Smithfield Wholesale Market, Manchester

Fairfield Materials Management (Fairfield) is a social enterprise producing compost through asustainable waste management system located on a wholesale market in Manchester. This is unique and will create the first zero waste market in the UK. The system uses in-vessel composting units (VCU - Vertical Composting Unit) to produce immature compost within just 7 days; this material is matured for a further 6 weeks before it is graded and ready for sale.

Bit of history . . .

To explain where Fairfield Materials Management came from requires a quick summary of the past 6 years, Val Rawlinson (Director) became involved in the East Manchester anti-incineration campaign in 1996. The incinerator was not built, but the campaigners realised that they had to show Manchester that environmental and social alternatives were available and working successfully throughout the UK and so EMERGE Recycling and Fairfield Composting were born. Nine years on and EMERGE Recycling now provides a successful household and commercial recycling services for Manchester residents and businesses.

Val recognised the need for a commercial sized composting system for New Smithfield Market in Openshaw (East Manchester) and thought that a Vertical composting system (VCU) would be an ideal solution; she recruited me as a waste auditor in November 2001 to undertake a waste composition analysis on Smithfield's waste. To keep it brief, 2 years later were diverting waste from 4 traders, taking in green waste from Manchester City Council and producing high quality compost that meets PAS100 standards. Our self-belief and enthusiasm for this project helped to build the confidence of Manchester Markets. This was vital in the early stages and their vision and support gave an enormous boost to our development.

Fairfield Materials Management currently has 1 VCU with a capacity to process 1200 tonnes of material (roughly about 500 tonnes of green waste and 700 tonnes of organic). The VCU lives on a global diet; baby sweet corn from Thailand, watermelons from Spain and apples from New Zealand all contribute to the nitrogen element of the compost. The carbon (woody) part of this diet is currently supplied from Manchester City Council (free of charge at the moment!). Fairfield works a 6- day week, partner traders deliver palleted waste to our site; pallets are split down into organics, cardboard and packaging (clean plastic packaging is bulked for recycling). Traders were also supplied a 1000 litre wheelie bin for loose fruit and vegetables and a household bin for any plastic waste. This additional service has had mixed success amongst the traders.

Why a VCU?

It enabled us to locate the whole process on the market removing the need to transport waste materials around Manchester (meeting the proximity principle). Just as important, locating on the market helped to develop understanding and support from market traders, customers and council workers.

Fairfields PAS100 compost restores public gardens in centre of ManchesterThe VCU can produce immature compost within just 7 days; this material needs a further 4-6 weeks to mature before it can be used. Initial compost samples meet PAS100 standards; Fairfield is committed to producing high quality compost and will continue to send samples to ensure this. Fairfield has split end markets into bulk and small users. Fairfield has a contract to supply 10 tonnes to Central Parks in Manchester and has supplied householders and allotments over the past couple of weeks.

UPDATES

11.07.04 -What's New?

We successfully tendered for the waste contract on New Smithfield Market. This is a 5 year contract worth over £700,000 and is a first for Fairfield. Fairfield now has a fantastic business manager overseeing operations and finances. We're working with the Forestry Commission on a brown field reclamation site in Manchester. Fairfield will be supplying a staggering 700 tonne of compost for this site during September.

What's Next?

We're currently waiting for test results for the PAS 100 scheme, fingers crossed that we'll be accredited by the end of the summer! Previous tests have all met with the PAS 100 standard. Fairfield will be doubling its processing capacity in November; an additional 3 VCUs (paid for with funding from WRAP) will be added to our system. This capacity should enable us to divert all of the markets bio waste away from landfill. We'll also be increasing our site and installing a permanent trommel.The shredder unloads biowaste into the vertical composting unitClearly if we're doubling our input, we'll be doubling our output. Fairfield has a funding application in to cover the cost of a marketing and sales team to create more local markets for Fairfield compost. We also want to identify additional products that will compliment the compost and create a range of sustainable materials.

We're hoping to move over to bio-diesel in the next few months, as the site runs off a generator this will enable the entire site to be fuelled by recycled vegetable oil. We want to prove that a holistic approach towards waste management is achievable at a commercial scale.

And the future?

Once we get New Smithfield Market sorted we want to start working on the replication of this model to other markets throughout the UK. We want to work with other social enterprises on this replication.
We also want to get cracking on another composting site in Greater Manchester, to nail home the message that social and local is the best solution for biodegradable waste.

24.01.07 - Summary Key Developments:

* Fairfield is now processing 3,500 tonnes of fruit, veg and green waste per year in its 6 vertical composting units (VCUs) on the New Smithfield market site in East Manchester.
* Fairfield is producing 1,500 tonnes of compost per year.
* Fairfield is now BSI PAS 100 accredited. This means that our compost is consistent, reliable and free from pathogens, viruses and weed seeds.
* Fairfield's compost will help organisations and authorities achieve their sustainability targets. We've been awarded contracts from the likes of Salford City Council, Manchester City Council and the Forestry Commission.
* Fairfield is on target to achieve its zero waste ambitions for the New Smithfield market, having reduced the amount of waste sent to landfill each day from 12 skips, to 1 x 240 litre wheelie bin - a great, sustainable achievement.
* Fairfield is now producing two grades of compost:
Fairfield Standard – a 20mm coarse/mulch
Fairfield Fine – a 10mm finer grade

Further to the immense environmental benefits that Fairfield has brought to New Smithfield Market and beyond, it has also offered substantial social benefits in one of the most deprived areas of Manchester, with the creation of 9 full time jobs.

Fairfield Materials Management's own website can be seen at www.fairfieldcompost.co.uk