The municipal solid waste (MSW) treatment plant in Algimia de Alfara, owned by the company Urbaser, generated the least waste in the Valencian Community in 2023. This facility, managed by the leading environmental solutions company through the Palancia Belcaire Consortium, treats more than 115,000 tonnes of waste per year from 56 municipalities in the north of Valencia and the south of Castellón, as well as others from the consortium network of fixed and mobile ecoparks.
It was in mid-2022 when Urbaser acquired this plant located within the Sierra Calderona Natural Park and, since then, it has implemented, through the Consortium, numerous improvements, especially at the end of that year and the beginning of 2023. The facility incorporates innovative treatment processes that substantially reduce the rejection of waste managed in the facility, thus favouring the reuse of materials.
Likewise, Algimia de Alfara is the place where organic matter is converted into compost, and where light packaging, paper and cardboard, briks and metals are recovered, and where the controlled disposal of rejects takes place.
In addition, the plant carries out an environmental awareness and education function that is key to the future of the region. The modifications carried out by Urbaser in that period are mainly based on the automated opening of bags and the implementation of new feeding equipment, which have led to an increase of almost 8% in plant availability, thus reducing downtime and facilitating both manual and automatic selection of materials.
All of this has resulted in an increase in the recovery of by-products, as well as a reduction in plant rejects, with the consequent benefit for the environment in terms of reduced emissions, landfill occupation, etc. Improvements have also been made to the plant for refining material from composting, increasing the availability of the treatment process by achieving a more homogeneous input flow with the new dosing equipment implemented in the facility.
This greater efficiency and homogenisation have led to an increased production of biostabilised material that is destined for agricultural use through its managers, promoting circularity and contributing to a reduction in landfill rejection.
These changes in the process, together with Urbaser’s commitment to the Algimia de Alfara facility and its employees, have led the plant to obtain the lowest percentage of waste sent to landfill in the Valencian Community in 2023, more than 36%, which is why the management of the Consortium has sent a letter of thanks to the company.
ABOUT URBASER
Urbaser is one of the world leaders in environmental solutions, a global company focused on maximising the value of the planet’s resources to build a more sustainable tomorrow, serving more than 70 million people in around 15 countries through a huge network of more than 50,000 employees and 150 plants that promote real circularity every day. (www.urbaser.com)
