LONDON ENVIRONMENT STRATEGY 251
Chapter 7: Waste LONDON ENVIRONMENT STRATEGY 253
INTRODUCTION Cutting waste and recovering value • once waste reduction and reuse AIM from more of it can provide a number of opportunities have been exhausted Our linear economy (take, make and benefits including jobs, apprenticeships, there must be a focus on maximising London will be dispose) is unsustainable. It produces secondary materials, and affordable the recycling of materials that are left too much waste, with around 7m tonnes low carbon energy. Effective waste a zero waste coming from London’s homes, public management delivering high quality • generating low carbon energy from buildings and businesses each year, materials to market can give local truly residual waste leaving very little city. By 2026 no too much of which goes to landfill and authorities a reliable high value income waste going to landfill incineration. Of this, only 52 per cent is stream. This can help to offset costs biodegradable or currently recycled and performance has associated with service improvements. • ensuring that there is sufficient stagnated. Landfill and incineration are More of London’s reusable items infrastructure to support these recyclable waste undesirable, costly and an inefficient use like furniture, fittings and electrical actions within London helping to of resources. The capacity of landfills appliances need to be kept in use. create opportunities for businesses will be sent to accepting London’s waste is expected Redistributing them to where they developing reuse, repair and to run out by 2026 and London’s waste are needed can create local work, remanufacturing services landfill and by 2030 bill is now in in excess of £2bn a year keep resource costs down and help and rising. reduce poverty. Roles and legal duties 65 per cent of The Mayor is required under the GLA Through increasingly clever design of The Mayor will take a circular approach to Act to produce a municipal waste London’s municipal goods and services we are beginning to London’s use of resources that designs management strategy. However, the treat our waste as the valuable resource out waste, keeps materials in use at their Mayor is not a waste authority and it waste will it is. In order to maximise this we need to highest value for as long as possible and is ultimately the waste collection and reduce waste in the first place and then minimises environmental impact. The disposal authorities, businesses and be recycled. reuse or recycle as much as possible. actions required to deliver this are: the commercial waste industry that will What’s left over can then be used to implement the waste policies in this generate low carbon energy, minimising • firstly, significantly cutting waste and strategy in collaboration with the Mayor. the amount going to landfill. encouraging reuse to minimise the The Mayor’s role is a combination of use of virgin resources. Efforts will be exercising regulatory functions (ensuring focused on reducing food waste and local authority waste plans, services, single use packaging as they offer the strategies and contracts are in general biggest opportunity for change conformity with his waste policies and proposals) and non-regulatory functions LONDON ENVIRONMENT STRATEGY 255
(funding, research, technical assistance, Taking this approach places no additional The London Waste and Recycling Board providing guidance, campaigns and legal requirement on London’s waste BOX 28: DEFINITIONS OF (LWARB) is also a key delivery partner facilitating and supporting good authorities, who must continue to act in TERMS USED IN THIS CHAPTER for his policies. It brings together the practice). There are 33 waste collection general conformity within the municipal Mayor, boroughs, and other stakeholders authorities (boroughs and City of waste management provisions of this • “waste” refers to any substance involved in managing London’s waste London), 12 authorities that are “unitary” strategy, including binding targets for or object which the holder with the objective of promoting waste authorities (combined collection municipal waste in their discards, intends to discard or is and encouraging less waste and its and disposal), four statutory waste possession or control. required to discard sustainable management89 and it must disposal authorities and one voluntary • “municipal waste” household act in accordance with the Mayor’s 88 Municipal waste targets set in this waste partnership. The waste collection waste or business waste that is waste policies. The Mayor through his strategy are non-binding in so far as they authorities and the waste disposal similar in composition irrespective appointed representatives on LWARB relate to Commercial Waste Contractors authorities are referred to as ‘waste of who collects or disposes of it oversees a £20.4m fund from 2017-2020 authorities’ in this strategy. (CWCs). The Mayor expects CWCs to to deliver against its objectives of have regard to those municipal waste • “Local Authority Collected reducing waste and increasing reuse In 2011 Defra changed the definition targets and they will be achieved through Waste (LACW)” refers to all waste and recycling (see Box 29). of municipal waste to align with the EU additional activity and services by in the possession or control of definition, which defines municipal waste waste authorities, the commercial waste waste authorities. This includes much more broadly to be household industry and other relevant organisations waste collected from households waste or waste similar in composition working in partnership with the Mayor. and businesses to household waste. Applying this • “waste authority (ies)” means definition brings an additional 3.3 million To avoid confusion this strategy uses a Waste Collection Authority tonnes of waste into scope, regardless of the terms set out in Box 28. and a Waste Disposal Authority. who collects it. This change was It includes London’s 33 waste made to make sure that the UK is collection authorities (all 32 correctly reporting its performance boroughs and the City of London), for meeting its landfill diversion those 12 authorities that are targets under the European Landfill “unitary” waste authorities Directive. Commercially collected waste (combined collection and is covered in this strategy because of disposal) and the 4 statutory its importance to London’s environment waste disposal authorities generally. • “Commercially Collected Waste” refers to municipal waste in the possession or control of a body or organisation that is not a waste authority
88 South London Waste Partnership comprising Merton, Sutton, Kingston upon Thames and Croydon. LONDON ENVIRONMENT STRATEGY 257
BOX 29: LONDON WASTE AND RECYCLING BOARD (LWARB)
The London Waste and Recycling • make the case to central Board (LWARB) was established under government for additional funding the Greater London Authority Act to support London waste authorities 2007 (the Act). LWARB must act in to help drive up recycling and reuse accordance with the provisions of the performance London Environment Strategy, dealing with municipal waste management, • invest £7m through London and act in general conformity with the Green Fund 2 in high growth early London Plan, so far as relating to the stage circular economy businesses. collection, treatment and disposal of LWARB is also investing £1.5m waste. in Circularity Capital, a circular economy growth capital fund, and Through LWARB, the Mayor will: will invest a further £1.5m in a • oversee a £20.4m fund between circular economy accelerator. These 2017 and 2020 funds will look to fund innovative circular economy business across • work with waste authorities to London especially reuse, repair and identify and implement the best remanufacturing projects mechanisms for improving recycling and those using low performance in flats in carbon technologies a cost effective way
• provide £6.4m funding between 2017 and 2020 through Resource London to support local authorities to improve recycling rates and provide high quality and well participated municipal waste recycling services
89 More information can be found at www.lwarb.gov.uk. LONDON ENVIRONMENT STRATEGY 259
The Mayor’s waste powers: general conformity and power of direction. BOX 30: WASTE AUTHORITY EXPECTATIONS
In performing their waste functions, The Mayor expects waste authorities to ensure a consistent reduce, waste authorities need to show how they to do the following in order to show reuse, recycle message is are acting in general conformity with they are acting in general conformity delivered across London the municipal waste provisions of this with this strategy’s municipal waste strategy. General conformity only applies management policies and proposals. • demonstrate how they will, to local authority collected waste (LACW) They should: or have put in place positive activities and cannot bring excessive changes to improve recycling additional costs to waste authorities. • produce a waste management performance identified through The Mayor has the power to direct a strategy or plan setting out how Resource London’s borough waste authority where he considers their waste activities will: support programme their waste activities to be detrimental to implementing the municipal waste ºº help move waste up the • publicly notify its intention to tender provisions in this strategy. His power of waste hierarchy a waste contract at the same time direction does not apply to businesses as notifying the Mayor. This would or private waste companies. ºº provide local economic, social be a chance for waste authorities and environmental benefits from considering new services to The Mayor expects waste authorities improved waste management consider joint procurement options. to help successfully implement his These can provide better value for municipal waste management policies ºº make a meaningful contribution money on ‘like for like’ services and proposals. These expectations are to meeting the Mayor’s targets and achieve service harmonisation set out in Box 30 below. This will ensure across borough boundaries that a consistent approach is taken to • offer the Mayor’s minimum applying general conformity. level of household recycling • procure waste and recycling service provision services that maximise local economic, environmental and social • make best use of local waste sites benefits through demonstrating identified in local waste plans how they will deliver the Mayor’s Responsible Procurement Policy • support the phase out of fossil fuel waste transport and boost uptake • carry out any other relevant activity of low or zero emission alternatives supporting the Mayor’s policies and targets • use Recycle for London messaging in local awareness raising activities LONDON ENVIRONMENT STRATEGY 261
Non-municipal waste LONDON’S ENVIRONMENT NOW London produces around 1.5 – 1.75m The Mayor has no responsibility or tonnes of food waste with a value of “Around 7m powers in this strategy to directly control The key evidence to support the Mayor’s £2.55bn a year.90 This is likely to be a the management of industrial waste and ambitions for London’s waste by 2050 is conservative figure given the extensive tonnes of waste construction, demolition and excavation summarised below. You can find out more and diverse food sector employing more waste where it is not in the possession or about the evidence behind the policies than half a million Londoners and turning is produced each control of a waste authority. The Mayor, and proposals in Appendix 2. over £20bn each year.91 Most of this food can however, use convening, leadership waste goes to landfill or incineration year from our and advocacy to drive improvements. Total amount of municipal waste producing around 250,000 tonnes of This non-municipal waste is produced in London CO2e emissions, although some of this homes, public predominantly managed by commercial London’s municipal waste stream is is offset through capturing heat and waste contractors (CWCs). These waste made up of a variety of materials. The producing electricity.92 Around a third buildings and streams are already highly regulated, main components of municipal waste of food bought is thrown away, most of increasingly managed onsite and in some in London are food and green garden which is still edible. WRAP (Waste and businesses.” cases require specialised management waste (22 per cent) and common dry Resources Action Programme) estimates and disposal (for example asbestos and recyclables paper, card, plastics, glass food waste costs households around £50 chemical waste). However, given their and metals (60 per cent). The remaining per month. impact on other objectives for London’s 18 per cent is made up of smaller environment, the Mayor considers it quantities of materials including textiles, Use of single use packaging materials important to set out in this strategy the waste electricals (WEEE) wood, furniture including coffee cups and plastic bottles expectations for these waste streams. In and household cleaning chemicals. is growing and putting increasing addition, the London Plan details policies pressure on local waste management supporting effective management of Around 7m tonnes of waste is produced services. WRAP’s plastic market situation 93 these other waste streams as they each year from our homes, public report 2016 estimated the UK produces are generally considered a waste buildings and businesses. Food waste around 2.2m tonnes of plastic packaging planning issue. and plastic packaging including single with only around half (or 900,000 tonnes) use coffee cups and plastic bottles recycled. In the UK, around 825,000 combined account for around tonnes of plastic bottles are produced 30 per cent of this. a year. This leads to around 125,000 tonnes produced in London.
90 Taking national food waste data published by WRAP Estimate of food surplus and waste arisings in the UK, January 2017 and applying a London equivalent estimate based on London making up around 15 per cent of the UK population. 91 Mayor of London (2016), Capital of Food: Ten Years of London Leadership. Accessed from: www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/capital_of_ food_report.pdf 92 Emission factors taken from Appendix 1 EPS report. Assumes 50 per cent food waste sent to landfill, 50 per cent sent to incineration. 93 WRAP (2016), Plastics Market Situation Report. Accessed from: www.wrap.org.uk/sites/files/wrap/Plastics_Market_Situation_Report.pdf LONDON ENVIRONMENT STRATEGY 263
There is a significant opportunity London needs to increase its recycling to reduce London’s waste bill and rate. However, it faces many challenges environmental impact if food waste and to achieving high weight based recycling single use packaging were to be cut. performance including: Cutting this waste stream by 20 per cent could take about £42m off • there are 33 waste authorities London’s waste disposal bill.94 providing different waste and recycling collection services. This makes it Reuse and repair confusing for residents to know what Preparing discarded items for reuse and they can recycle, especially when they repair creates jobs. It also provides wider move to another borough. social benefits through the redistribution of discarded items to those in need. • on average 50 per cent of the Online platforms such as Warpit and population live in flats, with some Globechain have been used to help boroughs being as high as 80 per local authorities and businesses loan cent. Flats often have a lack of easily and donate their unwanted items to accessible sufficient storage space other businesses and charities. These for recycling, and can be expensive initiatives have helped to avoid around for local authorities to service 1.5m tonnes of items becoming waste and going to landfill, saving around • London has a highly transient £10m in waste costs, and benefiting and diverse population with over over 15,000 people across the UK. 100 languages spoken. This can make communicating recycling Recycling services difficult In 2016 it was estimated that 52 per cent of London’s municipal waste was • there are few gardens in London recycled or composted while around producing less green (heavy) waste 37 per cent was sent to landfill or for composting compared with incineration. The remaining 11 per cent other regions was managed through other sorting and treatment methods.95 • there is no requirement to provide recycling collection services from businesses.
94 Based on plastic bottles and food waste collectively making up around 30 per cent of London’s municipal waste or 2.1m tonnes. Assumes an average disposal cost of £100 per tonne. Credit: Resource London & London Borough of Waltham Forest 95 Taken from GLA modelling LONDON ENVIRONMENT STRATEGY 265
TYPE OF GRAPH: WASTE
Between 2003 and 2010, London’s Anaerobic digestion waste facilities will need to operate Reference household waste recycling rate increased Reducing the amount of edible food we in combined heat and power mode from eight to 30 per cent but in recent discard is an environmental, social and meeting the carbon intensity floor years this has stalled at 32 per cent economic priority. However there will (see Objective 7.3) (see Figure 40) and remains below the always be unavoidable food waste in national average (44 per cent). the form of scraps, vegetable peelings Landfill and bones which should be sent for London’s local authority collected waste composting or energy recovery. Such to landfill has reduced significantly over 96 Figure 40: Regional household dry recycling and composting rates 2015/2016 food waste can be used to generate the past ten years from 65 per cent to 20 Fig 9: Regional household dry recycling and composting rates 2015/16 100 per cent renewable energy using per cent. This improvement was largely anaerobic digestion. This would save due to the EU Landfill Directive which has around 175,000 tonnes of CO2e emissions restricted the amount of biodegradable 97 and save £120m in disposal costs. waste member states can send to landfill. Landfills accepting London’s Incineration waste, most of which are located outside Incineration of London’s local authority London, are expected to reach capacity collected waste has doubled from by 2026. The Mayor wants London to 900,000 tonnes in 2011 to 1.8m be a zero waste city – one that makes tonnes in 2016, producing around best use of all its waste where market 2 560,000 tonnes of CO e emissions. opportunities exist to recover value from This is mainly due to changes in waste it. This means ensuring London sends disposal contracts that have led to no biodegradable or recyclable waste to more waste being diverted from landfill landfill by 2026. E L to incineration. London now has the N N E S S E second highest incineration rate across The waste hierarchy E M M The waste hierarchy is applied from the Y the UK behind the North East at 50 per Household green recycling/ reuse Household dry recycling/ reuse cent. Modelling suggests London will top down prioritising those activities have sufficient incineration capacity further up the hierarchy according to manage London’s non-recyclable to what is best for the environment Source:Source: Defra Defra (2017), (2017), Local Local authority authority collected collected waste generation waste generation from April 2000 from to March April 2016 2000 (England to March and regions) 2016 and local authority data April 2015municipal to March 2016. waste once the new Edmonton (Figure 41). (England and regions) and local authority data April 2015 to March 2016. Available at: www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/env18-local-authority-collected-waste-annual-results-tables and Beddington Lane facilities are operational. All London’s incinerators Applying the waste hierarchy from the are expected to be ready for heat off top down generally achieves the greatest take by 2025. Any new energy from cost saving and CO2e saving benefits.
96 Based on food waste making up around 18 per cent or1.2m tonnes of London’s municipal waste. Applies -0.14 tonne CO2 avoided/per tonne food waste to anaerobic digestion emission factor 97 Assuming average incineration and landfill cost of £100 per tonne LONDON ENVIRONMENT STRATEGY 267
Reducing, reusing, and recycling waste waste management. Materials sent for and then generating energy from the recycling have a market value which waste remaining is a direct way to save boroughs can share in depending on TYPE OF GRAPH: WASTE emissions from landfill. It also avoids their waste arrangements and contracts indirect emissions that would otherwise with external service providers. Reducing have occurred in manufacturing from waste and moving to a higher re-use and Reference virgin materials or generating energy recycling based approach should bring using fossil fuels (such as coal or savings to local authorities. gas). Considering direct and indirect emissions helps us to determine the The policies and proposals in this overall lifecycle CO2e performance of chapter follow the waste hierarchy.
Fig 1: The waste hierarchy Figure 41: Waste hierarchy
S I
Using less material in design and manufacture. Keeping products for longer: re-use using less hazardous material.