WO2005014440A1

WO2005014440A1 - Process for removing waste materials from a site

Info

Publication number: WO2005014440A1
Application number: PCT/GB2004/003062
Authority: WO
Inventors: David Trevor Benton
Original assignee: Longdon Technologies Limited; Humber Europe Limited
Priority date: 2003-07-18
Filing date: 2004-07-15
Publication date: 2005-02-17
Also published as: GB0316872D0; GB2403922A

Abstract

The present invention relates to a process for removing different categories of waste materials from a building site, commercial or industrial site, or domestic environment, which process comprises delivering to the site a plurality of flexible intermediate bulk containers, designating each container as a receptacle for different categories of waste, at least partially filling each designated container with waste of a particular category, and removing the filled containers from the site, optionally to different locations for different categories of waste.

Description

PROCESS FOR REMOVING ASTE MATERIALS FROM A SITE

The present invention concerns a process for the clearance and removal of

waste materials from a site, in particular a building site, a commercial or industrial

site or plant, or a domestic environment containing a plurality of different types of waste material.

Building sites and many commercial and industrial plants, and also

domestic environments, generate a large quantity of waste materials which,

generally, may be categorised into different types. For example a building site

may generate four different types of waste, namely timber, plasterboard,

bricks/blocks and plastic wrapping. The removal, and subsequent disposal,

recycling or storage of such materials is a costly factor in commercial and

industrial operations, and in building development. In the ensuing discussion,

specific reference will be made to building sites but it will be understood that the

process of the invention may be applicable to any site which generates waste

materials of two or more different kinds.

In the case of building sites, the most common waste removal procedure in the prior art involves the use of skips which are delivered to the building site on a

lorry or trailer and are then filled with the waste materials before being transported

to a waste disposal depot or recycling plant. From there, the waste materials are separated into different categories and taken for ultimate disposal, recycling or storage, often at a different location from the waste disposal depot or recycling plant. Very often, different types of waste material are transported to different locations for ultimate disposal, recycling or storage from the central waste disposal depot or recycling plant. Other methods of waste disposal disclosed in

the prior art comprise conveyor belt systems such as that described in DE - A -

3725218. This document discloses a method for sorting the refuse which is

passed onto a conveying section which contains a conveying divider. A person

observing the refuse flow along the conveyor can separate the refuse into a

plurality of fractions by remote control. These fractions are then individually processed or sorted further.

US Patent No. 5645172 discloses a system which uses a single chute in a

multi-storey building to collect into separate large receptacles different categories

of wastes already separated by the tenant for recycling. A turntable carries a large

receptacle for each category of waste and controls on each floors of the building

enable a tenant to operate the turntable to position a selective receptacle beneath

the turntable to receive a particular category of waste. This system is

predominantly designed for domestic use.

WO- A- 97/25263 discloses a method and device for waste handling which

comprises a trailer provided with a number of containers for different kinds of waste. Each container is pivotable for enabling empting at the waste disposal

depot.

WO-A-01/15810 describes a method comprising an immediate dividing- down of building scrap at a dividing-down station comprising a dividing-down unit with a vacuum arrangement for dust collection set up in the immediate proximity of where demolition work is taking place, the carrying out of transport of divided-down building scrap between the dividing-down station and respective

containers receiving source-sorted scrap by means of a closed conveyor connected

to the distribution station controlled remotely from the dividing-down station.

Many of these prior art disclosures are suited for collecting refuse from domestic buildings, and to comply with increasing cultural regulatory restrictions

regarding the recycling of waste. However, some of these disclosures are less well suited to the disposal of waste materials from building sites, commercial sites and

industrial sites where, for example, there maybe access problems for multiple

pivotal containers or conveyor belt systems. Capital cost of installing or

delivering such systems may also be prohibitive.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome or alleviate some of the

disadvantages associated with the prior art and to facilitate the disposal of waste

materials from sites in a manner which costs less and causes less harm to the

environment than has hitherto been the case.

According to the present invention there is provided a process for

removing waste materials from a site comprising transporting to the site a plurality of flexible intermediate bulk containers, sorting waste materials on the site into at

least two different categories of waste, transferring different categories of waste

into respective different flexible intermediate bulk containers, and removing the at least partially filled containers from the site. Flexible intermediate bulk containers have advantages over more rigid

containers such as skips in that they are, when empty, very easily transportable

and can therefore be moved to the site in large quantities at relatively low cost, and then transported around the site conveniently. Flexible intermediate bulk

containers are generally made from woven polypropylene or high density

polyethylene but other materials, such as welded PNC may alternatively be used.

"Flexible intermediate bulk container" is a term of art which will be readily

understood by the skilled person, and they are sometimes known in the trade as

"big bags" or "bulk bags". The flexible intermediate bulk container association

(EFIBCA) is a useful source of further information in connection with flexible

intermediate containers, accessible via their website www.EFIBCA.com.

The flexible intermediate bulk containers useful in the invention may be of

any suitable size and/or shape. Preferably the volume of the filled container is

greater than about 0.5m³, for example greater than about lm³. Most preferably the

volume of the filled container is from about 0.5m³ to about 25m³, for example

from about 0.75m³ to about 20m³, most preferably from about lm³ to about 15m³ or from about lm³ to about 10m³, still more preferably form about lm³ to about

5m³. The container, when filled, conveniently has a square or rectangular

horizontal cross section, although other shapes may be used.

Preferably, the flexible intermediate bulk containers used in the process of

the invention are provided with at least one lifting loop for attachment or securement to a mechanical lifting device, such as a crane.

The process of the invention provides a significant advantage over prior art processes for disposal of different categorisations of waste materials from waste-

generating sites, in that it is convenient to deliver a plurality of such containers,

for example more than about 5, preferably more than about 10, still more preferably more than about 20 such containers to the site simultaneously on a

single lorry or wagon. Once delivered to the site the empty containers are easily

moved around the site, and may even be moved manually, to convenient locations for receiving (manually or mechanically) different categorisations of waste. When

filled, or partially filled, the containers are then readily conveyed by mechanical

lifting means onto a vehicle for subsequent, preferably direct, transportation to a

waste recycling, disposal or storage location with suitable facilities to recycle,

dispose of or store the particular categorisation of waste charged to that or those

particular container(s). The main categorisations of waste from building sites are timber,

plasterboard, bricks/blocks and plastic wrapping, although other types of

categorisation may from time to time be used and are known to the skilled person.

Also, where the site is a commercial or industrial plant, or a domestic environment, the categorisations of waste will generally be different.

Preferably the process of the invention includes removing the flexible

intermediate bulk containers from the site to at least two separate locations for

ultimate recycling, disposal or storage of the materials charged to those containers.

Thus, for example if two categorisations of material are identified on the site (say, bricks/'blocks on the one hand and timber on the other) the process of the

invention may comprise delivering to the site a plurality of flexible intermediate

bulk containers, at least partially filling different respective containers with bricks/blocks or timber and then transporting the at least partially filled containers separately to different material recycling/disposal/storage locations. Preferably the flexible intermediate bulk containers are provided with

drainage holes for egress of rain water, for example.

The direct transportation of different categorisations of waste to different waste recycling/disposal/storage locations has a sigmficant cost saving benefit in

practical applications and also reduces harm to the environment by reducing fuel

consumption. Conventionally, waste materials from building sites are transported

en masse to a single depot and are then subsequently separated into different

categorisations and transported again to individual locations with specific facilities for recycling/disposal/storage of a particular categorisation of waste. The

process of the invention effectively cuts out a whole transportation step in this

process.

Claims

1. A process for removing waste materials from a site selected from a building site, a commercial plant or an industrial plant comprising transporting to

the site a plurality of flexible intermediate bulk containers, sorting waste materials

on the site into at least two different categories of waste, transferring different

categories of waste into respective different flexible intermediate bulk containers,

and removing the at least partially filled containers from the site.

2. A process according to claim 1, wherein a first category of waste is

transported from the site to a first location for further treatment, processing,

recycling, storage or disposal and a second category of waste is transported from

the site to a second location for further treatment, processing, recycling, storage or

disposal.

3. A process according to claim 2, wherein a third category of waste is

transported from the site to a third location for further treatment, processing,

recycling, storage or disposal.

4. A process according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein at least four

different categorisations of waste are made.

5. A process according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the flexible

intermediate bulk containers are provided with drainage holes for efflux of waste

water and rain water.

6. A process according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the site is a building site and the categories of waste comprise timber; plasterboard,

bricks/blocks and plastic wrapping.