BACKSTAGE The SSE Arena, Belfast Achieves Zero Waste to Landfill with McQuillan Environmental

The SSE Arena is Northern Ireland’s premier entertainment destination, hosting several world-class events, concerts, and performances every year. With upwards of 800,000 annual visitors and a maximum capacity of 11,200, managing the arena’s wide variety of waste streams is no small task. Recognising the environmental impact of its operations, The SSE Arena set out to minimise waste and maximise recycling efforts, committing to a zero-waste-to-landfill strategy.

To achieve this ambitious goal, The SSE Arena turned to McQuillan Environmental, Northern Ireland’s leading waste management and recycling company. Through its state-of-the-art Material Recovery Facility (MRF), McQuillan Environmental helped transform the arena’s waste management process into a sustainable model, ensuring that all waste is either recycled or converted into renewable energy.

McQuillan Environmental’s MRF is where the magic happens. Here, waste from the arena is collected, sorted, and transformed into valuable resources. The process begins with the collection of recyclable materials, like paper, plastics, metals, and glass. These materials are then transported to McQuillan’s facility, where a meticulous and high-tech process unfolds:

1. Initial: Inspection and Pre-Sorting: Upon arrival, all waste undergoes a thorough inspection to remove any large, non-recyclable items or hazardous materials that could disrupt the recycling process. This ensures that only suitable materials move forward.

2. Screening and Sorting: Next, the waste passes through a series of sophisticated sorting technologies. Trommel screens, ballistic separators, magnetic, and eddy current systems all work together to separate materials based on size, weight, and magnetic properties. These machines efficiently sort the arena’s waste into distinct categories, maximising the potential for recycling.

3. Manual Quality Control: Even with advanced automation, McQuillan Environmental’s team of experts performs a final quality check to ensure no recyclable material is missed. This ensures that The SSE Arena’s waste stream meets the highest recycling standards.

4. Baling and Transportation: Once sorted, the materials are compressed into bales, making them easier to transport to recycling companies. These materials are then processed into raw materials, which are used to manufacture new products, completing the recycling loop.

Once waste leaves McQuillan’s MRF, it undergoes further processing to ensure it is recycled or repurposed effectively. Cardboard is baled and sent to paper mills, where it is reused primarily for packaging materials to meet high demand for virgin goods. Paper is also directed to paper mills for recycling into new paper products or pulped for uses such as egg cartons, showcasing practical recycling efforts within Northern Ireland. Plastics are further sorted into categories: soft plastics are reused as packaging, including bubble wrap; HDPE plastics are granulated and transformed into new HDPE products like milk cartons; PET plastics are granulated for use in manufacturing new drink bottles. Metals, including aluminium cans, are sent for smelting, with aluminium fully recycled back into the drinks can market. Residual waste that cannot be recycled is repurposed as Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF), contributing as an alternative fuel source in cement manufacturing across the island of Ireland.

By partnering with McQuillan Environmental, The SSE Arena has been able to divert 100% of its waste from landfill. This not only reduces the environmental impact of its events but also demonstrates a commitment to sustainability that aligns with the global push for greener business practices.

Moreover, by tracking the waste types and quantities processed at the MRF, McQuillan Environmental provides valuable data, helping The SSE Arena, Belfast to continually refine its waste management strategies. This data-driven approach allows for ongoing improvements and ensures that the arena maintains its zero-waste-to-landfill status.

As we celebrate Recycle Week, the partnership between The SSE Arena and McQuillan Environmental exemplifies what can be achieved when like-minded organisations commit to sustainable practices, serving as an example of how businesses can turn waste into resources and lead the way to a more sustainable future.