STRATEGIC, LEGISLATIVE and ECONOMIC DRIVERS FOR REDUCING COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL WASTE IN WALES

1. STRATEGIC, LEGISLATIVE and ECONOMIC DRIVERS FOR REDUCING COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL WASTE IN WALES Dr.Andy Rees Head of Welsh Assembly Government’s Waste Strategy Unit

2. The major strategic drivers - European I The Waste Framework Directive (75/442/EEC as amended by 91/156/EEC and 91/692/EEC) • requires member states to: • take all necessary steps to prevent waste generation; • to encourage reuse; and • to ensure safe disposal • and which established the following principles of: • self-sufficiency; and • proximity • requiring Member States to establish an integrated and adequate network of disposal installations. • Member States are required to draw up waste management plans as a major mechanism to achieve this policy.

3. The major strategic drivers - European - II • EU’s 6th Environment Action Programme • Integrated Product Policy • Thematic Strategy on Resources • Thematic Strategy on Waste Prevention & Recycling

4. Integrated Product Policy • Aim: To reduce the environmental impacts from products throughout their life-cycle, harnessing, where possible, a market driven approach, within which competitiveness concerns are integrated. • Actions: • Tools for creating the right economic & legal framework • Taxes & subsidies • Voluntary agreements / standardisation • Legislation • Promoting the application of life-cycle thinking • LCA tools • EMSs • Product Design obligations (eg. draft Directive on Eco-Design of End-Use Equipment) • Giving consumers the information to decide • Greening public procurement (Member State action plans by 2006) • Eco labelling

5. Thematic Strategy on the Sustainable Use of Natural Resources • Aim: To decouple resource use and environmental impact from economic growth and prosperity • Problem:Resource use per product is decreasing, but this is being overtaken by the increase in the number of products that are manufactured • 3 strategic elementsproposed in recent EC Communication: • Knowledge gathering • Policy assessment • Policy integration

6. Thematic Strategy on Waste Prevention & Recycling • Waste Prevention: • identify potentials • exchange good practice • future chemicals policy (REACH) • voluntary/mandatory waste prevention plans? • Waste prevention under IPPC • Recycling: • material based recycling targets? • fiscal measures • producer responsibility • make recycling easier & cleaner • definition of waste • source segregation

7. The major strategic drivers -UK • Waste Strategy 2000 (for England) • Cabinet Office/PIU - “Resource Productivity - Making More With Less” • Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit (was PIU) - ‘Waste Not, Want Not’ - Nov 2002 • DTI/DEFRA Framework on Sustainable Consumption and Production - “Changing Patterns” - Sep 2003

8. The major strategic drivers -resource productivity • Measures the efficiency of the economy in generating output without using up natural resources - including the capacity of the environment to absorb our waste and pollution • Landfill is not consistent with the concept of resource efficiency since it removes useful resources and materials out of the economic cycle where they can no longer be used • Every tonne of waste products landfilled represents many more tonnes of other wasted resources used to produce those landfilled waste products • Landfill also damages the environment

9. The major strategic drivers -Wales • Sustainable Development Scheme - Learning to Live Differently & its review (out for consultation) • Wise About Waste - The National Waste Strategy for Wales (more later….)

10. The latest major legislative drivers - EU • PPC Directive • EC Landfill Directive • EC Packaging, ELV & WEEE Directives • Animal By-Products Regulations • Changes to Hazardous Waste list • Proposed Directive on the Management of Waste from the Extractive Industries • Proposed Biowaste (Composting) Directive

11. The Landfill Directive - major implications • Changes landfill practice - no co-disposal • No hazardous waste landfills in Wales? • Tightens landfill standards • Requires pre-treatment of all landfilled wastes • Strict Waste Acceptance Criteria • Sets targets to substantially reduce landfill of biodegradable municipal waste • Landfill costs will rise (+ Landfill Tax)

12. EC Composting Directive (draft) • Working Document on the Biological Treatment of Biowaste (Feb 2001 draft): • promotes biological treatment of biowaste which cannot be re-used or recycled; • requires source separation of biowastes (population size dependent); • unsorted wastes subjected to biological treatment would still be regarded as a waste not compost • compost must fulfil environmental quality standards and must be suitable for agricultural improvement or ecological benefit

13. The latest major legislative drivers - UK • PPC Regulations • Landfill Regulations (England & Wales) • Waste & Emissions Trading Bill & Municipal Waste Management (Wales) Regulations • Animal By-Products Regulations • Revisions to the exemptions under the Waste Management Licensing Regulations • Revisions to the Special Waste Regulations • Agricultural Waste Regulations

14. Hazardous Waste • Changes to EC Hazardous Waste list - new England and Wales Regulations long overdue • Will incorporate newly hazardous wastes (e.g. TVs, fluorescent lights) • DEFRA/WAG to consult soon on major changes to Special Waste Regs (likley to include producer registration) • July 2004 ban on co-disposal in landfill • 0 hazardous waste landfills in Wales • ca. 10 in England • Landfilled hazardous waste subject to treatment and waste acceptance criteria • Need new hazardous waste management facilities across Wales (2 landfills?, treatment, storage, transfer etc)

15. The major economic drivers for landfill reduction • Landfill Tax to £35 per tonne • Implications of legislation: • Higher landfill standards • Costs of treatment prior to landfill and meeting Waste Acceptance Criteria • Increase in hazardous waste costs • Aggregates Levy £1.60 per tonne • Supply chain pressure • Public image

16. Wise About Waste - the National Waste Strategy for Wales -objectives • To make Wales a model for sustainable waste management by adopting and implementing a sustainable, integrated approach to waste production, management and regulation (including litter and flytipping) which: • minimises the production of waste and its impact on the environment, • maximises the use of unavoidable waste as a resource, and • minimises, where practicable, the use of energy from waste and landfill. • To comply with the requirements of relevant European Council (EC) waste Directives and UK legislation

17. Wales targets - Municipal Waste • By 2009/10 waste arisings per household should be  those in 1997/98 • Recycling/ composting targets for municipal waste: • 2009/10 at least 40%, min 15% composting (source segregated only) • Provision of hazardous waste reception facilities at Civic Amenity sites • EC Landfill Directive Targets to reduce biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) to landfill: • by 2020 we can only landfill 35% of the BMW we produced in 1995.

18. Other Wales targets • Public & Private sector waste minimisation: • by 2010 achieve a reduction in waste produced equivalent to at least 10% of the 1998 arisings figure • Construction and demolition waste re-use/recycling: • by 2010, to re-use or recycle at least 85% of C&D waste produced • Use of secondary aggregates (draft): • Within 5 years increase proportion of aggregate supply from secondary and recycled sources to at least 25% of total • Reducing landfill (all wastes and specifically for biodegradable wastes): • by 2010, to reduce the amount of industrial and commercial waste sent to landfill to less than 80% of that landfilled in 1998; • Reducing hazardous waste: • by 2010, to reduce the amount of hazardous waste generated by at least 20% compared with 2000 (for those wastes classified as special in 2000)

19. Strategic actions for Municipal Waste • NAW Performance Indicators & Policy Agreements • Funding: • Additional £88m for local authorities for 5 years • Support for community recycling sector (NOF £3 m + Cylch core funding) • Probable £15m Strategic Recycling Scheme fund • ‘High Diversion’ Exemplars • WET Bill (allowances + statutory MWMSs) • Municipal waste composition project • Waste Awareness Wales education campaign • Public sector waste minimisation campaign

20. Actions for industrial and commercial wastes • Increase recycling of commercial wastes • Public Sector Waste Minimisation Campaign • Support for business through WAG Business and Environment Action Plan • 22 Business & Environment Co-Ordinators • “EM4 Wales” • Green Dragon • Business Waste Sub Group • Hazardous Waste Forum & Action Plan • Hazardous waste ‘Communications Plan’ • Hazardous waste treatment consultancy

21. Actions for infrastructure and market development • Regional Waste Plans - November 2003 • Unitary Development Plans - site identification • Funding support for new facilities • Objective One Priority 6 Measure 4 • RSA, AIG, WRAP, SRS etc. • WDA Environmental Goods & Services Programme • Recycling/composting markets • Creating Welsh Markets for Reyclate (Wales Environment Trust) - £1.7 million • Waste and Resources Action Programme • Public sector green procurement • Secondary aggregates • Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund

22. Improving our understanding • R&D priorities: • data • health • innovation • product development • recycling/composting markets • tools • Wales Centre of Excellence in Waste Research • 2nd EA survey of industrial & commercial waste

23. OPPORTUNITIES FOR BUSINESS • Saving money by reducing waste arisings • Innovation / new business opportunities • new technologies • new facilities • new practices • new markets • new products • extensive consultancy