Pre-Treatment of Waste: New Requirements
By admin on Jul 1, 2007 in Recycling, Business Waste, Business
As of 30th October 2007, no waste will be accepted at landfill sites unless it has been pre-treated. This is a new requirement that has been introduced by the Landfill Regulations and will apply to all businesses.
You waste will be considered to have been pre-treated if:
it has undergone a physical, thermal or biological process including sorting that
(ii) also changes the characteristics of the waste; and
(iii) must do so in order to:
(a) reduce its mass; or
(b) reduce its hazardous nature; or
(c) facilitate its handling; or
(d) enhance its recovery.
How can we comply with the pre-treatment requirements?
There are two main ways that your business can comply with the new pre-treatment requirements. Either your waste must be collected by a company that puts the waste through a sorting facility, or part of your waste must be collected separately for recycling.
If you currently dispose of all of your waste in a single container, such as a wheelie bin or a skip, contact your service provider to find out where the waste is taken to. If the waste is taken to a waste transfer station and put through a MRF (Manual Recycling Facility), then you already satisfy the pre-treatment requirements. If however your waste is taken directly to a landfill site, you will either have to change service provider, or start to separate some of your waste prior to collection.
If your waste is not taken to a sorting facility, there is no need to panic. Having a separate collection for recycling is not difficult. There are a number of options for recycling that will enable you to comply with the pre-treatment requirements, regardless of the size of your business. For example:
If you have any concerns regarding the new pre-treatment requirements, contact your current waste management service provider who should be able to offer advice and provide options to ensure your business complies.
