Executive Summary

This North East Area Waste Plan has been developed by the Waste Strategy Area Group to establish a framework for improved waste-management practices across the three local authority areas of Moray, Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City.

The key aim of the Area Waste Plan is to:

Contribute to the sustainable development of the North East Area by developing waste-management systems that will control waste generation, reduce the environmental impacts of waste production, improve resource efficiency, stimulate investment and maximise the economic opportunities arising from waste.

The principle of sustainable development is now fully embedded at all levels of government thinking and policymaking. The Scottish Executive recognises that effective resource use is a crucial element of sustainable development and, therefore, set the following objective within the spending proposals for 2003-6:

‘Ensure progress towards sustainable management of Scotland’s waste and achievement of EU landfill reduction targets by 2010, 2013 and 2020’.

The Executive overall national target is to increase the amount of waste collected by the local authorities, which is recycled or composted to 25% by 2006.

The European Union has been influential in promoting action on environmental issues amongst national governments, industry and commerce. Developing a waste strategy that encourages waste reduction and promotes reuse and recycling is the cornerstone on which sustainable development must be built.

This Area Waste Plan has five main parts:

The Area Waste Plan primarily focuses on the management of MSW produced by households and some commercial premises that is collected and managed by North East councils. It sets out the strategy for implementing the BPEO that was identified by the group in June 2001, presented for consultation in the North East’s Draft Area Waste Plan, July 2002 and subsequently amended following consultation feedback and national policy decisions.

Data on non-MSWs not collected by local authorities, including industrial, commercial, non-natural agricultural, mine and quarry wastes, are currently insufficient to conduct a thorough analysis of management options and to identify a BPEO. Therefore, Section Four presents only a framework for the development of a BPEO for non-MSW. However, the North East Waste Strategy Area Group will continue to identify areas where management of this waste stream can be improved.

Summary of MSW BPEO

• To work in partnership to develop education, information and promotional campaigns focusing on waste reduction, reuse and recycling.
  

• To introduce waste reduction measures to hold annual growth in MSW arisings at 1.5% and reduce it by 1.6% per annum through home composting initiatives from 2003.
  

• To stop landfilling unsorted waste by 2010.
  

• To introduce home composting to suitable households.

• To expand small-scale community composting.
  

• To increase the number of bring-to sites receiving dry recyclables by 2005, to 1 in 2000 households in Aberdeen City, 1 in 500 households in Aberdeenshire and 1 in 750 in Moray. Civic amenity sites in Aberdeen City and Moray will accept green waste for composting.
  

• To offer segregated collection of recyclables to 86% of households and achieve between 23% and 25% abstraction by 2020.
  

• To offer segregated collection of green waste to 54% of households and achieve at least 10% abstraction by 2020.
  

• To provide materials recovery facilities (MRF) to handle recyclables.

• Existing facilities in Aberdeenshire and Moray will handle 50% of recyclables arising in the Waste Strategy Area. A new MRF in Aberdeen City may be available to handle the balance from Aberdeenshire and all recyclables from the city.
  

• Introduction of incineration with energy recovery. This will take residual waste from Aberdeen City’s segregated kerbside collection. The plant could process up to 110,000 tonnes of MSW per year with the remaining capacity used for private waste. The plant will provide electricity to the grid. Bottom ash will be landfilled or recycled and fly ash will be disposed to a landfill licensed to accept special waste.
  

• Increase the composting capacity of the area to 102,000 tonnes by 2003, 152,000 by 2005 and 182,000 by 2015. Capacity treats segregated green waste, residual waste from segregated collection and traditional mixed waste if required. It is assumed that compost from all sites will be used locally or sold as product. Rejects will be landfilled.

Exec. Summ. Figure 1 - Summary of composting, recycling, energy recovery and landfill.

1% subjected to rounding errors

Exec. Summ. Figure 1 sets out the North East Waste Strategy Area recycling and composting targets. However, it is recognised, that an individual local authority may (for one reason or another) be unable to achieve these collective targets. Under these circumstances, one or more of the other local authorities may be required to increase their recycling and composting.

Exec. Summ. Figure 2 - Waste Management Option for MSW 2010.

('000 tonnes subject to rounding errors)

The BPEO requires increased levels of public awareness and participation in waste reduction and in source separation of materials for kerbside collection. It also encourages communities to get involved in developing local projects that have added social or environmental value.

Improved collection systems aim to capture a high-quality material and make recycling more accessible to householders across the North East. Initiatives to increase the diversion of biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) from landfill include kerbside collection of garden wastes and the development of centralised and local community composting sites.

Taking forward the North East Area Waste Plan will require partnership working at a range of levels and with a number of stakeholders. Consequently, it is essential that commitment be given by all to both the principles behind the plan and the range of actions promoted. Education and awareness raising is a vital element in achieving widespread attitude and behaviour change towards household and commercial waste management.

Implementation of the North East Area Waste Plan
Implementation of this plan will increase the costs of waste management. Increased levels of funding will be required by local authorities and, inevitably, the producers of waste will be required to pay more. It is also essential that the necessary land be identified and planning permission granted.

Such issues will challenge officials and politicians alike, however, we all have a responsibility to make this plan work.

Exec. Summ. Figure 3 - Area Waste Plan Process.