The Landfilling Scene in the UK
Landfills vary immensely, but even the most recently developed are not considered to provide a sustainable way of getting rid of rubbish. They can cause pollution, and certainly hold the potential to do so. Very few of us want to live near to them, and the methane gas produced by them is a major contributor to global warming. Consequently, recent waste policies have been based on a recognition of the need to move away from this method of waste disposal.
The EU Landfill Directive 1999/31 came into force in the EU on 16 July 1999. For the most part, this law came into force in the UK, in June 2002, under the new Landfill (England and Wales) Regulations 2002.
The main provisions, which must be applied to new and existing landfill sites are:
- Classification of landfills into three types by 2004: hazardous, non hazardous, and inert waste, ending the previous UK practice of co-disposing of hazardous and non-hazardous waste in the same landfills;
- Bans on the disposal of certain wastes in landfill, including liquid wastes, certain hazardous wastes, and tyres;
- The treatment of most wastes before they are placed in a landfill, by July 2004;
- Introduction of waste acceptance criteria setting out types of waste to be accepted at each of the three types of landfill.
The UK has been given four extra years by the EU to meet some of the requirements of the Directive because we are currently so dependent on landfill.
Landfill Statute Links:
The statutory instruments under which landfills are regulated in the UK (England & Wales) are:
The Scottish Executive and the Northern Ireland Assembly have implemented separate legislation to implement these Directives.
Waste Arisings:
How much waste do we produce in the UK?
In the United Kingdom. on average each person throws away seven times their own body weight in rubbish each year (2004). More..
Breakdown of Municipal, Industrial and Commercial Waste arisings in UK per annum 1998/9:
|
Industrial waste excluding construction and demolition waste
|
48 Million Tonnes
|
0.8 Tonnes/person
|
|
Commercial Waste
|
30 Million Tonnes
|
0.5 Tonnes/person
|
|
MSW
|
28 Million Tonnes
|
0.5 Tonnes/person
|
|
Total
|
106 Million Tonnes
|
1.8 Tonnes/person
|
UK population is 59.6 million (2003)
In 1998/9 this waste was handled in the following way:
|
(%) disposed to:
|
Landfill
|
Recovery
(inc Recycling and Composting)
|
Of which:
Recycling and Composting
|
|
Industrial Waste
|
47
|
45
|
39
|
|
Commercial Waste
|
66
|
33
|
29
|
|
Municipal
|
83
|
17
|
9
|
|
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT NEWSLETTER