The UK’s environmental direction of travel has ‘major realities’ which need to be confronted, Biffa said this week.
And, the waste and resources company called for action to remedy declining landfill availability.
Both the need for shaping environmental policy and the need for landfill are highlighted in its report – ‘The Reality Gap 2017’ – to be formally launched later this month.
Biffa’s report, ‘The Reality Gap 2017’, will be formally launched later this month.
In the report, the company will explain that landfill has a ‘vital and ongoing’ role in the waste management hierarchy in dealing with wastes which are non-combustible and non-recyclable. And, also to wastes for which, it says, there is no alternative.
Brexit
Emphasis is also put on the need for both government and industry come together to fully capitalise on a post-Brexit world.
The report also indicates that the UK will have a shortfall in energy from waste (EfW) capacity up until 2030.
The Biffa report offers an update on its 2015 study, in which the company predicted a potential residual waste treatment capacity gap of 4.4 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) or up to 5.9Mtpa by 2025. (see letsrecycle.com story)
Two years on, the company says the gap will be broadly similar and it offers three scenarios for EfW capacity up to the year 2030. Biffa’s describes its model as “realistic” and anticipates a 5.85Mtpa capacity shortfall at 2025 (similar to 5.88 in the 2015 report) rising to 5.93Mtpa by 2030 as EfW projects are built out and recycling performance makes less impact against waste growth.
Eunomia
This expectation of a capacity gap is in contrast to a recent study by research firm Eunomia which said there will be more energy from waste and other residual waste treatment plants than needed. (see letsrecycle.com story)
Biffa notes there will be an infrastructure deficit in the UK for dealing with residual waste. “The UK needs to develop more residual waste management infrastructure in the form of new energy from waste facilities,” it says.
Biffa’s assessment of infrastructure that will be developed
In regards to landfill, Biffa comments: “Current capacity is rapidly diminishing and replacement sites will need to be developed if the UK is not to face a disposal crisis in the next ten years.”
In the report, the company explains: “Local availability problems will be experienced sooner and already are being in some areas, particularly London and the South East. There are nine counties already with no landfill capacity at all and five England regions set to run out within the next 10 years, leaving half of English regions with no landfill capacity after around 2027. By 2025 London, East of England, the South East and South West are forecast to have no remaining landfill disposal capacity.”
‘Crossroads’
Biffa CEO Ian Wakelin has called on all parties involved in the waste industry – from regulators to waste companies – to take an imaginative and collaborative approach when drawing up the UK’s strategy following its departure from the EU.
He said: “The UK has achieved a great deal in terms of improving its environmental credentials. We should be proud of this. But we are at a crossroads when it comes to the future of our environmental strategy, made all the more critical and timely by the prospect of a post-Brexit world.
“The waste industry is more than capable of rising to these challenges and needs clear policy direction to enable the necessary capital investments to be made.”
Ian Wakelin, CEO, Biffa
The ‘Reality Gap 2017’ research has been shared with officials from Defra, and Biffa says it was “well received” as government looks to gather input from across industry to develop the UK’s future waste strategy.
ESA
The report has been welcomed by Environmental Services Association executive director, Jacob Hayler.
He said: “This another great example of one of our members informing and influencing the debate around the UK’s waste and resource management infrastructure needs. This is a critical time for the waste and recycling industry and we need to take advantage of the post-Brexit opportunity to shape our future directly and realistically.
“We know that government is keen to gather this type of constructive input and industry knowledge and believe that collaborative working has to be the best way forward.”
The report was compiled by Jeff Rhodes & Mike Thair from Biffa.
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Source: letsrecycle.com Waste Managment
