Waste Auditing - Waste Assessment

Further information on waste management.

The UK Waste Strategy 2000 starts with a bold opening statement

“If household waste continues to grow at the rate it is, then by 2020 we will need twice the disposal facilities that we have today”

To prevent this situation arising, the Strategy identifies a number of specific targets:

to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill to 85% of 1998 levels by 2005
to recover value from 30% of household waste by 2010 rising to 66% of household waste by 2015
to continue with the landfill tax escalator
to develop a programme to look into new and innovative uses of recycled materials
to introduce guidance for businesses on how to measure and report on their waste
to stimulate public awareness with more campaigns aimed at individuals managing their wastes
to ensure that local authorities do all they can to stimulate waste management
to work with local authorities in developing ways to stem the growth in household waste
to monitor progress in all of the above

The Strategy also acknowledges use of the Waste Hierarchy in the management of waste but stresses it should not be prescriptive, therefore in conjunction with this, the Proximity Principal should be applied, so as to:

not send potential problem elsewhere
consider the impact of transportation

The Strategy actually recognises that in certain circumstances it may be the BPEO to landfill the waste.

The UK Government is committed to the aims of the Waste Strategy and this is reflected in the introduction of recent legislation:

The Landfill Regulations 2002

The underlying aim of this legislation is to make disposal to landfill a difficult option to choose thereby helping waste producers to explore other options. The EC maintain that it is to ensure a high standard of disposal.

The main requirements of the Landfill Regulations are:

the banning of liquid wastes to landfill
the banning of clinical wastes to landfill
a rolling programme in reducing biodegradable waste disposal to landfill
banning of disposing hazardous wastes with non-hazardous wastes
the designation of sites as being Hazardous, Non-Hazardous or Inert
the banning of tyre disposal to landfill
the obligatory utilisation of landfill gas (energy recovery)
new provisions for monitoring sites, post closure
new site location specifications

The Conservation (Natural Habitats etc.) Amendment Regulations 2000

This requires special consideration to be made to landfill sites (and other waste facilities) operating or proposed within (or adjacent to) Natura 2000 sites within 2km (or 5km if predating birds may be attracted).

The Producer Responsibility (Packaging Waste) Obligations Regulations 1997

This is another EC initiative that continues to be tightened up. The UK failed to meet its targets in 2001, but did so in 2002. An obligated business is one that has an annual turnover of greater than £2m and additionally handles in excess of 50 tonnes of packaging per year.

The recovery rate in the UK is now 59%, with a recycling rate of 19% of material-specific packaging. These are both expected to rise again soon to 60% and 20% respectively.

The definition of recovery being - recycling, composting and incineration

The definition of recycling being - reprocessing into original or new applications

The specified materials are - paper/card, aluminium, ferrous metals, plastics, glass, wood

(Note that wood is recovery only. It can not be recycled). The % obligations remain unchanged:

manufacturer 6%
converter 9%
packer filler 37%
retailer 48%

If a company has a parent or holding company they can register on behalf of their companies. This will require just one fee, however all of the companies that fall under this parent company’s umbrella must be included in the scheme regardless of the size of their packaging handling. Otherwise the company itself can go it alone.

The tonnage of packaging used is the amount of packaging that the company passes on, and not the amount they dispose of. If they are the last in the chain (ie. retailer) it is the amount of packaging they sell. The only packaging disposed of that they are responsible for is that which has been imported. Hence the philosophy is that they must compensate for what they have passed on that someone else will eventually have to dispose of.

Similarly if you have brought waste into the UK from another country (including the EU) you have added to the UK’s waste burden, and you are therefore responsible. If however you export waste packaging then this is exempt, as it will be effectively dealt with by the receiver (just as it has been here).

The cost of registration is £950. The only other costs are the costs of obtaining the requisite number of Packaging Recovery Notes. For a small company, new to this regulation, it may be wise to join a packaging scheme such as Valpak or Biffpak. They will obtain (and sell) the PRNs to the company for an annual fee.

The End of Life Vehicles Regulations 2003

These apply to the control and regulation of vehicle scrapping. The aim being to bring vehicle breaking under greater environmental regulatory control. An incidental target being to achieve 85% material recovery by 2006 rising to 95% by 2015. Currently the UK scraps ~2m vehicles per year, and has a recovery rate of ~75%. The scrap yard is now to become an Authorised Treatment Facility if it wishes to continue with vehicle scrapping. Those sites operating under a Waste Management Licence Exemption need to get a ‘Site Licence’ to comply with the Regulations.

Those operating under a Waste Management Licence need to sign up to ELV compliance by 2004, or close, or give up vehicle breaking.

The Ozone Depleting Substances Regulations 2000

These came in and caught us all napping, as they are EC Regulations and not UK Regulations. They control the disposal of refrigeration, air conditioning and fire extinguishing equipment.

Equipment must be disposed of in an authorised treatment facility where all ODSs are removed.

Currently we dispose of around 50,000 fridges per week in the UK, and treatment facilities are lacking. There were none at first but now they are slowly coming on-stream. The majority of units are currently exported to Belgium for recovery.

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations (Due June 2006)

These Regulations will enforce the recovery and reuse of electrical equipment to reduce disposal. It is likely to be regulated through the Waste Management Licensing regime rather than through PPC permitting.

The overlying purpose of the WEEE Regulations will be that it should:

contribute to reductions in fly-tipping of WEEE
contribute to resource productivity
contribute to raising the awareness amongst businesses and consumers to waste in general

It will set minimum recovery and recycling targets according to product category (Targets ranging from 50% - 80%). This includes a collection target for household WEEE of 4 kg per head of population per annum. These targets will have to be reached by 31 December 2006.

Specific inclusions will be:

product designs should take into account and facilitate dismantling, recovery and recycling (unless there are over-riding safety or environmental reasons)
free take-back of WEEE from private households, including retailer take-back
the recovery of components is to be carried out by permitted operators with appropriate and adequate storage facilities
producers must provide a guarantee that waste will be managed for products they place on the market after 13 August 2005
Member States to draw up register of producers of electrical and electronic equipment and to record amount of goods on market and levels of recycling achieved

In terms of landfill the Regulations could lead to up to half a million tonnes of landfill being avoided per annum.

Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations (Due June 2006)

This is expected to comes into effect on 1st July 2006 . It will require the substitution of lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, and designated flame retardants

The Household Waste Recycling Act 2003.

The UK Government has set a target of 30% recycling by 2010 under the Waste Strategy (originally it was to be 50%). The Act will be a tool to help achieve this target. It calls for all local authorities to provide kerb-side collections for all householders for a minimum of two materials by 2010.

The Waste Incineration Regulations 2000

The Regulations apply immediately to all new incinerators and will apply to all existing incinerators from 28th December 2005 , implementation being carried out mainly under the Pollution Prevention and Control regime. The PPC regime assigns regulation of larger incinerators and co-incinerators - as “Part A(1)” activities - to the Environment Agency, whilst the smaller, “Part A(2)” or “Part B” incinerators are regulated by local authorities.

Under the Regulations, operators of incineration plants still authorised under IPC at the end of 2004 have the choice of either first applying for a variation of that authorisation to cover the Waste Incineration Directive requirements and then applying for a full PPC permit by the original PPC due date, or making a full PPC/WID application by the WID deadline of 31st March 2005.

Technical requirements of the Regulations:

Operating conditions, including gas temperatures and residence times, should be:
- 850ºC for 2 seconds
- 1100ºC for 2 seconds for hazardous wastes
Setting emission limit values for a range of parameters to air and water, including:
- VOCs (including dioxins and furans), PAHs, dust, SO2, HCl, HF, NOx, CO, and a range of metals
Strict monitoring requirements

The Waste and Emissions Trading Act 2005

A Bill has been published in Parliament which will help the UK to meet its obligations under the Landfill Regulations and further develop the statutory framework for emissions trading schemes.

The Waste and Emissions Trading Bill will advance the UK's policies both to combat climate change and to move to sustainable waste management.

Part 1 of the Bill sets up the framework which will require local authorities progressively to reduce the amount of biodegradable municipal waste which they send to landfill through a system of tradable landfill allowances. Believed to be the first of its kind in Europe, this system of tradable allowances signals an innovative approach to delivering effective, efficient regulations in the area of waste. Essentially Waste Disposal Authorities will be able to trade their landfill allowances allowing the more proactive WDAs to gain financially from their composting schemes.