2.4 The EU Landfill Directive

The EU Landfill Directive is one of the key drivers behind the National Waste Strategy: Scotland. The Directive imposes environmental and engineering standards for landfills across Europe and will ban the landfilling of many substances that are disposed of in this way at present. The Directive also requires a progressive reduction in the landfilling of BMW and the pre-treatment of wastes before landfilling, to both reduce waste volume and minimise the environmental impact of disposal. This will assist in the reduction of landfill gases, such as methane, which are significant contributors to global warming.

2.4.1 Diversion BMW

The Directive establishes national targets and timescales for the reduction of BMW to landfill. Where member states are particularly dependent on landfill they will be allowed to defer the implementation of the target dates by up to 4 years. It is expected that the UK will take advantage of this derogation. The UK has to report to the European Commission by July 2003 giving details of how the targets will be met and a decision on whether to extend the target dates will be taken then.

From a baseline of 1995, the amount of BMW allowed to landfill will be (assuming the 4-year delay is used) as follows:

• 75% of 1995 levels by 2010;

• 50% of 1995 levels by 2013;

• 35% of 1995 levels by 2020.

In developing this AWP the assumption has been made, in consultation with the Scottish Executive, that the 4-year delay will be taken.

What will this mean to the WSA?
Current evidence points to 2% growth rate in household waste arisings. This implies a 12,000 tonnes per annum reduction, averaged over the 20-year period of the plan, as being required to meet the 2020 Landfill Directive target for the area as a whole. This would further seem to indicate the interplay of a number of influencing factors in determining waste growth rather than any single determining factor, such as the projections are based on. The EU landfill Directive will be translated into UK legislation during 2000/2001. This will be the single most influential driver to bring about significant changes to our current waste-management regime. The derivation of the figures detailed below is based on the assumptions that 60% of MSW is biodegradable and that the 4-year derogation is taken up by Scotland. The ADG WSAG has consistently adopted a minimum and maximum range approach, to compensate for variations in the quality of waste data. The minimum range is expressed as 0% in waste growth, coupled to population change applied to the 1995 figure. The MSW growth rate to 2020 is unknown, however, past trends suggest 2% growth. Consequently, a 2% innate growth is used to identify the possible maximum range (SWMBA 2001). The diversion required and the breakdown of municipal waste is detailed in Table 2.1, however the intention is to reach these targets earlier wherever possible.

Table 2.1 - Projected BMW Diversion Requirements

2.4.2 Landfill Permits

A key mechanism in controlling the amount of BMW each local authority will be allowed to landfill in future will be a system of Landfill Permits. The Scottish Executive will decide if local authorities will be able to trade their allowances, this would allow local authorities in areas where the additional costs of BMW diversion from landfill are disproportionately high, or where landfilling is the agreed BPEO to 'buy permits' from other local authorities which are exceeding their individual BMW landfill diversion target. It is the responsibility of each local authority in the WSAG to determine how to use the permits allocated to them by the Scottish Executive. Until the working detail of the 'tradable permit system' is known and the 1995 baseline figures allocated to each local authority, the impact on the WSA cannot be determined.

2.4.3 Other Technical Requirements

The Landfill Directive also has a number of other requirements, which will have an impact on the ability of landfill sites to accept certain waste types, the cost of landfill and could potentially shorten the life of some sites. Until a full assessment of the ADG landfill sites against the Landfill Directive criteria has been made, the full impact of the Directive will not be fully understood. The main requirements of the Directive are as follows:

• Classification of sites to certain standards or acceptance of certain waste types. This could result in no landfill site in the WSA being able to accept hazardous wastes.

• Specific wastes banned from landfill, including liquids and tyres.

• Increased technical and engineering standards.

• Waste requires to be treated prior to acceptance into landfill in order to reduce its volume or hazardous nature, facilitate its handling or enhance recovery.