YORWASTE, the recycling and waste management service for York and North Yorkshire, wants planning permission to build a new materials recycling facility (MRF) and waste transfer station at its Harewood Whin Resource Recovery Centre, near Rufforth.

The MRF would annually handle 35,000 tonnes of waste, rising to about 60,000 tonnes by 2018.

It would process mixed recycling such as paper, plastic, cans and glass that are collected as part of kerbside household and commercial collections.

The waste transfer station would handle up to 70,000 tonnes of waste per year, with the material sent to the proposed new residual waste treatment facility at Allerton Park.

Steve Grieve, Yorwaste managing director, said the development would allow local authorities and commerical organisations to meet their environmental responsibilities through landfill diversion and increased recycling and recovery of waste.

He said: “This will mark the final phase of the development of the Harewood Whin site and, with the emphasis now very much being on recycling, the new facilities will have major environmental benefits.”

Work could start in autumn 2013, with completion in 2014.

Yorwaste would then close its MRF at Hessay, near York, leaving its electrical recycling operation.

Staff from Hessay would transfer to Harewood Whin, where up to 15 new jobs could also be created.