East Midlands Regional Waste Strategy January 2006 Contents Foreword 3 Priority Issue 4: 55 Executive Summary 5 Prevention and improved management of hazardous wastes Introduction: Why do we need a Regional Waste Strategy? 8 Priority Issue 5: 58 Development of the Regional Waste Strategy 8 Prevention and improved management of Policies – Where does the Regional Waste Municipal Solid Wastes Strategy Fit in? 9 European and UK Waste legislation, policy and targets 11 Priority Issue 6: 62 Procurement and Market Development An Overview of current waste management in the East Midlands 17 Priority Issue 7: 65 Reduction and Management of Construction Summary - Key issues for waste management in the and Demolition Waste East Midlands 38 Priority Issue 8: 69 The Principles and Priorities of the Regional Managing the waste impacts of Regional and Waste Strategy - Delivering the change required 39 Sub-Regional growth Priority Issue 1: 40 Priority Issue 9: 72 Planning our future waste management infrastructure Addressing agricultural and rural waste management Priority Issue 2: 45 Priority Issue 10: 76 Awareness raising, education and promotion of best Reducing Fly-Tipping practice to achieve behavioural change Implementation, Monitoring and Review 78 Priority Issue 3: 49 Improving the efficiency of our resource, the reduction Glossary 81 and sustainable management of commercial and industrial waste Appendices 84 2 Foreword The East Midlands Regional Assembly Arguably one of the biggest challenges An important aspect in delivering this has a pivotal role in bring together now facing the UK is the need to change agenda is the need to provide a robust the partners within our Region to the way we produce, consume and framework for the rapid development of deliver sustainable development.The dispose of everyday goods - not only to the new waste management facilities production and management of waste meet increasingly stringent legislation, that will be required to recover recycle or will be an increasingly important issue but also because more efficient otherwise treat wastes that do arise in for this Region in the future – in both the production will strengthen our economy the future – as required by the home and the workplace.This strategy whilst reducing the impact that we have Government’s Planning Policy Statement has been developed by a partnership of on our environment. 10. In this respect, the strategy therefore key stakeholders within our Region and builds on the land-use planning the Regional Assembly looks forward to Achieving the step change required is not principles and priorities as set out in the continuing to develop the partnerships just about waste management. It Regional Spatial Strategy for the East required to ensure we prevent the depends upon society as a whole Midlands (RSS8). production of wastes and manage the embracing a different approach – not a residues as sustainably as possible. straightforward task. This strategy provides the basis for the This is the first Regional Waste Strategy partnerships required.We hope you will to be produced for the East Midlands. It embrace the opportunity this strategy sets out to identify the key issues we must presents for us to become a leader address and seeks to provide a robust amongst the English Regions on this framework to allow the Region to move most important of issues. towards the sustainable production and Councillor Jim Harker consumption of goods and the recovery CHAIR OF THE REGIONAL HOUSING, PLANNING AND of as much value as possible from the TRANSPORT JOINT BOARD remaining waste that does arise. Councillor David Parsons CHAIR OF THE EAST MIDLANDS REGIONAL ASSEMBLY 3 4 Executive Summary Why do we need a Regional Waste Strategy? The East Midlands Region produces Meanwhile, the costs not only of The Regional Spatial Strategy sets out over 25 million tonnes of waste per managing waste, but of squandering the principles and priorities for waste year. If we continue to allow the valuable raw materials in the first place management: amount of waste we produce to continue to rise. A conservative increase, we may need to manage up estimate suggests that the costs of • To work towards zero growth in waste to 39 million tonnes of waste every collecting, transporting and managing at the Regional level by 2016 year by 2021. Even if the Region our waste alone are over £400 million achieves all the targets which have per year. In the East Midlands we are • To reduce the amount of waste been set for the reduction, recycling also relatively inefficient in our landfilled in accordance with the EU and recovery of wastes, the total production of goods – ranking only Landfill Directive arisings are predicted to increase to a 49th of the 77 EU Regions in terms of minimum of 27 million tonnes per the waste generated and energy used • To exceed Government targets for annum in 2021. per unit of value added to the recycling and composting economy. Of the controlled waste produced in • To take a flexible approach to other the Region in 2003, 39% came from What are the aims of the forms of waste recovery commercial and industrial premises, Strategy? 48% was construction and demolition The role of the Regional Waste Strategy waste and only 12% was household or The East Midlands Regional Waste is therefore to provide the framework municipal waste. Strategy is a key element of Regional for the delivery of these principles. Policy, providing a strategic framework As the amount of waste we produce which will allow the Region as a whole How will this be achieved? increases, the available options for to rapidly progress to more sustainable disposing of our waste are reducing. ways to produce and consume goods, The Strategy focuses on 10 issues At present the vast majority of our and then recycle or recover as much which are considered to be the highest waste is buried in landfills, but new value as possible from that waste priorities that must be addressed if we controls on landfilling together with a which is produced. It also has an are to make the step change from shortage of available space in existing important role to identify the current today’s “throw-away society” - relying or planned landfill sites, means that the capacity of the Region to manage our on landfill, to a more sustainable region has around 10 years of landfill waste and to set out the waste future.The priority issues are not capacity remaining. management infrastructure which will presented in order of importance, but need to be developed to meet our need to be addressed as a cohesive future needs. whole.They are summarised as follows: 5 PRIORITY ISSUE 1: PRIORITY ISSUE 3: PRIORITY ISSUE 5: Planning our future waste Improving the efficiency of Prevention and improved management infrastructure our resource use and reducing management of Municipal Solid commercial and industrial wastes Wastes The Strategy sets out the pressing need to develop waste treatment Commerce and industry produce the Although Local Authorities in the and disposal capacity – to provide majority of the Region’s wastes, and are Region are making steady progress to alternatives to burying waste in landfill also relatively inefficient in the amount recycle and recover municipal wastes, sites, to meet legislative requirements of waste generated and energy used in significant work will be required in the and to ensure that the Region has the production of goods and services. future to ensure that EU and UK sufficient infrastructure in place to A suite of actions are therefore Government targets for recycling and cope with future growth in the amount proposed ensuring that businesses recovery are exceeded.The strategy of waste arising. Guidance is therefore understand and therefore seek to therefore proposes a suite of Regional provided to Local Authorities to improve their efficiency and are aided actions to support and aid municipal support delivery of the strategy in doing so through Regionally co- waste minimisation, recycling and through their Waste Development ordinated business support recovery. Frameworks and Local Development infrastructure. Frameworks. PRIORITY ISSUE 6: PRIORITY ISSUE 4: Procurement and market PRIORITY ISSUE 2: Prevention and improving development Education, behavioural change and management of hazardous wastes promotion of best practice Increasing the amount of waste that is Recent legislative changes mean that recycled depends on demand for Reducing the amount of waste the availability of facilities in the recycled products.This will be generated, both by householders or Region to manage hazardous wastes addressed through a Regional market businesses, is the highest priority for are now severely restricted.The development plan for recycled the Strategy.This will require that the Strategy therefore sets out to facilitate materials, supported by requirements people of the East Midlands change the minimisation of hazardous wastes that both public and private sectors in the way they behave in relation to the and ensure that the Region works the Region procure a proportion of waste materials that they produce.This towards appropriate management of recycled goods.This section also looks will be achieved through the those hazardous wastes that do arise. at the need to develop new waste development and delivery of a treatment facilities within the Region Regional behavioural change plan. that provide alternatives to traditional waste management methods as well as innovation within the waste industry. 6 PRIORITY ISSUE 7: and Lincolnshire fenlands present Implementation Reduction and management diverse needs in terms of waste of construction and demolition management services and Delivery of the action plan for each waste infrastructure.The Strategy seeks to priority issue will require the address these issues through the commitment of considerable The construction and demolition formation of a Regional Rural Waste time and resources, both by industry produce over 38% of the Management Stakeholders Forum to the Region’s waste management Region’s wastes and use large champion best practice in rural waste profession, commerce and industry, quantities of virgin building materials.