Some rubbish destined for landfill in Carmarthenshire could be turned into products like animal bedding and biofuel pellets at a new facility.
Mekatek Ltd, which has a waste site at Johnstown, Carmarthen, has secured planning consent for a temporary research and development building as part of a commercial venture with a firm called Fiberight.
Fiberight recovers materials within rubbish which normally don't get recycled, according to a planning statement submitted on behalf of Mekatek.
It said a Fiberight facility in the US was able to recover more than half the material in mixed waste into usable materials, and that the company was looking to set up a site in the UK.
The first phase of a potential site is the temporary research and development building, but the planning statement said Fiberight was confident the proposal would be a success and that expansion plans were being explored.
A new facility built on the success of the research and development building, it said, would mean jobs.
"The amount of inward investment for Carmarthenshire is estimated to be a conservative £15 to £20 million and a workforce of 50 people, including both high value scientific personnel and skilled operators," said the planning statement.
The 30m by 15m research and development building will deal with a maximum of 5,000 tonnes of waste per year from commercial and public sector clients.
The waste is subject to separation processes which eventually leads to dry products which can be used, for example, as animal bedding and biofuel pellets.
Find out about planning applications where you live
The planning statement said demand was growing for facilities which could process residual waste, and added: "At present, there is no similar facility in west Wales or indeed the country as a whole."
It costs a lot of money to landfill rubbish, and recycling targets are rising.
Council planning officers imposed eight conditions with the consent for the research and development building at Mekatek's site on Old Llansteffan Road, including that it was to operate for three years only.
