Waste Watch - March 2010

This Alert contains brief details of recent Government and EU publications, legislation, cases and other developments in England and Wales relevant to those interested in municipal waste management, which have been published in the past month. 

Items are set out by subject, with a link to where the full document can be found on the internet. All links are correct at the date of publication.

If you have been forwarded this update by a colleague and would like to receive it direct please email Claire Booth.

The following topics are covered in this update:

Hazardous Waste	Recycling
Landfill	Statistics
Litter and Fly-tipping	Waste to Energy
Packaging Waste	Waste Management
Permitting and Licensing	Waste Minimisation

Hazardous Waste

DEFRA: A strategy for hazardous waste management in England: this strategy underpins the practical application of the revised Waste Framework Directive 2008/98 and in particular the requirements that apply to hazardous waste. It aims to clarify how the requirements of the revised Directive should be implemented, particularly the revised waste hierarchy with respect to the management of hazardous waste. The strategy is also intended to facilitate the provision of infrastructure for the management of hazardous waste. It includes six high level principles for the management of hazardous waste and a set of outline decision trees to assist waste producers and waste managers to make the right decisions about the management of their waste and the investment in infrastructure to help move hazardous waste management up the waste hierarchy. (18 March 2010)

Environment Agency: Classification of electronic display devices: sets out the process for deciding whether monitors and other electronic display equipment such as liquid crystal display (LCDs) and plasma televisions should be classified as hazardous waste. (24 March 2010)

• doing nothing and relying on current measures to continue to reduce the amount sent to landfill; 
• introducing bans on landfilling on their own or accompanied by a requirement for waste to be sorted; 
• introducing a sorting or tougher pre-treatment requirement without a landfill ban; and 
• introducing producer responsibility requirements for certain wastes.

This is a first stage consultation on the options under consideration for restricting wastes from landfill,  intended to identify preferred option(s) which could be taken forward if desirable, practical and affordable. If Government decides change is desirable a second stage consultation will follow containing further detail on the preferred option(s) and the way any restriction or requirement would be introduced and who the onus would fall upon and accompanied by draft regulations to implement these option(s). This consultation closes on 10 June 2010. (18 March 2010)

DEFRA: Consultation on meeting EU landfill diversion targets: seeks views on the changes necessary to enable the UK to report to the European Commission on a revised approach to the landfill diversion targets. This includes: setting out the new interpretation of the definition of municipal waste; revisions to the 1995 baseline and targets; and the reporting and monitoring obligations necessary to enable robust reporting against the targets to the European Commission at a UK level. For England only it also seeks views on the future of the Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme, and the most effective combination of policies DEFRA should pursue, that address both the local authority and private sector elements of municipal waste, to provide the necessary confidence that England meets its targets. The consultation closes on 10 June 2010. (18 March 2010)

WRAP: Landfill bans – feasibility research: this report is designed to inform the UK governments on the potential of bans or restrictions to contribute to resource efficiency and reduce the climate change impact of managing wastes. The study examined the environmental and economic costs and benefits and practical feasibility of banning or restricting a range of materials, products and wastes by property type from landfill. It found that combining materials-based restrictions with a requirement to sort offers the greatest benefits and is most feasible in the UK policy context. (18 March 2010)

DEFRA: Businesses, government and campaign groups unite to cut litter: announces that major brands from the fast food, fizzy drinks and chewing gum industries are coming together for the first time to forming a partnership with Keep Britain Tidy, government representatives and local authorities to stamp out litter. (23 March 2010)

Packaging Waste

DEFRA: Grocery waste sent packing: announces agreement of Phase 2 of the Courtauld Commitment, a voluntary agreement with grocery and traditional non-grocery manufacturers and retailers on reducing packaging waste. Phase 2 will run from April 2010 to December 2012 and will: reduce the carbon impact of grocery packaging through reducing the weight, increasing the recycling rates, and increasing the recycled content of grocery packaging; help consumers reduce the amount of food they waste; and cut food and packaging waste throughout the supply chain. (4 March 2010)

DEFRA: Consultation on implementing the Packaging Strategy - Recovery and recycling targets, funding transparency and technical changes: seeks views on a number of proposed changes to the producer responsibility regime for packaging waste, including proposed packaging targets for 2011-20 which aim for an overall recycling rate of 70% by 2020,  plans to increase the transparency of the producer responsibility regime, and a number of technical changes. The consultation closes on 27 May 2010. (4 March 2010)

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Permitting and Licensing

Environment Agency: Waste exemptions review – regulatory position statements: the Agency has issued a number of Regulatory Position Statements on low risk waste after the new waste exemption system comes into effect on 6 April 2010: 

• Effect of the exemption review on low risk positions (ER001)
• New operations that currently require a permit and become exempt under the new exemption system (ER002) 
• Moving from low risk and regulatory positions to an environmental permit (ER003) 
• Low risk positions that cannot benefit from an exemption and require a regulatory position (ER004)

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Recycling

WRAP: Environmental benefits of recycling: provides an updated review of life cycle comparisons for key materials in the UK recycling sector. In 2006 WRAP published a major research report, Environmental Benefits of Recycling, based on an international review of life cycle analyses that evaluated the impact on the environment of recycling, landfilling or incineration of key materials in UK waste streams. Its conclusion was clear – most studies show that recycling offers more environmental benefits and lower environmental impacts than the other waste management options. (16 March 2010)

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Statistics

Eurostat: Environment in the EU27 - 40% of municipal waste recycled or composted in 2008: statistical release on the amount  of municipal waste generated per person and amount landfilled, incinerated, recycled or composted, with a table setting out the figures for each Member State. (19 March 2010)