## Find out more about our partnership with Leeds City Council

In 2012, Veolia signed a 25-year Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contract with Leeds City Council to treat residual municipal waste and recover energy.

Currently, around 40% of household waste in Leeds is recycled or composted. The Council aims to increase this rate over time.

Our solution supports this goal. However, some waste cannot be recycled because it is not technically or economically viable.

The government requires local authorities to find alternatives to landfill, which produces significant greenhouse gases.

To discourage landfill use, the government charges a Landfill Tax a cost which increases each year.

Our solution will save the city £270 million over 25 years compared to landfill.

The Recycling and Energy Recovery Facility (RERF) includes an initial recycling stage that handles up to 214,000 tonnes of residual waste annually, recycling around 2% of it.

The remaining waste is processed in the Energy Recovery Facility, sized for 190,000 tonnes per year, generating about 13 MW of electricity for the National Grid — enough to power around 22,000 homes.

Steam from the RERF also heats homes and businesses through Leeds’ District Heating Network.

This reduces carbon dioxide emissions equivalent to taking about 19,500 cars off the road each year.

If household waste decreases due to higher recycling rates, similar waste from Leeds businesses will be used instead. This helps keep costs down and maintains income from electricity generation



 

 

 



Veolia signed a 25-year contract with Leeds CC in 2012.



 

 

 

 

 

 



 

Around 40% of household waste in Leeds is recycled.



 

 

 

 

 

 



 

The RERF now manages all of Leeds black bin waste across the city.