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Summary
The term "waste" includes anything that is discarded by the original holder. Government waste policy seeks to move waste "up the hierarchy", reducing the amount sent to landfill and increasing the reuse, recycling and recovery of waste. The ideal solution to waste is not to produce it all, and an investment of tune and resources in waste minimization can produce large savings over a short time. The most important statute governing waste is currently the Environment Protection Act 1990, although in due course landfills and the majority of waste treatment facilities will be brought under the new integrated pollution and control regime. Waste regulation is the responsibility of the Environment Agency in England and The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) in Scotland.
The hierarchy of waste management options is (in order of desirability) :
- Reduction
- Reuse
- Recovery (including recycling, composting and energy recovery).
The hierarchy is only a general guide. Those dealing with waste should evaluate the best practicable environmental option (BPEO) for their individual circumstances. E.g. nature of waste stream, local availability of facilities etc
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Legal Responsibilities for companies which produce or handle large quantities of packaging are covered in the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging waste) Regulations 1997, as amended
The Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR) has issued a consultation paper on the proposals for increasing the packaging waste recovery target from 52% to 58% and the material specific recycling target from 16% to 18%. The increased targets, which would apply from January 2001, will enable the EU's target of recovering 50% of all packaging waste by 2001 by 2001 to be met.
The European Commission is working proposals to introduce mandatory recycling of batteries, end-of-life vehicles and waste electrical and electrical equipment. SOURCE: "Croner's Environmental Practice A-Z", October 2000 |
Waste
