Martin Watkins - 14-Dec-2007
- Welsh businesses threw away rubbish worth
£30m in 2005, according to a study commissioned
by Environment Agency Wales. It was estimated
that half a million tonnes of potentially
recyclable material went to landfill.
If this waste had been separated at source,
up to 77 per cent could have been reused,
recycled or composted, says the study.
Cardboard boxes and containers are the largest
component of the business waste making up
15 per cent - or 100,000 tonnes of the total.
Kitchen waste made up 13 per cent - or 90,000
tonnes.
The report (see web-link below) on business
waste sent to landfill was completed with
the co-operation of waste management companies.
40 tonnes of waste was sampled from transfer
stations and landfills across Wales. The survey
calculated the figures, based on the amount
of waste that went to landfill in 2005.
Since 30 October, new rules mean waste must
be treated before it is disposed of at a landfill
site. Waste treatment is good for the environment.
It encourages the recycling of waste and reduces
the impact of the waste we send to landfill.
Much of the waste we send to landfill is already
treated, however for some wastes, more effort
is needed. Treatment can simply be separating
the waste on site and recycling one or more
of the separated components. There is a guidance
note available on the Agency’s website.
Environment Agency Wales Director, Chris
Mills said: “This report sends a clear message
to businesses – you need to recycle more.
It makes good economic sense and will reduce
the amount going to landfill. Landfill space
is running out - We estimate that, at current
rates, Wales’ landfills are likely to be full
by 2013. It costs businesses money to send
potentially recyclable material to landfill,
and landfill tax will rise in the future.
It simply does not make financial or environmental
sense.”
To help businesses in Wales to minimise their
waste, the Agency has set up a waste recycling
directory. This allows companies to search
for registered waste carriers and sites to
recycle their waste. Details can be found
at:
http://www.wasterecycling.org.uk/index.aspx
The study found the biodegradability of mixed
industrial and commercial waste to be 61 per
cent.
The national waste strategy for Wales, Wise
About Waste, has set targets to reduce the
amount of biodegradable industrial and commercial
waste landfilled in Wales.
Through the Materials Action Programme (MAP),
Welsh Assembly Government is funding anaerobic
digestion plants in Wales to process biodegradable
waste from business.
Jane Davidson, Minister for Environment,
Sustainability and Housing said: “This survey
will help us shape future waste policy and
help to reduce the environmental impact of
waste management from industry and commerce.
It also highlights significant opportunities
for businesses to benefit financially from
mixed waste.”
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Environment Agency confirms policy on compliance
with the Large Combustion Plants Directive
from January 1, 2008
Head Office Press Office - 17-Dec-2007 -
The Environment Agency expects existing Large
Combustion Plants (LCPs) (that is, those first
permitted before 1 July 1987) to comply with
the requirements of the Large Combustion Plants
Directive (LCPD) from 1 January 2008. The
Environment Agency will consider enforcement
action for failures to comply as set out under
our Enforcement and Prosecution Policy.
Opted-out LCPs will commence operation under
a limited load factor of 20,000 stack operational
hours and closure by 31 December 2015.
Opted-in LCPs have three compliance routes
available. These are:-
• Operation under the NERP. This provides
annual allowances for each participant which
are based on historical operation of the plants.
A trading scheme is to be introduced on 1
January 2008 by which those allowances can
be transferred between participating LCPs.
Further information on the i) NERP can be
found on Defra’s website at http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/airquality/eu-int/eu-directives/lcpd/index.htm
and for the ii) Trading Scheme on the Environment
Agency’s website at http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/business/1745440/444671/466158/1208487/1904095/?version=1)
• Compliance with the Emission Limit Values
set out in the Directive and contained in
the PPC permits
• Operation under the requirements of Article
5(1); the 2,000 limited hours option. This
allows a higher limit for emissions of sulphur
dioxide from LCPs with a thermal input greater
than 400MW
Where existing plants who have opted to comply
with the Emission Limit Value approach cannot
do so on 1 January 2008 the Environment Agency
will accept temporary operation under Article
5(1). The Article 5(1) limits are expressed
as a number of operational hours a year (rolling
average over a period of five years). It does
not contain any minimum time limits for the
reduced level of operation.
Therefore the Environment Agency considers
it reasonable for Article 5(1) to be applied
on a shorter time period provided that:-
• it is pro-rated over a reasonable compliance
period (at a minimum monthly) and
• to be compliant an operator must remain
under the Article 5(1) derogation until the
rolling average is brought within the pro-rated
limits.
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Environment Agency announces tender for ‘most
environmentally sustainable government IT
contract ever’
National Press Office - 14-Dec-2007 - A tender
for provision of IT services to support the
Environment Agency has been announced today
(Friday).
Paul Leinster, Director of Operations at
the Environment Agency, said: “As a fast-changing
organisation that is responding to the threat
of climate change, we need the very best,
innovative Information Technology (IT) services
to help us.
“Our IT services need to help us face the
increasing future demands of our organisation.
Although our IT supports us well now, we need
more flexible and adaptable systems that will
allow future development. We’re looking to
work with a partner who can step up to this
challenge, ensuring this is the most environmentally
sustainable government IT contract ever.”
The Environment Agency is looking for a company
with a strong track record in delivering robust
and innovative IT services, as well as meeting
strong environmental credentials. Under the
new contract, which would be for 7 years with
a possible extension to 10, delivery of a
full range of services including applications
operation and maintenance, network services
and distributed computing would be outsourced
to a single prime contractor, working with
a flexible group of subcontractors.
This means that one contractor would be responsible
for delivering the service for the full term,
but might choose to be supported in that delivery
by other companies that could change according
to the Environment Agency’s needs or market
conditions throughout the length of the contract.
It is also possible that a consortium of companies
might choose to bid for the contract, which
is estimated at being valued between £300m
and £700m over the 10 years.
The proposed changes to the IT services at
the Environment Agency will mean:
A smaller, higher performing and responsive
in-house team will concentrate on providing
and managing the strategic, business-focused
aspects of IT.
Around 170 Environment Agency IT-related
jobs will transfer over to the chosen partner
company who will look after the day-to-day
aspects of IT at the Environment Agency providing
a cost-effective service of customer support
and maintenance services.
Overall, as part of the Environment Agency’s
five-year More, Better, Faster project for
IT, which this contract is just one part of,
improved efficiency and productivity will
help bring savings to help us do more for
the environment.
Paul Leinster continued: “This will be the
single biggest contract let to one company
in our current portfolio. IT has a crucial
role to play in helping the Environment Agency
meets its challenging targets and deliver
more for the environment.”
Full details of the tender are available
online at the Official Journal of the European
Union (OJEU) website, www.ojeu.com. The deadline
for initial submissions is 14 January 2008.
