Talk on Waste Management at Swansea Council Speaker: Ian Whettleton, Divisional Waste Manager Introduction Global Recession The information contained in this report applies mainly to a situation where the economy is good and growing, and there is an healthy demand for recyclable. During the current recession and down turn in the economy the reverse is true. Over the past few years the push for recycling with its reliance on the global market and failure to develop domestic outlets could be said to have been short-sighted. In the meantime money raised through the sale of recyclable items is being replaced by losses that will have to be paid for by council-tax payers It is disturbing that the collapse in the value of recyclable goods is almost entirely down to the falling demand from the Chinese market. With recession biting across the Western world, there is less demand for the goods that China produces. As a result, there is less demand for the raw materials with which to make those goods and the packaging in which they would have been transported. Before the following higher recycling targets can be met there must be solid and sustainable markets to accommodate them. Steel, plastics and paper are the commodities most affected by the downturn in demand. Simple economics dictate that without income from the sale of recyclables, council and waste management firms will be unable to offset the cost of collection and transport let alone to turn in a profit. There is a report from The Institution of Mechanical Engineers that fifth of Britain's electricity could be generated from 300 million tons of food, paper, packaging and junk thrown away every year. With the global credit crunch hitting the demand for recyclables, recycled goods and the targets for recycling waste looking unattainable. The report concludes that much of the waste currently sent for recycling could be used to generated electricity and heat and that every town and city should have its generator. The latest generation of energy-from-waste plants release almost no pollution, making them a genuinely green alternative to wind turbines. Along side the generation of electricity the waste heat produced could be piped to nearby homes homes, schools and public buildings. Recycling could then be used just for waste products which cannot be more sustainably converted into electricity, heat or transport fuels. Waste Management in Swansea PLANS for a 25-year solution to waste management in Swansea need to be revised following a decision by the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) to reconsider recycling targets. Up to now local authorities like Swansea have been working towards a recycling target of 40% by 2010. But now WAG has proposed raising that figure substantially to 70% by 2024/25. It means that the council's strategy to deal with the huge amounts of household and trade waste produced in the city is being looked at fresh. Almost 30 per cent of waste is currently recycled each year, but the new approach needs to ensure that the environment is protected for future generations. The WAG proposed tough targets for councils to increase recycling are backed by powers to fine councils who do not reduce their reliance on landfill. Despite the council's efforts to recycle and compost, they still need to deal with residual household waste. Historically this has been sent to landfill, something that is both damaging to the environment and a strain on the remaining landfill sites in Wales. Now, instead of land filling the council is being forced to do something useful with waste, recovering value and resources and reducing the reliance on landfill. Taking into account the balance between recycling, the extent of the materials collected and the residual waste requiring treatment. Using a series of good illustrated slides Ian outlined the challenges faced by the council to reduce dependency on landfill and introduce more sustainable methods of waste management. The three main external drivers behind these challenges are: • The EU Landfill Directive • The National Waste Strategy – Wise about Waste • Landfill tax (going up to £58 per tonne by 2011). The EU landfill directive sets targets to reduce the quantities of biodegradable Municipal waste disposed to landfill. The waste strategy sets targets for recycling and composting. The landfill tax is designed to increase the cost of disposing of waste to landfill. Technology for dealing with the residual waste? The Council have not yet agreed a specific technology. They believe an integrated approach is the way forward as it allows different solutions to be combined so that waste production is reduced, recycling (including composting) is maximised and waste that should not be landfilled but cannot be recycled is treated. Their preferred options to treat waste, in order that landfill is kept to a minimum, are mechanical biological treatment and/or waste to energy. This approach is based on the ambitions of the waste strategy for Wales found in 'Wise about Waste' and the European hierarchy of waste management. Whatever the council decides is the best technology for waste in Swansea their main aim is to recycle as much as they can. They want as many people as possible recycling as much as they can. To meet the environmental, economic and legislative challenges the Council will have to make a number of choices. These choices will be based on finding the Best Value option in terms of providing an infrastructure for the area, taking into account future waste trends, planning, transportation and land issues, including an assessment of the suitability of potential locations. There are a number of technical solutions being consider: • Recycling • Composting • Mechanical Biological Treatment • Energy from Waste • Anaerobic Digestion The council will seek to choose a technology that will provide a sustainable solution that meets the following criteria: 1. acceptable to stakeholders. 2. accords with the Regional and Local Waste Plans. 3. delivers best value. 4. is also affordable. To help in the evaluation of different technologies they will obtain the level of interest of prospective companies who provide different waste management technologies. Recycling The Council provides a number of recycling sites across the City so that members of the public can dispose of their recyclable waste, such as glass, paper, cans and textiles. The Kerbside Recycling collection service for paper, glass, cans and card has been extended and is now offered to every home in Swansea. The Council also works closely with the Environment Centre in Swansea who deliver a comprehensive education programme concerning waste, recycling and other relevant environmental issues to schools, colleges and other community groups. Kerbside Collection Scheme The Kerbside Recycling collection service for paper, glass, cans and card is offered to every home in Swansea. The Green Bag scheme Glass, paper, cans and card are collected on a fortnightly basis from the kerbside in a green semi- transparent bag. The collections are made on the same day as the black bag refuse collection. How it works Each house is provided with a supply of semi-transparent green bags into which they can put glass, paper, cans and card for recycling. Paper and card must go in a bag on it's own, but glass and cans can be put together in the same bag. The bags can then be placed on the kerbside, in the same place as the black bags, ready for collection once a fortnight. Do not use the green bags for general household rubbish - they will not be collected. Need more bags? A re-usable plastic Bag Tag is available for when you need to order more bags. Simply write your address on the Bag Tag and attach it to one of your bags which are to be collected. The collection crews will remove the Bag Tag and redeliver it to you along with a new supply of bags. Green recycling bags and Bag Tags are also available from the Civic Centre and District Housing Offices. What can be put in Green Bags Paper: Newspaper, catalogues, magazines, yellow pages, junk mail, office paper, telephone directories, shredded paper, white envelopes (including the transparent window), and small items of card. Do Not put in Wallpaper, brown envelopes, tissues and brown corrugated cardboard. Glass: Clean bottles and jars with lids removed. Do Not put in broken glass, mirrors, Pyrex or drinking glasses. Cans: Clean food and drink cans. Do Not put in paint tins, oil cans or aluminium foil. Glass and cans can be put in the same bag, but paper and card must be kept on its own. If there is no-one in the household who is physically able to carry the bag to the kerbside you can arrange for it to be collected from your doorstep by phoning 01792 635600 to arrange this. Plastic and plastic bottles are not collected at this time. These can be taken to the Civic Amenity and Recycling Sites. From Monday 3rd November cardboard such as cardboard packaging and corrugated boxes will be collected from the kerbside - All Houses Now Included. Improper use of the scheme The council will not impose a fine unless you get it wrong time after time and don't respond to any notices or correspondence trying to help to get it right. They want to encourage recycling not put people off and will offer every assistance for taking part. Don't forget the bags have information printed on them telling you what is accepted in the bags. They also have all the council contact details if there are any problems and further help is needed. If a bag is left behind and with a yellow sticker on it you will have mixed up the materials incorrectly or put something in that is not collected at the kerbside.