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Waste Management Legislation Information


Pre Treatment (Effective from 30th October 2007) 

The Landfill Directive states that by the 30th October 2007 all waste that goes to landfill must be pre treated. Treatment is to encourage us to recycle more and reduce the impact of the waste that continues to be land filled.

Waste will be considered pre-treated if:
If it has undergone a physical, thermal or biological process including sorting that also changes the characteristics of the waste and must do so in order to reduce:

(a) its mass or
(b) reduce its hazardous nature or
(c) facilitate its handling or
(d) Enhance its recovery.

For general waste this means that a proportion of each waste stream must be separated out for recycling or it must go through a sorting facility. If you already have a separate collection of a material sent for recycling then your waste satisfies the pre-treatment requirements.

After 30th October 2007 if you decide to keep sending your waste to landfill and it isn't already treated, there are some simple ways you could help to improve the environment and comply with the new rules.

Try to collect your non hazardous waste as individual waste streams. You can then send one or more of these separated waste streams for recycling, for example cardboard or paper. This counts as treatment. If you already do his, then there is no need to do more.
You already have a 'Duty of Care' to ensure that you describe your waste properly and only give it to an authorized person. You should also take all reasonable steps to ensure that it is disposed of at authorized facility. From 30th October 2007 when you transfer waste to someone else you should tell them whether the waste has been treated or not. It is good practice to fill out a written declaration and to keep a copy. 

Examples 

1. An office based business that collects all its office paper and plastic bottles/cups and receives a separate collection rather that putting them for disposal with their other office waste is considered to be pre-treating.

2. A distribution centre that collects all its cardboard and plastic and receives a recycling collection is considered to be pre-treating.


Landfill Tax (ongoing) 

The government announced in its recent budget that landfill tax would be increasing by £8 per tonne each year from April 2008. This means that landfill tax will rise to £32 per tonne next year from its current level of £24 per tonne and will rise to £48 per tonne by 2010. Therefore recycling will not only be important to enable you to meet your pre-treatment requirement but will also help reduce the increase in costs incurred due to rising landfill tax. 

One Stop Waste is committed to providing extensive recycling services for all its' customers and is continuing to promote the importance of waste minimisation and/or recycling. Please contact us for advice on any of these recycling options.

Flourescent Tube Disposal (2004) 

Fluorescent tubes have been classified as hazardous waste however we are now offering fluorescent tube recycling please contact us to arrange a safe method of collection and disposal.

Co-disposal Ban (2004) 

Landfill sites are now classed as hazardous, non-hazardous or inert. Following this legislation the number of hazardous waste sites has been reduced to approximately 10. All hazardous waste will have to be transported to one of these hazardous waste sites.