In the UK we’ve long been reliant on landfill and by 2001 we were landfilling nearly 80% of our waste (23 million tonnes) annually, with the rest being composted or incinerated. Our waste is growing by around 3% each year, higher than the European average of 2.5%.

It’s hoped that the European Union’s Landfill Directive , adopted in 1999, will put an end to landfill use and force the UK and the rest of Europe to look at alternative methods of waste disposal.

Methods to cut the use of landfill include:

• The segregation of hazardous and non-hazardous waste, with separately licensed sites for hazardous materials.
• The banning of whole and, as of (2006), shredded tyres.
• The banning of liquid waste.
• Tighter monitoring.

It’s hoped that these methods will help reduce impact of municipal waste over the next 12 years.

Plus, as part of the the government’s Waste Strategy , targets have been set to increase composting waste.

According to the last Environmental Agency Survey from 2002/3 municipal waste is relatively low compared to commercial and industrial waste. The commercial and industrial sectors, however, are showing much more promise when it comes to the recycling and recovery of waste material.
For help in reducing your company waste through recycling and recovery, contact WMS on 0844 800 9592.