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Some recycling which is currently exported could be dealt with on-island from 2024.
Local firms are among 13 companies bidding to deal with food waste after the current export contract ends in December next year.
But the States are ruling out bringing the recycling of glass back into the island because they say local demand for it is insufficient for it to be done economically.
The States' Trading Supervisory Board, which in law is the island's Waste Disposal Authority, set out its latest thinking on food and glass recycling in reply to Rule 14 questions submitted by Deputy John Dyke (pictured top right).
Pictured: The waste transfer station, which was built to receive waste and prepare it for export after successive States rejected plans to build an incinerator.
The current waste strategy approved by the States in 2012 included plans for a local facility to treat food waste. But the Board said that plan was abandoned "mainly due to the high cost to the States of constructing a local plant at that time and the risks associated with managing locally the residues from processing". A contract to export food waste was agreed instead.
"In April 2022, [the Board] issued an invitation for expressions of interest from parties that wished to receive the island’s food waste when the current export/processing contract expires at the end of 2023," said Deputy Peter Roffey, President of the Board (pictured top left).
"This attracted 13 responses, including a number from local companies or individuals. Following the expression of interest, a formal pre-qualification questionnaire is expected to be published in September. This is the first stage of the formal tendering process and will enable interested parties to demonstrate experience of operating food waste processing facilities and how they would meet the requirements of the contract."
Deputy Roffey said that a shortlist of potential operators would then be drawn up "who will be invited to submit formal tenders" and that he expects the Board to "award a contract in the first quarter of 2023".
Pictured: The tender process is at an early stage, but it is possible that food waste could be handled on island rather than being exported when the current contract expires in around 15 months.
Deputy Dyke asked what proposals the Board had received for dealing with the recyclables in the island. Deputy Roffey explained why that was not viable for glass.
"Prior to 2017, glass was crushed on island, for use as an aggregate substitute. However, there was limited demand for this product from the local construction industry, resulting in the stockpiling of material," said Deputy Roffey.
"There is no realistic prospect of a facility being established on island for the reprocessing of glass into new glass economically, and therefore export is the only option for this material."
Pictured: Glass recycling will continue to be done off island.
Deputy Dyke also asked for the costs of dealing with food waste and glass recycling in each of the past three years.
Deputy Roffey said that the costs for processing and treatment of food waste, from both household and commercial sources, were as follows:
"These figures include the third-party processing contract, which is inclusive of export costs, an apportionment of the operating costs of the transfer station, where food waste from households and commercial is delivered and undergoes pre-processing prior to export, and other relevant costs, some of which do not recur annually, such as the maintenance of tankers," said Deputy Roffey.
He said the costs for preparing glass for export and processing the material, from both household and commercial source, were as follows:
"These figures include the third-party processing contract, which is inclusive of export costs, an apportionment of the operating costs of the transfer station, where glass is received and containerised prior to export, and other relevant costs, such as collections from bring banks," said Deputy Roffey.
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