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£2,000 a Year Saved from Refuse

18th March 1938, Page 84
18th March 1938
Page 84
Page 85
Page 84, 18th March 1938 — £2,000 a Year Saved from Refuse
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

A Refuse Collection and Disposal System Run by an Urban District Council which Stands Out as a Model of Efficiency

THERE are few districts which have developed so rapidly as have Merton and Morden, in Surrey. A few years ago, Morden, in particular, was but a country parish, but with the building by the London County Council of over 3,000 houses on the St. Helier Estate, and with private enterprise erecting new property throughout the areas at the rate of over 1,200 houses annually for the past few years, we find that since 1926 no fewer than 13,649 new dwellings have added to the responsibilities of the municipality.

In 1931, the population was 41,228, which represented an increase of l35.2 per cent. on the previous census return, whilst the present figure stands at 68,000, with an ultimate of 91,500.

These figures have much significance when the subject being dealt with is that of refuse collection and disposal, giving, as they must, some idea of the problem with which the authorities have to contend. They have faced up to it with commendable foresight, in that the equipment employed is of the most modern type and is run with a scrupulous regard for economy.

Vehicles Run in Relays.

On the refuse-collection side, the districts—oi district to the council—are divided into three sections, three vehicles being allocated to two sections and two vehicles to the remaining section, which is mainly confined to trade refuse, etc., as distinct from timeschedule collections from house to house. The vehicles are run in relays, which means that the men are at no time idle and a steady progression of work is thus proceeding at the disposal depot.

The machines used comprise four Morris-Commercial Leader chassis with Eagle, hand-operated, moving-floor bodies, and two Guy end-tippers, the bodies, in all cases, being of 12 cubic yds. capacity.

The moving-floor vehicles are finished in cream, and a point is made of the fact that no slogans extolling the ratepayers to burn their rubbish are used, c4b as it is appreciated that many modern dwellings, being all-electric, provide no opportunities in this direction.

• • •

All vehicles are garaged at the refusedisposal works, where the council has its workshops, and a mechanic whose job it is to prevent breakdowns rather than to cure them. This policy of constant vetting has repaid the authorities by ensuring maintenance of service, so essential to the work under review.

On entering the works, the load of each machine is weighed on a Ashworth 30-ton weighbridge which automatically produces an embossed ticket showing the gross weight, from which, of course, the unladen weight has to be deducted.

At the tipping hopper, where all loads are discharged, glass bottles and large articles are rough-sorted, an endless-band conveyor taking the bulk of the refuse up to the salvage or picking belt-. On its way, it passes through a revolving drum screen, where, in the first stage, the dust is sifted out ; this is eventually sold to brickyards. Mesh of different gauges can be used as desired or, alternatively, the screen can be blanked off with solid metal sections should it not be necessary to make recoveries while the refuse is passing through the drum.

The heterogeneous collection of rubbish, which travels along the picking belt, is attacked by an army of men—clean papers, pieces of carpet, bones, gramophone records, tins and so on being withdrawn and suitably distributed. At the end of the belt, the refuse which remains passes down a chute into an incinerator cell. There are six of these cells, any one of which can be fed by moving the travelling chute along its runway.

Each batch of three cells has a combustion chamber and, from a temperature around 3,000 degrees F. in the cells, the heat at the base of the chimney is reduced to about 500 degrees F. A water seal, arranged beneath a brick arch on the outlet side of the combustion chambers, has the effect of keeping down the entry of burnt paper and similar agents. and it would appear that it has a cleansing effect, as there is no suggestion of a smoke pall being emitted from the chimney.

A forced draught is maintained to the cells to support combustion, the fan responsible being driven by a 21 h.p. electric motor, a similar unit of 15 h.p. driving the conveyor.

Bottle Sorting.

Dealing with the recovery side of the undertaking, we must return to the tipping hopper, for here it is that the bottles which have been extracted are sorted according to class and. purpose. It may be of interest to mention that 97 different types of bottle have to be dealt with. Broken glass, known as cullett. is sold as such, but there is no sale for coloured glass in this condition.

Bulky iron goods are stored until a reasonable quantity has accrued, and old tyres are frequently purchased by remoulding concerns.

Tins are dealt with separately as bright and enamelled, and black iron and non-ferrous metals are carefully sorted. For the convenience of removal by the purchasers, metal goods are placed in a Heenan and Froude 62-ton mechanical-ram press, from which a large bulky mass oftins or other metal articles, emerges as a neat, easily handled block. Incidentally, the incinerator cell equipment is by Heenan and Froude, Ltd.

It is interesting to learn that all galvanized-iron goods have to be heattreated in order to burn off the galvanizing, as such goods are not other wise saleable. Old cisterns and the like are, therefore, placed in one of the cells for a period until the galvanizing is removed.

It is very desirable that tins and metal goods generally should be held back from passing into the cells, as such material is not required in the resultant clinker. At one time it was proposed to consider a magnetic separator, but the results that were being obtained were proved to be so satisfactory that such a separator was deemed unnecessary.

Material for Road Making.

On an average, eight tons of impel are recovered and sold each week, a hand press being used in this instance to consolidate the mass. In addition to such articles as bones, rags and carpets, all of which have a market, there is a large quantity of clinker extracted' from the cells, to be used for road building and similar work.

The engineer and surveyor of Merton and Morden Urban District Council is justifiably proud of the fact that hissalvage efforts save the ratepayers £2,000 per year, with prospects of even greater savings.

This is an instance where a policy of reconditioning of old vehicles was rejected in favour of the acquiring of modern machines equipped with hygienic bodies especially built for the work. The result is that• the council is able, with a minimum of equipment,' to deal effectively with refuse collection over its very scattered area in a manner which would do credit to a muoh larger undertaking.

Within the next six months considerable improvements are to be effected in connection with the outbuildings, and when completed all the

vehicles used by the municipality will be accommodated at this one centre. New workshops, an inspection pit with benches installed, a high-pressure washing plant and .a 3,000-gallon fuel tank and pump are amongst some of the items included in the scheme.

The present site occupies ii acres.

which provides ample scope for any extensions that may be found necessary, even when the ultimate popula-. tion figure is reached..

The scheme provides for a highways depot covering about 3 acres, most of which will be under cover,


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