An Introduction to the Landfill Directive
The UK still sends about 80% of its Municipal Waste to landfill and UK waste arisings are growing at 3% per year.
Cheap landfill is seen as a barrier to higher recycling rates so one of the aims of the Landfill Directive is to encourage more recycling by making landfill more difficult and expensive.
Landfill sites were re-categorised and can only accept waste from that category.
Previously the UK adopted a “dilution” principle allowing most landfill sites to accept a proportion of hazardous waste mixed with larger volumes of non hazardous materials such as Municipal Waste.
There were therefore circa 250 landfill sites in the UK licensed to accept hazardous materials. With the new regime a hazardous waste landfill site will only be able to accept that category of waste and must comply with much stricter (and more expensive) regulations.
Therefore the number of landfill sites permitted to accept hazardous waste was reduced to about 25 and this has been reflected in increased costs.
European Landfill Directive 99/31/EC
Adopted by EU in 1999, setting targets for member states to reduce the amount of Biodegradable Municipal Waste sent to landfill
- By 2006 to 75% of that produced in 1995
- By 2009 to 50% of that produced in 1995
- By 2016 to 35% of that produced in 1995
UK may defer target dates by up to 4 years but if fail to comply then will be fined £500,000 PER DAY
Landfill Directive
Became UK law in June 2002
Landfill sites re-categorised as either:
- Hazardous
- Non Hazardous
- Inert glass, concrete, bricks, ceramics, soil
Some waste banned from going to landfill
Waste must be pre-treated before going to landfill
Target dates
July 2002 |
Hazardous liquid banned from landfill Corrosive, flammable & infectious waste banned from landfill |
July 2003 |
Whole tyres banned from landfill |
July 2004 |
Co-disposal of hazardous & non-hazardous waste in same landfill site ends |
July 2006 |
Shredded tyres banned from landfill |
July 2007 |
Non hazardous liquids banned from landfill |
Pre-treatment means a physical, thermal, chemical or biological process which may include sorting.
The characteristics of the waste must change to reduce its hazardous nature
The process must facilitate the waste’s handling or recovery
See this government information on The Landfill (England and Wales) Regulations 2002.