VCU - KEENAN

The facility, which uses vertical composting units (VCU™) produced by Berkshire-based organics technology firm VCU Europa, is the largest of its kind in Europe. Opening the plant, Keenan Recycling director, Grant Keenan, said: "It now gives me great pleasure to see the vision realised and a real sense of satisfaction to know that this new service will benefit the environment, the tax payer, the local economy and help reduce farmers' fertiliser bills."

The compost produced is expected to be used for a variety of applications including agriculture, horticulture and landscaping. Household food waste collections which will supply the facility are currently being rolled out across Aberdeen; the city council have introduced fortnightly collections of commingled green and food waste to 19,500 homes and is aiming to collect food from 51,000 households by the end of this year.

Councillor Ron Clark, chairman of the waste management working group at Aberdeen City Council, said: "Sending food waste to landfill is not only expensive in financial terms, it carries a significant environmental cost too. Recycling our food waste by composting it is a very easy and effective way to improve our green credentials and reduce the amount of rubbish being buried in landfill sites. I am proud that Aberdeen City Council is taking the lead in food waste production and being so proactive in tackling this important environmental issue,"  Mr. Clark added: "We all have a responsibility for the environment, and it is incumbent on each of us to do what we can to reduce the amount of waste we produce and reduce the amount of rubbish we send to landfill. Composting our food waste is a really easy and practical way of doing that."