Case study detail
The use of solar PV and wind will enable the facilities to be enery self-sufficient
North Down wastes no time in addressing green issues
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Sustainable Development Commission
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North Down Borough Council has wasted no time in addressing what has become a major issue to the people of the locality—the impact of our throw away culture.
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Overview
To deal with the rising tide of waste the council has devised an integrated approach to the problem by building an £18 million depot and an enclosed waste transfer station in Bangor town, with a Recycling and Environmental Education Centre at Balloo.
The council has used design, technology and minimisation of environmental impact to ensure that the facilities will be exemplars of sustainability for the industry.
The facilities themselves tackle the issue of waste and at the same time will be energy self-sufficient. A combination of solar PV and wind will provide energy generation with surplus electricity powering the new leisure centre and 50m Olympic pool in Bangor town centre – halving the Council’s existing annual electricity requirements.
A new waste compacting design aims to reduce the amount of waste and halve the number of journeys of heavy goods vehicles travelling to and from the recycled waste processing and landfill facilities, reducing landfill volumes and saving 150 tonnes of CO² each year.
Ken Webb from the North Down Borough council said, "The Council firmly believes that through both the turbine’s visual impact in the immediate area and its technically efficient contribution towards sustainable energy, their leadership will inspire local businesses and community organisations to embrace the challenge of improving the environment in North Down."
He concluded: "In addition to the use of LED lighting, the environmental impact of these two facilities will be further reduced with rainwater harvesting and recycling in the operation of both facilities. Sustainable energy goes hand in hand with energy efficiency. We hope this project will exemplify how sustainable energy can be used to deal with the management of waste, making a difference to the environment for us all."
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waste initiatives
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