As the UK gears itself up for the challenge of diverting much more of its waste from landfill we are increasingly appreciating the value of recyclable waste as a raw material that can be reprocessed and remanufactured into new products…..thus reducing the need to deprive the planet of finite virgin materials.
The concept of the Sustainable Growth Park (SGP) is locate this reprocessing capacity alongside new waste treatment facilities and also to provide an environment in which new recycling ventures can be nurtured and encouraged to drive technology and growth. The concept lends itself perfectly to creating a local focal point for education, training and awareness raising on waste and recycling. The buildings and infrastructure themselves present an opportunity to demonstrate the use of recycled materials and ‘environmentally friendly’ design features.
An SGP supports three main tenets of the government’s waste Strategy i.e.
- Regional self-sufficiency
- Dealing with waste as near as practicable to its source of origin (the proximity principle)
- Promoting re-use and recycling
In doing this an SGP helps unlock the huge potential there is for waste to stimulate the local economy by encouraging business expansion, inward investment and job creation across a range of skills.
Physically an SGP will be a modern, prestigious and above all clean business park; a far cry from any traditional impression of waste treatment facilities.
Urban Mines firmly believes that there is the opportunity to develop a network of SGPs throughout the country and this potential will become evident as recycling activity grows and current capacity to reprocess the material is exhausted.
Plans for the first SGP, in West Yorkshire, are now being drawn up and will soon be appearing on this web-site. In the meantime if you would like to know more, or are aware of an SGP opportunity in your area, please contact Pete Scholes at Urban Mines on 01274 699407 or e-mail to peter.scholes@urbanmines.org.uk.
Latest News: South Kirkby Site given Outline Planning Permission (October 2007)
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