Here is some news from the UK newspaper the Leicester Mercury. It looks like a giant washing machine - but it's the answer to Leicester's waste problems. A team from Leicester has visited Germany to see the kind of technology that will revolutionise recycling in this city from 2005.

Residents were flown free of charge to Kaiserslautern after they raised concerns about a similar recycling centre planned at Bursom Park, near Mowmacre, by Biffa Waste and the city council.
Mowmacre resident Jenny Davis, 56, said: "I'm into the principle of saving the environment. I don't think there will be problems of noise or smell." Alan Wheat, 49, of the Thurcaston Glebelands community group, said: "I have been reassured by what I've seen and my only concern would be the increase in traffic around Bursom Park." Biffa has won a £300 million, 25- year contract to collect the city's waste and recycle it at a £30 million centre at Bursom Park. Organic waste will then be taken to Wanlip for composting.

Biffa's partner, German firm Hese Umwelt, is already running a similar plant at Kaiserslautern, in partnership with the local city council. Waste is taken to a centre in woods overlooking the city. It has been operating successfully for 18 years.

Rubbish is fed into a ball mill - similar to a giant washing machine drum packed with steel balls, which pounds the waste into small pieces. The waste is separated into metal, which can be recycled, and organic waste that is treated to become compost. The composting process, plus three wind turbines at the plant, generates around £500,000 of electricity each year.

The plant is sealed and fitted with filters to prevent smells and noise escaping outside, although once you are inside, you can smell the rubbish at the loading chutes.

According to Hese, the plant only attracts a couple of complaints per year from neighbouring residents, when the composter components are changed. This should not be a problem in Leicester, as the composting will take place at Wanlip. Hese will design the machinery for Bursom Park, but Biffa project manager Mick Davis said Leicester's plant would be even more advanced.

Biffa paid for a party of council officers and local residents to tour the German plant on Thursday.
City environment spokesman, Coun Nigel Holden, said: "This has really impressed me. The tour has shown that concerns about noise and smells can be dealt with - and our plant will be even more advanced." Mr Davis said: "We are very keen to be open about the process and this tour was a great opportunity to get local people involved.

"We want to create a state-of-the-art facility that will last a long time." The Bursom site will include an education centre, featuring Cycler the Robot, to teach children about recycling.

Biffa says it will boost Leicester's recycling rate from around 10 per cent to up to 70 per cent when the Bursom plant opens in 2005.