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Waste Industry could provide 84,000 UK jobs over ten years

Posted on: May 17th, 2012 by Sam H

According to new research from SITA, the waste management industry has the potential to help the United Kingdom achieve some of its toughest goals in the economy and creating jobs.

The report – Driving Green Growth – the role of the management industry and the circular economy – claimed that, over the next decade, the waste management industry could create 84,000 new jobs.

As well as this, it also found that waste to energy has the potential to meet around half of the country’s residential gas demand.

SITA have said that the report is an attempt to demonstrate the benefits of a ‘circular economy’ – a ‘virtuous cycle’ which creates investment opportunity, innovation, growth, jobs and green energy.

It was also found that, to foster a circular economy, the UK needs a truly integrated policy framework that locks resource and energy use, production, consumption and waste management into a virtuous circle.

Various pieces of EU legislation governing the treatment of waste in the member states, notably the Waste Framework Directive 2008 are driven by the Waste Hierarchy.

According to the report, the legislation has meant that the rules for the industry have been significantly tightened up and also given clear signals regarding where the opportunities lie.

However, the report went on to conclude that the government needed to view the waste industry in a different light – more so as a key area in the broader economic base of the UK – as well as develop growth strategies that plan for optimal utilisation of the material and energy outputs from waste management.

Research shows that, through the use of recycled materials and re-manufacturing opportunities, there is also potential to help reinvigorate the country’s manufacturing sector.

“The UK currently has a unique opportunity to revitalise its economy by changing the way it manages waste. Investing in new waste treatment facilities will not only create employment and economic growth but consolidate a more secure energy supply,” explained David Palmer Jones, CEO SITA UK.

“The more effective use of recyclables will help reinvigorate UK manufacturing where waste provides the base materials for new products previously destined for landfill,” he added.

In Mr Jones’ opinion, the performance of the waste industry, paired with the continued innovation, makes a compelling case for businesses to unlock the funding and play a vital role in bridging ‘the green gap’ – which would significantly help the UK meet its carbon budget targets in 2020.

The report also warned that potential opportunities through the export of materials and energy – such as RDF – recovered from the waste stream are being missed out on in the UK.

Public perception was also highlighted as an area in which the government could significantly improve. According to the report, encouraging the use of funds and incentives, such as utility discounts could encourage community buy-in for waste projects.

Vince Cable reveals £80m investment in small-scale waste infrastructure

Posted on: May 16th, 2012 by Sam H

It has been revealed by Business Secretary Vince Cable that the UK’s Green Investment Bank has committed to an investment of £80 million to support the small scale waste infrastructure sector. The investments are planned to go towards the development of waste reprocessing and recycling facilities, as well as energy from waste projects and pre-treatment projects.

BIS has announced that every investment will require match funding, which will mean that an additional £80 million of capital will be infused into the sector. Following the EU state aid approval, BIS is currently handling the Green Investment Bank’s three billion pounds in investments ahead of the institution’s formal launch.

“These first investments are a landmark moment. They represent a great opportunity to unlock substantial commercial investment in green technologies and infrastructure,” said Vince Cable.

“The government has committed to setting the UK firmly on course towards a green and growing economy and today is another important step in that direction.

“Investing directly now shows that we are not just sitting on our hands while we wait for the UK Green Investment Bank to receive state aid approval.”

The funds available are more likely to be used to support small to mid-sized waste management projects rather than the very large waste-to-energy projects. Out of the initial funding given, £50 million will be managed by Foresight Group, with the other remaining £30 million to be managed by Greensphere Capital.

Green Investment Bank are going to target five investment areas with the funds they are in control of – two of which are waste recycling and processing and energy from waste generation. The other investment areas include offshore wind projects, non-domestic energy efficiency and green deal energy efficiency scheme.

A spokesperson for the Chartered Institute of Wastes Management said: “It’s really encouraging that waste has been identified as a priority. This is a drop in the ocean compared to the level of investment that will be needed by 2020, so the ability of the bank to leverage further investment will be very important. But this is a very welcome development and we look forward to seeing the lending criteria and which investments will be selected.”

Plastic-eating fungi may solve the world’s waste problem

Posted on: April 11th, 2012 by Sam H

Plastics represent one of the biggest waste problems in the world due to the amount of time it takes from them to fully break down. However, a recent discovery by a group of Yale students could help speed the process. The growing problem may have a new solution – fungus that eats plastic. For years, mounds of plastic have been choking landfills and polluting the ocean. Now, an annual undergraduate trip may have found a solution to the plastic problem.

On an expedition to the rainforest of Ecuador, students from Yale’s Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry discovered a previously unknown fungus consumes polyurethane. The fungus is the first one that is known to survive on polyurethane alone, and it can do so in an anaerobic (oxygen-free) environment, which suggests that it could be used at the bottom of landfills.

Polyurethane is a polymer that is used in everything from hard plastics to synthetic fibres. The reason why plastics such as polyurethane take so long to break down is that microorganisms don’t typically recognise it as food. This means that it can take centuries for the environment to break man-made polymers to microscopic granules. This is where the discovery of the fungus Pestalotiopsis microspora could change all of that.

Each year, students collect organisms called endophytes found in rainforest plants and then take them back to test them for biological activity. Once back in the laboratory, students analyse the endophytes that show biological activity to see whether they might have any use – either medical or other practical.

When the plastic-eating fungus was discovered, it was seen as an opportunity to help reduce the piles of plastic that are sent to landfills – also known as bioremediation. The Yale students isolated the enzyme that enables the fungus to break down plastic and observed its potential.

“The broad distribution of activity observed and the unprecedented case of anaerobic growth using [polyester polyurethane] as the sole carbon source suggest that endophytes are a promising source of biodiversity from which to screen for metabolic properties useful for bioremediation,” they wrote in a report published in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

In limiting the amount of harmful, man-made plastic introduced into the environment via landfills, the first step should, obviously, be reducing the human consumption. However, this discovery of Ecuadorian fungi could go a long way in assisting in the future.

Cardiff recycling rate is over 50% for the first time

Posted on: March 3rd, 2012 by Sam H

According to new figures, the city of Cardiff is now recycling more than half of its household rubbish for the first time.

Since Cardiff council’s introduction of a fortnightly black bag collection last September, the Welsh capital’s recycling rate has surged to 54% – that is a rise of 12% compared to the same quarter last year.

The overhaul of the city’s waste collection regime saw 75% of homes given new collection days – including green bag collections and a weekly food scrap.

Council leader Rodney Berman claimed the recycling drive had been “embraced” by residents. This is a vast difference from when the changes were first introduced when hundreds of householders were complaining that their waste was not being collected on time.

The news of the increase comes as a report by the Wales Audit Office (WAO) warned there were “substantial barriers” to raising recycling rates across the nation.

Cardiff council’s ruling executive body was also told that the city is now on track to record a 53% recycling rate for 2011/12. If the increase can continue to be sustained next year, it is expected that the rate will hit 58% – which is well above the Welsh Government target of 52%. To add to that, the council is also expected to save £1.3 million in 2012/13 due to the reduction in the amount of rubbish sent to landfill.

Councillor Margaret Jones, executive member for environment, said: “This is a very significant achievement for Cardiff council and its residents and we’re delighted with the progress made so far.

“As well as achieving sustainability goals, it also decreases the future cost of landfill tax and landfill allowance scheme penalties as well as recycling fines that could otherwise rapidly accumulate to millions of pounds over a few years.

“I thank the residents of Cardiff for working with us to make the recycling collection changes such a success. The results are fantastic so far, and I hope we can all work together to ensure we keep improving and building on this excellent set of figures.”

The Liberal Democrat/Plaid Cymru-run authority had “revolutionised the way Cardiff deals with its recyclable waste”, according to Council leader Rodney Berman.

“What might have been a difficult transition to make has actually been embraced very well,” he went on to say.

“This is the biggest jump in recycling figures we have ever had. We need to thank the people of Cardiff as a whole – it’s down to the fact that they have embraced this change that we have seen such an impact.”

The WAO report says long-term improvements are being hindered by substantial barriers to achieving the Welsh Government’s waste strategy, despite finding that recycling rates across Wales are increasing.

Difficulties have been highlighted that are caused by conflicting views between the Welsh Government and local authorities – including Cardiff council – about which is the best way to recycle. A number of councils believe it is easier to mix dry waste recyclables – bottles, cans and card – and use modern equipment to sort the waste. However, The Welsh Government believes kerbside recycling and sorting at home is the best method.

Wales’ Auditor General, Huw Vaughan Thomas, believes positive steps have been made by all involved, but things could improve still to keep going in the right direction.

“It is clear that the public are engaging more in recycling waste, and the Welsh Government and local authorities should be commended for their efforts over the past six years to encourage this,” said Mr Thomas.

“But the momentum will be lost unless there is significant change in some areas. We need to see better guidance from Welsh Government. Local authorities should get smarter in the way they collect data.

“And, most importantly, councils and government must work together to build agreement around the best methods of collecting waste.”

Enviroman – Nov 2010

Posted on: November 17th, 2010 by Louise

A STRANGE TRAIN OF THOUGHT

This month I was going to write about total waste management and what you and your customers can realistically do on site with exemptions and without resorting to permit applications, but I got distracted. Travelling back to Crewe on the train from London this week I couldn’t help but stare out of the window and marvel at the number of waste operations being carried out next to the railway, both legal and clearly not. If it’s abundantly clear to me at 100 miles an hour that some of them need permits or better regulation why are we in the position where the EA has thousands more staff than in 1996 yet does not have the same presence on the ground? Will the current government cost cutting exercise result in an even thinner liaison with operators? Does it matter? Answers and opinions on an e-mail to The Skip please!

It’s not just adjacent to railways that the problem occurs. Over the last few years I have given officers details of illegal sites that are unfairly competing with reputable operators (who are readers of The Skip of course), but often see little in the way of action and more focus on the minute details on permitted sites. Should we have a greater presence on the ground or not? Opinion will always be divided. There is the view that “I pay my subsistence fee for them not to turn up” or the alternate ” I pay thousands and get nothing in return”.

I prefer a stronger presence, having been a regulator in the dim and distant past many of us preferred to help rather than hinder, which provided better results. There will always be a need for enforcement but the focus should be on improvement rather than punishment. At the moment we have annual audits on permitted sites where operators have no idea what is going to be picked up, good or bad, as they haven’t had that regular contact. The audit may result in a warning letter which then increases the site’s OPRA score and the annual subsistence fee. Regular inspections tend to lead to minor breaches being resolved without incident and an improvement generally in working relations. I still favour the option of completing inspection reports on site and having a signature and comments from the operator as it makes the regulator more accountable. Getting rid of OPRA, which is an utterly useless form of risk assessment would be good too as it focuses on the location but takes no account of the actual risk after control measures have been put in place.

There is light at the end of the tunnel though, but it does depend upon who we are dealing with rather than the overall approach of the EA. For example, some of the aggregate protocol audits I have had with the EA over the last two months have been very productive and resulted in resolution of minor matters and agreement of documentation without a headache. The National Permitting Support Centre in Sheffield has suddenly speeded up and has issued a number of our permit transfers and surrenders in weeks. Standard permits are also being issued in as little as 6 weeks too. Will the impending cuts improve or worsen the EA’s performance as a regulator? If performance does drop then it would be a convenient excuse to use.

DEFRA has just released it’s statement on reform of QUANGOs (quasi-autonomous non-governmental organizations), Arms Length Public Bodies (ALBs) and Non Departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs) which lists a total of 85 out of 92 bodies to be reduced to no more than 32 . The EA will be one of those retained and substantially reformed through “structural, process and cultural change to become a more efficient and customer focused organisation; and clarify accountabilities”. The EA in Wales may move to form part of a Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) body. My fear is that we then have a two tier regulator with completely different standards and performance. I know of sites just over a mile apart that will be separately regulated by WAG and the EA in England, leading to more confusion. There was talk of the waste regulation function going back to local authorities but that appears to have been shelved.

On a positive note the EA and Natural England are to work more closely with other bodies to eliminate any duplication in the work they carry out; implement demonstrable culture change and improved customer focus; stop activity that Government does not need to do and stop policy making and lobbying activities. Just doing their job would be nice rather than the interference we often get on planning applications where one department of the Agency supports the application and another objects. Or they make comments on conservation issues that are completely at odds with Natural England (and vice versa). Will the changes stop duplication and contradiction? I hope so as it is a major source of additional cost to operators in all industries. So let’s postpone the despair or celebration until we see what actually happens, if that’s possible!

Marco Muia BSc (Hons) MSc MCIWM is the Director of Oaktree Environmental Limited. He specialises in all aspects of waste planning and regulation consultancy. He also holds the level 4 COTCs for Hazardous Waste Treatment and Transfer. You can contact Marco on 01606 558833 if you have any questions about this article or e-mail him at marco@oaktree-environmental.co.uk