Have I got a Hazardous waste?
The European Union has produced the European Waste Catalogue (EWC), this is as the name suggests is a list comprising wastes catagorised by their sources alongside a 6 digit code to allow identification of the wastes, and will replace the written descriptions on the duty of care note. This list, lists all wastes, whether hazardous or not and wastes with a hazardous property are highlighted as either Absolute or Mirror entries. A waste given as an absolute entry means this will in all circumstances be a hazardous waste regardless of any threshold concentrations, while a mirror entry will be a hazardous waste if dangerous substances are present above threshold concentrations.
To see the EWC and guidance on evaluating waste classed as mirror entries to determine if they are hazardous or not see Environment Agency Guidance, Hazardous Waste, Interpretation of the definition and classification of hazardous waste (link provided at end of note)
Landfill Directive reduces available Landfill capacity for Hazardous Waste
The European Landfill directive was implemented into UK law in 2001. (see separate briefing note on Landfill directive) Many of the Directives requirements aim to ensure that the environmental standards at landfill sites are increased along with placing tough targets upon local authorities to decrease the amount of household waste sent to landfill. July 2004 sees further requirements placed upon landfill operators, with consequences affecting waste producers and waste managers.
Historically the UK has practiced what has come to be known as co-disposal whereby special and non-special wastes have been landfilled together with the non-special wastes, ameliorating the hazardous nature of the materials. As of July 2004 this practice will no longer be a legal activity and if hazardous wastes are to be landfilled they need to be sent to a site that deals solely with hazardous wastes. In terms of the number of landfill sites, under co-disposal there were around 280 throughout the UK, Environment Agency data from PPC applications show around 11 merchant (available to all) and 10 in house (just dealing with waste produced by one companies processes). These sites are not spread evenly throughout the UK and some regions are likely to have no landfill available for the disposal of hazardous waste.
These hazardous waste landfill sites will be complimented by single cells within other landfill sites that will be permitted to accept stable non-reactive hazardous wastes. Latest reports suggest that there have been 27 applications for such cells, although none of these have currently received a PPC permit to allow them to operate.
A report undertaken for the Environment Agency has suggested there will be around a 2 million tonne per year shortfall of capacity to manage hazardous wastes.
What is being done to address this problem?
The Government has set up a Hazardous Waste Forum, where experts come together to discuss the issues and from this an action plan has been developed. The CIWM has 2 representatives on this Forum along with members on sub groups to the forum. The CIWM also runs a Special Interest group to brief these representatives on views of the CIWM membership and to act to de-brief members on the latest developments in hazardous waste.
