1.5 Current Waste-Management Practice within the North East

Future plans for the management of waste must be set within the context of the existing waste-management situation in the North East, which is presented by the SWMBA (1). This assessment provides detailed descriptions and data on current waste-management practices, flows and sites, and demonstrates that the North East has a relatively self-contained system for the management of household, commercial, and industrial wastes. However, certain specific wastes are either imported or exported for specialist treatment or disposal. Examples of this include clinical and special wastes.

In common with the rest of Scotland, the North East has traditionally relied on landfill as the primary method of waste disposal. The following landfill sites currently receive MSW: Stoneyhill, (Peterhead), Crows Nest, (Banchory), Wester Hatton, (Balmedie), Brandon Howe (Banff) and Nether Dallachy (Moray).

All three Councils have compost operations in place and collect paper, metal, glass and plastic for reprocessing. In addition, there are a number of organisations involved in recycling and reprocessing of waste in the North East Area.

Table 1.2 summarises the numbers and types of waste-management facilities within the North East that have current waste-management licences.

Table 1.2 - Current Licensed Waste-Management Infrastructure

The current infrastructure will need to be expanded in order to cope with increasing volumes of waste arising and the shift in the management of waste up the waste hierarchy. Chapters 3 and 4 deal in detail with MSW and non-MSW wastes respectively and set out the future infrastructure needs of these waste streams where possible. Where this is not possible, the process by which future infrastructure need will be determined is described.

1.5.1 Recycling and Reprocessing

Recycling facilities at Aberdeen City Council’s 27 mini recycling centres vary from site to site but can include banks for glass, all types of paper, cardboard and textiles. In addition to these materials, Aberdeen City Council’s four Civic Amenity sites include deposit facilities for cans, green waste, lead acid batteries, scrap metal, waste engine oil and household chemicals. A list of all facilities can be found on Aberdeen City Council’s website – www.aberdeencity.gov.uk and search for recycling under the A—Z service guide. Collected recyclates are then transported outwith the North East for reprocessing, with the exception of cardboard, which is recycled in Aberdeen City.

Recycling facilities at Aberdeenshire council’s 116 mini recycling centres also vary from site to site but can include banks for glass, cans, newspapers and magazines, textiles, plastic bottles, books and cardboard. In addition to these materials, Aberdeenshire council’s 12 civic amenity sites include deposit facilities for lead acid batteries, scrap metal and waste engine oil. A list of all sites and their respective facilities can be found on the Aberdeenshire council website – http://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/.

In Moray, the main recycling facilities are Elgin, Buchie, Keith, and Dufftown accepting: glass, paper, cardboard, engine, cans, scrap metal, green waste, wood and rubble. Sites in Lossiemouth do not at present accept green waste, wood or rubble. In addition to the main sites there are a number of facilities located across Moray for the deposit of glass, cans and textiles. Details can be found the Moray Council Waste Strategy document and on Moray Council’s website (www.moray.gov.uk). For recycling advice and information call 01343 557045.

Collected materials are then transported outwith the North East for reprocessing, with the exception of cardboard, which is recycled in Aberdeen.

Civic Amenity Sites and Recycling Centres
Within the area there is a network of these sites, where householders and in some cases local commercial premises, take source segregated wastes for recycling, e.g. glass, paper, plastics, textiles, waste oil, garden waste. Civic amenity sites also accept mixed waste for disposal.

Bring Banks or Leave Schemes
Containers are located at local supermarkets, shopping centres, car parks and other public locations for people to deposit items recovered from the household waste stream for recycling. These are similar recyclates to those recovered at civic amenity sites and are operated either by councils, or by the material reprocessors or contractors, e.g. Salvation Army, for textiles.

The development of the recycling market in the North East of Scotland is particularly important due to its present remoteness from the majority of reprocessors. There are a number of initiatives ongoing in the area:

• A local paper manufacturer working with a farmer to compost waste produced in the paper making process.
  

• The collaboration of two leading UK oil companies to investigate opportunities for the future reuse and recycling of drill cuttings from the North Sea.
  

• A proposed waste wood burning plant in Insch to generate heat and hot water.
  

• A tyre recycling company in Moray who collect and shred waste tyres for recycling.

• A feasibility study, including product testing, into the factory production of a range of products for rural use, which utilise recovered waste plastic and other materials as feedstock.
  

• Research into the suitability of domestic waste paper as a feedstock for animal bedding.
  

• Research to assess whether the composted material produced by Aberdeenshire Council can be used to manufacture mats for a golf driving range.

1.5.2 Municipal Solid-Waste Management (MSW)

A summary of the current arrangements for the management of MSW in the North East is given in Table 1.3. It also shows there are existing collections of wastes for recycling from both the kerbside and mini recycling centres taking place across the North East.

Table 1.3 - Summary Current MSW Waste Management

Contracts
The current contractual arrangements in place between local authorities and private contractors will influence the future waste-management arrangements. Table 1.4 summarises the existing contractual arrangements.

Table 1.4 - Current MSW Contract

1.5.3 Current MSW Collection Systems

In the North East, mixed household waste is presently collected weekly. In Aberdeenshire, approximately two-thirds of residents have wheeled bin containers for waste collection. The remainder use black sacks or dustbins or other containers provided by the householder. Wheeled bin containers will be provided in the future to the remainder of households in Aberdeenshire.

Household waste
Aberdeen City has distributed 65,000 wheeled bins serving individual households and 3,729 communal street bins serving the multi-story blocks and tenement areas. Aberdeen City Council also offers a weekly separate wastepaper collection service to 80% of households. In Moray Council, wheeled bins predominate for domestic collections with approximately 41,000 wheeled bins serving around 39,500 domestic properties.

Special uplift collections
Each local authority offers a special uplift service for bulky household wastes.

Aberdeenshire council collects special uplifts weekly for bulky household items and a charge is made to collect up to four items. Residents in south Aberdeenshire (where there are no specified containers for waste collection) may put reasonable amounts of bulky items out for their normal weekly refuse collection.

Moray council operates free collections of bulky household and green waste.

Aberdeen city council provides a collection service for bulky household goods and large quantities of waste, which is split into two categories:

1. Free collection for two bulky household items or a three-piece suite.

2. Chargeable service for quantities greater than two or large quantities of, for example, fixtures and fittings.

All three councils operate a separate collection for fridges and freezers, and other white goods. North East residents can also use civic amenity sites to deposit bulky items of household waste free of charge.

Hazardous household waste
There are few separate collection arrangements for hazardous household waste in any of the three local authorities. However, bonded asbestos can be taken to selected civic amenity sites. There is also a new facility in Aberdeen city for household chemical and paint waste, and a waste paint collection facility in Aberdeenshire .

Commercial waste collection
Aberdeenshire council collects commercial waste weekly separately from domestic waste, although additional collections are available on request. Moray council collects commercial waste twice weekly and Aberdeen city council operates a commercial waste collection tailored to the individual needs of the customer and that may vary from once weekly to daily. All three local authorities offer a commercial glass and cardboard collection service.

1.5.4 Current Landfill Disposal in the North East

Disposal to landfill is the current option used for most of the North East’s MSW. There are a number of landfill sites in the North East, as follows:

Aberdeenshire Council:
Waste collected in the south of Aberdeenshire is sent to the Council’s own landfill site at Banchory. A waste transfer station in Stonehaven handles waste being sent to the Banchory landfill site. Waste collected in the central area is sent via a waste transfer station at Inverurie to Wester Hatton.

Waste collected in north Aberdeenshire is sent to the two in-vessel composting plants at Banff and Mintlaw. Residual waste, commercial waste and reject wastes are sent to Brandon Howe or Stoneyhill landfills.

Aberdeen City Council:
Aberdeen City Council awarded the contract for waste management services to NEM (SITA) for the next 25 years. This contract includes operation of the City’s civic amenity sites but in the short-term waste, which is not recycled, will continue to be landfilled.

Moray Council:
An industrial shredder and associated screening equipment treats all MSW collected in Moray by the Council at Moycroft, Elgin. Moray’s main landfill is at Dallachy, Spey Bay, which has an estimated lifespan of between 10 to 15 years.

Action 3
Record data on North East waste arisings, treatment and disposal.

Action 4
Document both the progress made against, and the waste management systems used to meet, National recycling, Landfill Directive BMW Diversion Rates and emerging waste management targets.

Action 5
Keep under review, and report on, existing waste management facilities within the North East and neighbouring Waste Strategy Areas.

1.5.5 Non-MSW Management

At present, there is a lack of an established system to record quantitative data on commercial, industrial, construction and demolition wastes within the North East. These wastes are primarily dealt with by the private sector and whilst the majority is still landfilled, increasing quantities are being recovered and reused

Local non-MSW waste arising includes waste from fish farms, food manufacturing, paper manufacturing and oil related industries. A number of these wastes are subject to priority waste stream research projects.

The scarcity of good data is a significant barrier to developing BPEO decisions on the management of non-MSW wastes. However, the North East AWP will have to ensure that general provision is made for their management.

Action 6
Keep under review emerging waste management technologies and report on their potential application in the North East.

Action 7
Ensure the AWP principles, objectives and targets and the necessary facilities and infrastructure, are taken fully into account in the development of Development Planning policy in the North East.

Notes
(1) Available on request from the Waste Strategy Area Co-ordinator.

(2) Not including mini recycling facilities located at civic amenity sites etc.

(3) Aberdeenshire Council’s waste pre-treatment plants do not currently produce horticultural compost. The plants apply a composting process to pre-treat the waste, producing a material suitable for land restoration works. Research and development projects are also underway to identify alternative applications for the product.