How we decide what to do with our waste
There are some important requirements that affect how we decide what to do with our waste. The main ones are:
The Waste Local Plan
The Waste Planning Authority, which is made up of East Sussex County Council and Brighton & Hove City Council, prepares policies and proposals for waste management. These include the County Structure Plan and Waste Local Plan. The authority maintains and enforces development control through its decisions on planning applications for waste operations.
The Waste Local Plan sets out a strategy for future waste management and planning in East Sussex and Brighton & Hove. It encourages a shift away from waste disposal towards more sustainable methods of treating waste.
European and UK laws
The European Landfill Directive says that the amount of biodegradable waste (waste that will rot down) that is sent to landfill must be reduced. In the UK we must reduce this biodegradable waste to 35% of 1995 levels by the year 2020.
As a result of the landfill directive, the Waste Emissions Trading Act became law in the UK. This act set up the Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme. Each waste disposal authority is given a landfill allowance and if an authority manages their waste well, so that they do not use all of their allowance, they are able to trade it with other authorities.
The tax on landfill is going to rise each year. For 2004 it was £15 a tonne and by 2013 it will be at least £35 a tonne (based on an increase of £3 per year from 2005). This will lead to large increases in our waste disposal costs.
The UK Waste Strategy 2000 sets out a target of recycling or composting 33% of household waste by the year 2015. It requires decisions on waste management systems to be based around Best Practical Environmental Option.
The Household Recycling Act (2003) says all local authorities must provide a collection of at least two types of recyclable waste from every household by 2010. This is as well as hitting recycling targets of 30%.
The Environment Agency
The Environment Agency regulates waste management through a system of licences.
They register and monitor people who transport waste and must be told beforehand if anyone moves potentially hazardous waste (special waste).
They advise on waste management methods, including waste minimisation, and work closely with other organisations to tackle specific issues such as fly-tipping.
Most waste disposal and recycling sites are operated by private companies. The Environment Agency regulates the operators of these sites to ensure they don’t pollute the environment or harm the public.
