Weighing in mechanical biological treatment facilities

Scales and weighing equipment for Mechanical Biological Treatment Facilities

Climate change is a major global challenge, and urgent action is needed. In 2019, the UK set a legally binding target for net zero by 2050, reinforced by the 2021 Net Zero Strategy: Build Back Greener. A key focus is reducing biodegradable waste in landfills, which emits significant methane and CO2.

To meet this goal, the government aims to eliminate biodegradable municipal waste from landfills by 2028, Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT) plants were developed with the aim of reducing the environmental impact of landfilling residual waste, in line with the EU Landfill Directive, putting measurement, sampling and recording of weights at the heart of any MBT operation. MBT plants are used to treat residual municipal waste by a combination of mechanical and biological processes.

Monitoring and sorting of incoming waste streams, ongoing sampling and monitoring, as well as measurement of outputs such as biodegradable municipal waste (BMW), Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF) all rely on having accurate and robust weighing equipment.

Monitoring the weight and profitability of waste has never been more essential and weight data collection is key to operational efficiency. Weighbridge management systems play a pivotal role, acting as critical control points for vehicles delivering and collecting materials from sites.

We understand that monitoring waste inputs and outputs via a weighbridge system is the heart of an efficient MBT operation.

Weight information is key to tracking the source and amount of waste collected, monitoring inputs, meeting legislative reporting requirements and disposing of any outputs to landfill. In addition, with gate fees levied per tonne of waste, fast and accurate weighing and monitoring of incoming trucks is crucial to site efficiency.

When close monitoring of incoming waste and outputs is crucial, our remotely controlled weighbridge traffic application uses photo-electric cells and pressure sensors to ensure that vehicles are correctly positioned on the weighbridge, protecting your weighbridge integrity and helping to prevent fraud.

From simple touch-screen driver operated consoles to automatic number plate recognition (ANPR), our weighbridge systems can help keep the throughput and profitability of your site to a maximum.

If you’re looking to boost your operation’s efficiency, we can track inputs and outputs throughout the MBT process, helping you record and report data and even put a value on waste.

Tracking waste streams into your MBT site can be made easy using a weighbridge traffic management system, which can accurately record weight data for all vehicles entering and leaving the site. In addition, solutions such as floor or bench scales make it easy to sort waste streams by weight, or track inputs and outputs at any stage of the treatment process. Our weighing solutions also make record-keeping simple, integrating with back-office systems to accurately record data required for reporting purposes.

Our weighing systems integrate seamlessly into your existing systems, so they’ll only make them more efficient, saving you time and money.

The Landfill Directive (1999/31/EC) sets tough targets for reducing the amount of biodegradable municipal (BMW) waste sent to landfill. Diversion of BMW is monitored by the Environment Agency via the Landfill Allowance and Trading Scheme (LATS) for England and the Landfill Allowance Scheme (LAS) for Wales.

Waste Disposal Authorities (WDAs) may use MBTs to treat and divert BMW from landfill. Under the landfill allowance schemes, WDAs should collect information on municipal waste, quantify the reduction in the BMW content and calculate the final amount of BMW going for landfill disposal. To do this effectively, MBTs rely on having access to accurate weighing equipment which is designed for use in harsh environments.

Backed up by industry standard accreditation and certified traceability information, we make regulatory compliance straightforward. And you don’t need to worry about the impact of downtime, with our industry leading service plans, which guarantee uptime, regular health checks and maintenance.