Bradford looks set to be the first council in Yorkshire to use a superheating system to deal with household waste.

The autoclave method is already used to deal with medical waste. And although a couple of local authorities in southern England are planning to bring the technology online for municipal waste, none in this region has done so far.

It is part of a five-year £35 million deal to cope with the district's rubbish.

Bradford Council's executive was meeting today to agree to press ahead with a contract to create a partnership of two Yorkshire firms - one expert in waste treatment and the other expert in autoclaving.

The so far unidentified companies would divert 75,000 tonnes of biodegradable waste a year from landfill and it is expected to boost recycling by more than double the current rate of 23 per cent.

The bulk of waste collected would be heat-treated at a purpose-built facility in the Bradford area operational from April 2009, then recyclable materials - such as metals and plastic - would be removed. The majority of the remaining pulp would be made into a fibre with any residue, about 20 per cent, being sent to landfill.

The Council is also seeking to enter into a second back-up contract using spare capacity at an existing incinerator in the region, which would see waste burned to produce energy.

If the recommendation is approved by the executive, it will be passed to a meeting of the full Council later today for consideration.

The names of the companies involved and location of any treatment plant will be revealed at that stage.

Tenders from five companies made the shortlist offering a range of technologies, including mechanical heat treatment, energy from waste, gas-plasma, and a combination of autoclaving and recycling.

Councillor Anne Hawkesworth, the executive member for environment and culture, said: "There is a growing pressure on all local authorities to reduce the amount of waste they send to landfill and to look at other ways of dealing with waste.

"Each of these options offers something different in terms of environmental impact, reusable or resellable end-products and financial cost. All options are expensive."

The Council must take short-term measures to reduce the amount of waste it sends to landfill by 2020 in order to avoid heavy penalties. About 80 per cent of Bradford's household waste ends up being dumped in landfill, and unless that figure is reduced the authority could end up paying fines of nearly £13 million a year.

Waste project manager Jill Campbell said: "This will allow us to potentially increase our recycling of household waste substantially. Autoclaving is generally used for medical waste not municipal so this is something of a pilot. It's a very exciting time."

City Hall bosses have also asked waste disposal companies to come up with ways to tackle the district's rubbish in a long-term 25-year, £400 million contract. A report on the updated position was being presented to the same meeting of the executive.

The plan includes building a treatment plant and a deal in principle has been agreed to transport rubbish from Calderdale to the new centre until 2017.

The companies behind the autoclave partnership are expected to vie for this contract too - or the private plant could end up being used to treat waste from neighbouring authorities instead.

Autoclaving is likened to a giant pressure cooker and produces a fibre, once metals and plastics are removed. The end fibrous product can then be sold on to be used as compost or be made into packaging.

e-mail: jo.winrow@bradford.newsquest.co.uk

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