Landfill

In the UK the amount of space required to be used for landfill is unsustainable, and the need for alternatives is critical. Although we are creating more rubbish than ever, the amount of landfill waste is being reduced (falling from 80 million tonnes to 65 million tonnes between 2001 and 2006 (DEFRA)).

In the past, the UK has been very reliant on landfill. Of the municipal waste produced in 2001 79% was landfilled with only 12% recycled or composted 8% was reused to create energy.

In 2002 the EU brought in the Landfill (England and Wales) Regulations 2002 to begin to change the way the UK deals with waste. The directive was introduced gradually to give UK industry time to adapt.

From October 2007 the Landfill Directive set out the pre-treatment requirements including the treatment of all non-hazardous waste (including commercial and industrial) before it can go to landfill. This includes a physical, thermal, chemical or biological process - which can include sorting - to change the characteristics of the waste to either reduce its volume, reduce its hazardous nature, facilitate its handling, or enhance its recovery.

Municipal waste has in the past, trailed behind in terms of recycling and recovery. About 68% of municipal household waste is biodegradable, and a key contributor to the greenhouse gas methane, when landfilled.

The Directive sets demanding targets to reduce the amount of biodegradable  municipal landfilled. These targets are:  

• By 2010 to reduce biodegradable municipal waste landfilled to 75% of that produced in 1995
• By 2013 to reduce biodegradable municipal waste landfilled to 50% of that produced in 1995
• By 2020 to reduce biodegradable municipal waste landfilled to 35% of that produced in 1995

 

These dates include a 4 year derogation from the target years 2006, 2009 and 2016 offered in the Directive to Member States who landfilled more than 80% of their municipal waste in 1995. We are adopting this for the first two targets years, and will decide whether to do so for the final target year of 2016 nearer the time.