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News Release from: Envirowise
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 26 October 2007
Now non-hazardous waste has to be
treated
From the end of October every business in the manufacturing sector will need to treat their non-hazardous waste before disposal to landfill.
From the end of October every business in the manufacturing sector will need to treat their non-hazardous waste before disposal to landfill, said sustainable business experts Envirowise While there are already regulations in place which compel firms to separate and treat hazardous waste1, from October 30 businesses will also need to treat their non-hazardous waste destined for landfill - which could include anything from food waste, paper and plastics, to bricks, wood and soil
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 21 Sep 2006 at 8.00am (UK)
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The regulations represent the next step in the Europe-wide Landfill Directive2 and are likely to change the way businesses think about and handle waste on a daily basis, said Envirowise.
Heather Cholerton, Envirowise Programme Delivery leader, told Manufacturingtalk: "The main objective is to encourage companies to consider options for elimination, minimisation, re-use, recycling and recovery of their wastes".
"From 30th October, non hazardous wastes must be treated in some way before being sent to landfill.
Treatment can be as simple as collecting wastes in separate streams and arranging for the recycling of one or more of the separated components".
She continued: "Other treatment options include physical treatment, such as breaking down waste brick into aggregate and thermal treatments such as incineration or mechanical biological treatment (MBT) which involves processes such as composting or anaerobic digestion.
It will be the responsibility of landfill operators in England and Wales to ensure that non-hazardous waste has been treated before accepting it for disposal".
Cholerton added: "In the longer term we are hoping these new rules will encourage people not just to focus on the treatment stage, but to consider whether their waste needs to be generated at all.
The more businesses can do to reduce the use of raw materials at the outset - the more resource efficient and cost-efficient their operations will be".
Manufacturers could be eligible for a free 'FastTrack' visit from Envirowise.
If your application is successful, an Envirowise advisor will work with you on-site to help identify cost savings and put together a tailored resource efficiency action plan.
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