1.5 Current Waste Management Practice within Orkney and Shetland

Future plans for waste management should be based on sound understanding of waste sources, quantities and composition, and existing transport and management infrastructure. The Orkney and Shetland area has a relatively self-contained waste management system for household, commercial, and industrial wastes. However certain specific wastes such as scrap metals, special wastes and some industrial wastes are by necessity exported for specialist treatment and disposal.

Other than a small number of relatively small-scale private contractors (predominantly inert landfill operators), there is little private sector involvement in waste management in the islands. The provision of waste-management services is dominated by the area's two local authorities: Orkney Islands Council (OIC) and Shetland Islands Council (SIC). The majority of MSW collected by the two authorities is recovered as fuel for district heating via an incineration in Lerwick. In Shetland there is considerable non-local authority involvement in recycling activity, both in collection and reprocessing. A number of local industry sectors, e.g. oil services and breweries, operate their own waste-management systems in both island groups.

Unlike the rest of Scotland, where most waste is sent to landfill, the Orkney and Shetland Islands have made significant in-roads into waste recovery and recycling, particularly of MSW (although increasingly also non-MSW).

1.5.1 MSW Management

All the data in the following section were obtained from analysis of the 2001/02 SEPA Local Authority Waste Arisings Survey (LAWAS) results, past OIC and SIC landfill and recycling returns, and discussion amongst the WSAG members.

MSW Arisings, Composition and Trends
Total MSW arisings in Orkney and Shetland are currently 24 738 tonnes per annum - 13 241 tonnes of which arise in Shetland, and 11 497 in Orkney. Of the total arising in the area each year, an estimated 4948 tonnes are from commercial premises and 19 790 tonnes are from households.

A key aspect of any waste-management plan is determining precisely the composition of the waste stream that is to be managed - i.e. the relative proportions of the various component materials (e.g. metals, plastics, biodegradable materials, etc). However, there are currently no MSW compositional analyses available for either the Orkney and Shetland area or the UK as a whole. There is a national data set for the composition of household waste (see Figure 1.2 below) and a common assumption is that the composition of the overall MSW stream is approximately the same.

Figure 1.2 - Average UK household bin content

Source: EA, National Household Waste Analysis Project, 2000

A key important factor in delivering an effective waste-management system is predicting future waste growth, although in Orkney and Shetland this is extremely difficult. Waste growth is influenced by a number of complex inter-related variables, including changes in waste producer behaviour, demographics, the number of households and the type/level of economic activity in an area. The only thing for certain is that sustained waste growth will require the development of new waste-management facilities and will ultimately incur additional cost. In terms of MSW, one of the main determinants of waste growth is believed to be the number of households producing waste.

In Orkney and Shetland the number of households is currently forecasted to grow substantially over the next 14-year period (see previous Figure 1.2). However, a declining total population will inevitably offset this to some extent, and future developments in the oil and gas sector, and tourism in particular, will be an important influence. Future growth is very difficult to quantify. Figure 1.3 over illustrates the effect of an average MSW growth rate of 1% per annum in Orkney and Shetland over the period of this plan.

Figure 1.3 - Effect of 1% Annual Growth in MSW

Such growth in MSW will clearly have an effect on development of the AWP, in particular the targets for waste recycling and recovery. It is the view of the two WSAGs that this level of sustained growth represents the 'worst case scenario' - it is therefore only assumed for the purposes of assessing current and future statutory targets (e.g. the EU Landfill Directive diversion targets for biodegradable waste). The BPEO includes a range of measures to prevent waste at source and mitigate any potential growth such as this.

Current MSW Recycling/Composting, Recovery and Landfill Rates
The two local authorities collect and dispose of all the area's MSW. The existing waste-management system is based around an energy recovery facility in Lerwick that provides district heating for up to 1000 homes. The facility has an estimated maximum annual throughput capacity of 22 000 tonnes and currently processes most of the area's MSW - around 70% or 17 500 tonnes per annum - as well as a smaller amount of offshore oil-related waste (around 3000 tonnes per annum).

The area has Scotland's highest MSW recycling rate at over 12% per annum (13% of household waste), with only around 18% of MSW disposed of to landfill. The current (2001/02) MSW management mix is summarised in Figure 1.4 below.

Figure 1.4 - Baseline MSW management mix - %

Source: SIC/OIC 2001; SEPA 2002

Table 1.1 - Baseline (2001/02) MSW management mix (tonnes per annum)

MSW Collection Systems
Existing MSW collection systems are a combination of bring and kerbside, operated by the two local authorities and their partner organisations. SIC provides a weekly kerbside collection for the uplift of unsegregated domestic and commercial wastes. In Lerwick bulky items are also uplifted by a special collection service twice weekly, and a civic amenity site at Rova Head operates seven days a week. In addition, all island areas in Shetland are provided with community skips with almost 1000 issued annually. OIC also operates a weekly kerbside collection for unsegregated domestic and commercial wastes - the unsegregated MSW is collected in black bags, and commercial waste on the mainland and south isles from specially designated "eurobin" containers. On the mainland and linked south isles a weekly special collection service operates for bulky household waste, and such items are collected from remaining island areas on prescribed dates. Commercial waste from remaining outlying areas in Orkney is collected in beige refuse sacks.

SIC operate collection banks for engine oils at Brae and Lerwick, and cooking oils and scallop shells (which is strictly speaking non-MSW) are also collected for recycling at Rova Head. A local charitable organisation, the Shetland Amenity Trust (SAT) operates a number of different recycling collections in partnership with SIC. These include aluminium drink cans (via local collections by community groups whereby the SAT sell the cans on behalf of these groups and pass back the proceeds to them) scrap vehicles (via a free special collection and a transfer station at Yell); and agricultural plastics (via a free special collection). Glass collection in Shetland is contracted out (on a not-for-profit basis) to a local private sector reprocessor, Decocrete, based in Cunningsborough, who currently maintain 22 recycling banks throughout Shetland, and operate a kerbside collection for 22
commercial premises. SIC also maintain 30 battery box collection points, as well as a number of mobile phone collection points.

OIC operates two recycling collections - one for garden waste and one for paper and card. Garden waste is collected via a kerbside collection service on seven dates throughout the summer in Kirkwall and Stromness only. Paper and card is also collected from the kerbside - this service is contracted out and operates once a month for households in Kirkwall and Stromness, and once every second month for rural areas on the mainland and linked south isles. OIC maintains mini recycling centres on 10 of the Orkney Islands, and bring sites for both garden waste and paper and card are located at the three OIC civic amenity sites (Bossack, St Margaret's Hope and Stromness). OIC also collect scrap cars for a charge. Finally, Charities Aid Recycling Enterprise (CARE) operate a kerbside collection for aluminium drink cans in Orkney from pubs, schools and OIC offices, as well as a number of small can banks (which are maintained by OIC).

Current Reuse Initiatives
Textiles in both island areas are reused on a voluntary basis through a local network of charity shops. In Shetland reuse of waste is also facilitated through a 'materials exchange' scheme, the local paper, a scrap store located in Lerwick, and a charity organisation, the Shetland Community Bike Project, who reclaim old bicycles for community reuse. In Orkney, a materials exchange scheme also operates through a local radio station and newspaper. There are currently no formal reuse or refurbishment schemes for non-MSW, other than a commercial service for waste metal operated by 60 North Recycling in Lerwick.

Current Reprocessing and Composting capacity
The aluminium cans, scrap cars and other metals, agricultural plastic, mobile phones and batteries collected in Shetland are exported to the mainland for reprocessing. Metal and other valuable scrap is reclaimed on a commercial basis by a private sector company 60 North Recycling under contract with SIC, and this operation is based in Lerwick. Most of the reclaimed material is exported to the mainland for reprocessing.

Scallop shells collected at Rova Head are crushed and used locally as harling in construction. Decocrete reprocess waste glass collected in Shetland into sand (for shot-blasting) and a range of other construction aggregates. This operation is based in Cunningsborough.

Garden waste collected in Orkney is taken to Bossack for grinding and use in landscaping and landfill cover by the local authority, and a proportion of the islands' paper and card waste is currently being shredded for compostable animal bedding by a local farmer (it was until recently all exported to Shetland for energy recovery). Aluminium cans collected by CARE, black plastic farm wastes, and scrap cars in Orkney are all transferred to the mainland for reprocessing.

Other Recovery
The Lerwick district heating facility operates a 'moving grate' system at around 80% efficiency, and provides district heating for up to 1000 homes in the vicinity. There is remaining capacity to increase this by a further 600 homes or equivalent. The plant has a maximum throughput capacity of 22 000 tonnes MSW per annum. Most of the material leaving the plant is technically industrial waste, although around 300 tonnes of metals per annum are recovered for recycling.

For guidelines on the role of other recovery technologies as part of integrated waste-management systems, refer to SEPA's "Guidelines and approach to thermal treatment and energy from waste" available on the www.sepa.org.uk.

Disposal
Rova Head landfill site is licensed to take mixed waste and has an annual licensed capacity of 36 000 tonnes. This site, which currently caters for more than half of Shetland's waste disposal requirements, is expected to reach capacity in November 2005. There are a further three operational inert sites in Shetland, each with an expected lifespan of at least 10 years. The largest of these is at Staney Hill, which has a life of 25 years and capacity to take up to 1 million tonnes of waste.

Orkney has 10 landfill sites, all of them inert, seven operated by OIC and three privately owned. There is currently a total annual licensed landfill capacity in Orkney of 112, 875 tonnes.

1.5.2 Non-MSW Management

In the Orkney and Shetland these wastes include industrial wastes (oil, fish, food and craft-related), construction and demolition wastes, agricultural wastes, clinical wastes, special wastes and relatively small quantities of other important wastes (e.g. oils, abandoned vehicles, fridges, etc).

Industrial Wastes
It is difficult to provide a reliable estimate of industrial waste arisings in the area as only a limited amount of work has been carried out in the area to investigate these wastes, and this has, to date, been largely qualitative. The overall figure is believed currently to lie somewhere in the region of 40-50 000 tonnes per annum. This does not include a number of significant sources, such as sewage treatment and distilling wastes (sewage is managed by a dedicated system, and the bulk of distilling wastes are spread to land).

Important local sources of industrial waste include fishing, fish processing and aquaculture wastes, oil-related wastes, agricultural waste, ports and harbours waste, craft wastes and waste imported from offshore. The latter in particular is increasingly predominant in Shetland, with around 25 000 tonnes of drill cuttings imported to the islands for treatment each year. Bottom ash from the Lerwick district heating plant (around 5000 tonnes per annum) is used for cover material at Rova Head landfill, and the remaining (fly ash and sludge) waste is exported for treatment and disposal on the Scottish mainland.

Much of the area's industrial waste is either landfilled locally or exported elsewhere for recovery or disposal. Considerable amounts of industrial oils and scrap metal are exported for recycling, and there are a number of relatively recent local initiatives to recover industrial wastes - e.g. scallop shells, as a construction medium, and as a high-quality fertiliser material.

Trends in industrial waste arisings are difficult to predict. These wastes may increase substantially in the short to medium (10 year) term, particularly in Shetland, through growth in imported wastes from the offshore industry. More work is required to identify and quantify these trends and the implications for AWP development.

Construction and Demolition Wastes
There is also a substantial quantity of construction and demolition waste arising annually in the area. A recent national SEPA research project into this type of waste estimated that some 9367 tonnes arise annually in Orkney and Shetland of which the majority is exempt from waste-management licensing. Of the remainder, roughly half is reused or recycled and the other half is landfilled. This figure is, however, believed to be much lower than the actual tonnage arising, which may in fact be as much as two or three times greater, around 25-30 000 tonnes. The extent of these wastes however varies considerably from year to year as a result of changes in the level of development activity.

Agricultural Waste
A small amount of agricultural waste is disposed of at local landfill sites. A more substantial quantity is disposed of to land on the many smallholdings and crofts throughout the isles. There is an annual collection of black plastic sheeting organised by local Orkney farmers.

The non-natural component of agricultural waste is soon to be brought under the waste regulatory regime - in 2004 - and this has important implications for the farming industry (including crofters) in the island areas. Current expectations are that initially only 'non-natural' farm wastes will be included in the first instance (e.g. plastics, metals, pesticide residues), although sludges/slurries may also be covered if these wastes are transported for disposal off farm. Developments in this area will have a major impact on the non-MSW component of this plan.

Special Wastes
Special wastes require more controlled disposal due to their potential toxicological and other environmental effects. The two local authorities are believed to handle around 400 tonnes per annum, much of which is fly ash for the district heating facility and exported to the Scottish mainland.

Other Wastes
In both island groups, clinical wastes are collected predominantly outwith the local authority systems (small amounts of category E clinical wastes go to the district heating facility). In Orkney the local NHS board has an incinerator for disposal of the islands clinical waste; in Shetland a private contractor - Shetland Janitorial Services - collects and exports the majority of the islands' clinical waste. Old fridges in both island groups are currently stored then exported for safe disposal. In Shetland, End of Life Vehicles (ELVs) are collected by the Shetland Amenity Trust and disposed of by a private sector third party; in Orkney the local authority collects ELVs for disposal via a third party private operator.

Non-MSW Trends
Predicting trends in non-MSW arisings is highly complex. As the islands undergo a shift away from the traditional industries towards new areas of economic activity, such as the development of renewable energy capacity, the mix of non-MSW streams will change. New challenges and opportunities will arise as a result. Identifying and quantifying the current baseline and future trends in industrial and other non-MSW streams will need to be addressed as part of the ongoing development of the AWP. What is clear is that regulatory controls will tighten, and a number of current practices may change with major implications for the Isles. The most important developments in the short term will be the amendment to waste management regulations that brings agricultural wastes within the regulatory regime, and a possible increase in the import of drill cuttings to Shetland.

1.5.3 Existing Waste-Management Facilities

Table 1.2 summarises the location, type and capacity of existing waste management facilities in Orkney and Shetland.

Table 1.2 - Existing Waste-Management Facilities