16.01.2013 / Prime Minister lends support to C&D waste recycling investment
David Cameron visited a construction and demolition waste recycling plant in Oxford on Friday 4th January to see the latest recycling technology in action. David Cameron’s visit preceded the publication of the UK Government’s mid-term review which sets out plans for investment in new road programmes, details of which will be published over the coming months. During his visit he witnessed how construction and demolition waste material could be effectively recycled for use on road construction projects.
Sheehan Contractors installed a new washing plant for construction, demolition and excavation waste in early 2012 and are now supplying a wide range of recycled sand and aggregates to local construction contractors and virgin sand and aggregate producers as well as using the material on the company’s own construction contracts. “The new processing system from CDE is the latest technology available for the processing of this material and provides an opportunity for us to move recycled sand and aggregates up the value chain” says Chris Sheehan, Managing Director at Sheehan Contractors. “This material should be seen for the valuable resource that it is and for the potential it offers to protect long term aggregate supply from a sustainable source.”
The new recycling plant is located in the Dix Pit Industrial complex on the outskirts of Oxford and represents a multi-million pound investment by Sheehan Contractors as they expand their recycling operations. In the UK 20 % of total aggregates production is currently from recycled sources representing approximately 40 million tonnes. Under the revised Waste Framework Directive EU Member States are required to recover a minimum of 70 % of construction and demolition waste by 2020 and 2013 is the first year that progress towards this target will be measured.
Sheehan Contractors plan an additional expansion with a potential site on the east side of Oxfordshire having been identified. Commenting on this Chris Sheehan said “Our future plans include the development of a new facility which would double our recycled aggregate production capacity in a strategically important location enabling us to grow market share and also play our part in diverting large volumes of C&D waste material from landfill.” An additional benefit of the new facility is job security for the foreseeable future for the 50 employees of Sheehan Contractors. In the absence of the new plant; the longevity of the company’s recycling operation was at stake. Expansion in the form of an additional plant on the east of Oxford would ensure the ability to create further employment opportunities in the Oxfordshire area.
