Pre-Treatment Regulations
The Pre-Treatment Regulations came into effect on 30th October 2007. The regulations require waste to be treated before it is disposed of at a landfill site and liquid waste is banned from any landfill. From 30th October 2007, commercial and industrial waste must go through some form of physical, thermal, chemical, or biological process before it can be sent to a landfill for disposal. Ultimately, the legislation seeks to divert more material away from landfill through recycling or recovery processes.
What are the requirements?
From 30 October 2007, two requirements that already apply to hazardous waste now also apply to non-hazardous waste:
- Non-hazardous landfills will only be able to accept treated wastes
- Non-hazardous landfills will not be able to accept liquid wastes
What is the reason for these requirements?
The requirements are part of a package of measures in the Landfill Directive designed to increase waste recycling and recovery and reduce potentially polluting emissions from landfills.
The directive challenges producers to think about routes for disposal of their waste and this should boost recovery and recycling. Pre-treatment of non-hazardous waste can also provide some ‘conditioning’ of the waste before it goes to the landfill, so that the waste breaks down more quickly.
What does “treatment” mean?
There are three requirements under the regulations:
- There must be a physical, thermal, chemical or biological process (sorting is explicitly included)
- This must change the characteristics of the waste
- It must do so in order to reduce its volume, reduce its hazardous nature, facilitate its handling or enhance its recovery.
Who is affected by the requirements?
Any business that produces or treats waste before it goes to landfill may be affected.
Landfills are no longer able to accept untreated wastes or liquid wastes. This means waste producers have to ensure that alternative arrangements are made for the disposal of liquid wastes and ensure that solid, non-hazardous wastes are treated before they're disposed of.
What do waste producers need to do to comply with the requirements?
For help on how to meet the requirements, simply contact Greenstar who will provide expert advice. Alternatively email tim.watson@greenstar.co.uk