ALTON'S new £15 million Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) was given the royal seal of approval last week when HRH the Duke of Gloucester performed the official opening ceremony. Located on the A31 at Froyle, the Alton MRF is the most advanced and largest co-mingled dry recyclable sorting plant in Europe and the second of its kind in Hampshire, with an annual capacity of 85,000 tonnes. It handles plastics, aluminium and ferrous metal cans, newspapers, mixed paper and cardboard, transported to and from the factory by some 36 HGVs a day, and employs a staff of 45 people, including managers. In praising Hampshire for leading the way in the recycling stakes, the Duke of Gloucester said that he hoped other counties would be encouraged to follow suite. And that the Alton facility would continue its work in reducing landfill waste by recycling materials for many years to come. Having toured the site, the Duke was responding to an address by Onyx chief executive, Cyrille du Peloux who opened by saying that he hoped Alton's state-of-the-art MRF would help the people of Hampshire to achieve even higher rates of recycling, securing their place as the most progressive county in the United Kingdom in sustainable waste management. Mr du Peloux told those present at the launch that Onyx and Hampshire could be rightly proud of the investment made in Alton which would ensure that the county reached its 40 per cent recycling goal. "We all know that it is vital for future generations and for the environment that we work to reduce the impact of waste management, and reduce the amount of rubbish going to landfill," he said. "Hampshire leads the way in this, as can be seen by year on year increases in recycling rates, and a 15 per cent decrease in the amount of waste land filled since 2002." The chief executive explained that by using the most advanced optical and magnetic sorting technology, the Alton MRF will ensure that the 85,000 tonnes of recyclable material processed there each year gets recycled with minimal wastage and that Hampshire will obtain the maximum value possible for the cleanly sorted material. The plant, he explained, was part of a sophisticated network of high tech facilities used to deliver an integrated waste management strategy for Hampshire. "Energy recovery facilities at Chineham, Portsmouth and Marchwood ensure that energy is recovered from waste, producing enough energy every year for the power needs of 35,000 local homes." Civic amenity sites and kerbside recycling that reaches 95 per cent of Hampshire households will feed both the Alton and the Portsmouth MRF - an established feature of the Hampshire waste treatment network. "The overall aim is to move from thinking of our household waste as rubbish, and realise that much of it is a resource, that we must recycle and recover rather than discarding it." Mr de Peloux concluded: "The people of Hampshire have shown their commitment to being leaders in sustainable waste management. Onyx shares this commitment. With the opening of this facility we can both celebrate our joint achievements in sustainable waste management, and commit to making even more progress in recycling for the benefit of the environment, and for those who will live and enjoy Hampshire for many years to come." Hampshire County Council's Executive Member for Environment, cllr Tim Knight was impressed with the facility. He told The Herald: "Our target is to achieve a recycling rate of 40 per cent and with high tech facilities such as this - we've some of the very best waste infrastructure anywhere in Europe - we're well on our way. "Our next challenge is to make full use of these facilities by encouraging people who live in Hampshire to do their bit. Our Recycle for Hampshire campaign was launched in March with this very aim."