The consultation period has been extended to 25 January
The approach the UK is taking to calculating the EU Landfill Directive
targets to reduce the amount of biodegradable municipal waste sent
to landfill is changing.
In discussions with the European Commission over the last year we have come to agree that
the UK's existing approach is focused too narrowly on waste collected by local authorities.
New Approach
The new approach will include much more commercial waste than currently and will bring
the UK approach into line with the general approach adopted by other Member States.
This is consistent with the increased focus we want to place on commercial waste;
and to bring greater convergence between the management of household and commercial
waste so that the environmental impacts of waste are addressed regardless of its source.
The new approach to municipal waste is based on the EU list of wastes or European Waste
Catalogue. It will include all biodegradable waste landfilled that is coded under
Chapter 20 which is entitled Municipal Waste (household waste and similar commercial,
industrial and institutional wastes). It will also include some waste coded under
chapter 19 which covers waste landfilled that has been through some form of treatment
process (for example material that has been through an MBT plant that ends up in landfill).
In Practice
In practice this will mean that the amount of waste counted as municipal waste will
increase significantly. It will not mean that any additional waste is sent to landfill
and is simply a change in the way the information is recorded. But changing the way
municipal waste is counted will mean amending the baseline on which the landfill
diversion targets were set, and thus the 2010/2013/2020 targets for the UK.
We are currently in the process of finalising the exact numbers with the European
Commission so are unable to confirm them at the current time. Our provisional analysis
is that the UK's position relative to meeting the landfill targets will be similar to
the previous approach, and we are confident that we remain on course to meet the first
target year in 2010.
Implications
In making this change we want to ensure that local authorities are not disadvantaged.
They will not be required to manage this additional waste, and we have no plans to
change the coverage of the Landfill Allowance Schemes or to change their existing
allowances. They have made great strides in reducing the amount of waste they send
to landfill and their efforts should be recognised.
Making this change is an opportunity to review the range of policies in place to divert
waste from landfill. This includes considering the role that the Landfill Allowance
Schemes have to play, planned increases in the landfill tax, and potentially additional
restrictions or bans at landfill. This will be to ensure that the we not only meet our
Landfill Directive targets but are also reflecting our wider environmental goals,
including meeting carbon budgets, as we work towards a zero waste nation.
We intend to consult on the implications of the change, including the impact on the
Landfill Allowance Schemes, early in the new year. The intention is to link this
to the consultation on landfill bans.