The facility will process waste sourced from 18 NHS boards in Scotland, including hospitals and GPs, as well as commercial facilities such as private hospitals, tattooists and vets.
The plant– based on Inchinnan Road, Paisley – opened as part of a 10-year contract with NHS Scotland and received an environmental permit in October 2019 (see letsrecycle.com story).
According to Tradebe, waste brought to the plant will be either bulked up and sent off site for incineration or disposal at landfill, or treated on site via a a shredder, steam auger and dryer before compaction.
The company added the objective of the waste treatment process is to “disinfect clinical waste with heat to render it safe and unrecognisable, and to produce a waste floc that meets a specification suitable for use in an energy from waste plant”. (See letsrecycle.com story)
Turnaround
Commenting after the plant was opened, divisional director for Tradebe Healthcare Lynn King said: “With a nine-month turnaround, we’ve found the right location, got the necessary planning permission and environmental permits, hired and trained staff, transformed the building and site, installed the processing technology, built our collection fleet and procured consumables. We are now ready to start treating waste from across the whole of Scotland”.
Ms King added: “We’re now looking forward to our future in Scotland and building long-lasting, trusted partnerships with our customers, suppliers and the local community.
“As a well-established, experienced UK clinical waste business and in line with the Scottish Government’s zero waste plan, we are focused on driving sustainability and innovation throughout the industry in Scotland”.
The site is the latest addition to Tradebe’s clinical waste treatment network across the UK with other facilities in Wrexham, Redditch, Rochester, Avonmouth and Fawley.
HES
Tradebe Healthcare secured the deal with Scottish healthcare facilities in February 2019 after the collapse of Healthcare Environmental Services last year.
Waste was being transported around 250 miles to a facility in Wrexham until the Bellshill plant came online this month.
The facility was officially opened at a ceremony last week (December 10).
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