From 30th October 2007, under new European-wide legislation, all non-hazardous waste must be treated before it can be landfilled and the Environment Agency is placing the responsibility for compliance on waste producers.

These regulations are the final stages of the European Landfill Directive and are being implemented to reduce our reliance on landfill as a disposal option and to ensure that landfill has less impact on the environment.

The new regulations define treatment as:

Physical, thermal, chemical or biological processes (including sorting) that change the characteristics of waste in order to reduce its volume or hazardous nature, facilitate its handling or enhance recovery.

In effect, the ‘process’ of treatment may be as simple as sorting out recyclables – such as paper, plastics, metal or glass.

As a waste producer you will need to decide whether to ‘pre-treat’ your waste at source or to have it treated by your waste management company. (If you are already pre-treating waste then the new legislation will not impact on you. No further measures need to be taken.)

If you choose to treat your waste at source, to fulfil your obligations under these regulations you will need to satisfy your waste management company and/or landfill operator that:

1. All of the waste has been pre-treated AND

2. The treatment has changed the characteristics of the waste to:

• reduce the waste’s volume, or
• reduce its hazardous nature, or
• make waste handling easier or
• enhance its recovery potential.

This evidence will form an important part of your Duty of Care documentation. Failure to comply may result in enforcement action, including prosecution by the Environment Agency.

Under the new legislation, landfill operators must ensure that waste has been treated and they have a duty to reject any material if this is not proven. If in doubt the landfill operator will presume the waste has not been treated.

As the UK’s largest provider of waste management services, Veolia can help you ensure that you are fully compliant with the law. Your dedicated Account Manager can assist you to audit your waste and help you select the most effective treatment or disposal option based on the amount and types of waste that you generate.

If you chose to segregate your waste at source, we will arrange convenient, separate collections and send the materials for appropriate recycling. If you wish us to manage your un-treated waste we will process it through a compliant transfer station or Materials Recycling Facility (MRF).*

VES is committed to helping you make sure that your business is prepared for increasing environmental challenges and that you are equipped to meet the requirements of new legislation.

* Veolia ES will endeavour to recycle, or pre-treat your waste prior to disposal through a compliant transfer station or MRF. However, local environmental and economic factors may preclude this, in which case you will be offered recycling options on site.