in the UK plant over five years.

The facility, earmarked for Tyseley, Birmingham, will enable the recycling of around 30,000 tonnes of nappies, about 4% of Britain's nappy waste a year, and aims to eventually recycle up to 13%.

A European directive has set targets to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill by 2010 and local authorities face a spiralling landfill tax bill as the Treasury has agreed to increase the current rate of £32 a tonne each year until at least 2010/11.

Knowaste, which has signed a contract with the Midlands collection company Alpha, will initially process nappies, bedliners and incontinence products from commercial sources such as hospitals and nurseries, but plans to eventually target the domestic market.

About 750,000 tonnes of nappy waste is thought to be created in the UK each year, enough to fill eight Wembley stadiums.

Environmental groups such as the Women's Environmental Network and the Real Nappy Campaign argue that recycling is not the solution to the landfill problem, and urge a change in consumer behaviour to reduce waste.