Expose to the air
Shredded waste material is placed in long rows and air
is drawn through and out of the material. This flow of oxygen speeds up the
fermentation
of the waste. The circulation of air also draws the moisture away from the waste.
At the end of the process the mass of the waste will be reduced by 25% and the
material remaining will be stabilised, sanitised and virtually odourless.
Biodegradable material is broken down in the absence of
oxygen. Material is placed into a closed vessel and in controlled conditions
it breaks down into digested material and biogas.
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
A method of sterilisation. Waste is loaded into a rotating sealed cylinder
and the biodegradable fraction of this waste is then broken down by steam
treatment into an homogeneous organic “fibre”.
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B
Materials which can be chemically broken down by naturally
occurring
micro-organisms into simpler compounds. Waste which contains organic
material can decompose giving rise to gas and leachate and other byproducts.
Best Practicable Environment Option - the most cost-effective and environmentally-friendly
solution.
Biological Mechanical Treatment.
Biodegradable Municipal Waste.
Best Value Performance Indicators Targets set by the
Audit Commission to
assess the performance of different aspects of a council’s work.
C
Considerable research is being undertaken on the impact that waste treatments
have on carbon emissions. As a result of this a clearer picture is now
emerging on how different waste treatments impact on climate change. As
a response to requests from the public, the West of England partnership
has sourced a range of responses which can be downloaded from this page.
The reports (from the Resource Recovery Forum members ERM and Eunomia) anticipate
the greenhouse gas effects of the UK’s main waste streams between 2005
and 2031 and assess the different ways of dealing with household, garden and
food waste.
Findings show that some materials and management routes have the potential to
increase greenhouse gas emissions, while others generate savings in the use of
fossil fuels. Although there are a number of uncertainties, the largest potential,
over and above current recovery efforts, is with regard to:
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- energy
recovery via anaerobic digestion of agricultural manures/slurries
- energy
recovery via combustion of waste wood
- recovery
of both resources (through recycling) and energy (through combustion) from
waste paper and card
- recycling
of non-ferrous metals.
To download full details click here.
Waste arising from medical, nursing, dental, veterinary,
pharmaceutical
or similar practices, which may present risks of infection.
Waste from premises used wholly, or mainly, for the purpose of a trade
or business or for sport, recreation or entertainment.
The Local Government Act 2000 requires local authorities to prepare
a
Community Strategy. It sets out the broad vision for the future of the
local authority’s area and proposals for delivering that vision.
A biological process which takes place in the presence of oxygen
(aerobic)
in which organic wastes, such as garden and kitchen waste are converted
into a stable granular material. This can be applied to land to improve soil
structure and enrich the nutrient content of the soil.
Waste, generally inert, arising from the construction, maintenance
or demolition of buildings or other civil engineering structures.
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Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs
Government department with national responsibility for sustainable waste
management.
The system of Structure and Local Plans prepared by
local authorities as a framework for development and land use decisions
in their area. Now
being replaced by the Local Development Framework.
Chlorinated organic compound: a by-product of the papermaking
process that uses chlorine as a bleaching agent. Dioxins can be released
into the
atmosphere through the incineration of chlorinated paper. They are believed
to be highly toxic to humans.
These are statutory local development documents prepared under the Planning and
Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, which set out the spatial
planning strategy and policies for an area. They have the weight of
development plan status and are subject to community involvement, public consultation
and independent examination.
E
Environment Agency.
Energy from Waste - energy that is recovered by thermally treating waste.
The combustion of waste under controlled conditions in
which the heat released is recovered to provide hot water and steam (usually)
for
electricity generation (see also Recovery).
The thermal breakdown of organic material by heating waste
in a
low oxygen
atmosphere to produce a gas. This is then used to produce
heat/electricity. Similar to Pyrolysis.
Government Office South West.
A planning designation aimed at preventing urban sprawl
and
encroachment into the countryside.
A site previously unaffected by built development.
H
Waste from a private dwelling or residential house or
other such
specified
premises, and includes waste taken to household waste recycling centres.
Recycling centres are facilities provided by the Unitary
Authorities to which
the public can bring household waste, such as bottles, textiles, cans, paper,
green waste and bulky household items/waste for free disposal.
I
Waste that is not active – it does not decompose
or otherwise
change.
Shredded waste is placed inside a chamber or container
through which
Composting air is forced. This speeds up the composting process. ^top
Joint Residual Municipal Waste Management Strategy
(The Waste Strategy).
Joint Waste Development Plan Document (The Development Plan).
A broad land use and transport strategy which establishes the main
principles and priorities for future development within the West
of England. Prepared jointly by the four Unitary Authorities as part
of the Development Plan.
K
Any regular collection of recyclables from premises, including
collections
from commercial or industrial premises as well as from households.
Excludes collection services delivered on demand.
L
The deposit of waste onto and into land, in such a way
that pollution
or
harm to the environment is prevented and, through restoration, to provide
land which may be used for another purpose.
Process of apportionment, by local authority area, of
the tonnage of biodegradable
municipal waste that may be disposed of to landfill to meet EU Landfill Directive
targets
The deposit of waste material above existing or original
ground level.
A document that forms part of the Local Development
Framework. Can
either be a Development Plan Document or a Supplementary Planning
Document.
A portfolio of local development documents that will
provide the
framework for delivering the spatial planning strategy and policies for an
area.
Liquid from a landfill site containing chemical
components of the
buried waste.
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Mechanical Biological Treatment – a
mix of sorting, separation, cutting or grinding the waste into smaller pieces
then composting or other further treatment.
Materials Recycling Facility or Materials Recovery Facility.
Household waste and waste from municipal parks and gardens,
beaches,
fly tipped materials, rubble and street sweepings.
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N
O
Private Finance Initiative.
Planning Policy Statement 10 Guidance documents which set out national planning
policy.
Programmed Service Improvements – the planned
level of improvements
to kerbside collections and recycling programmes.
The heating of waste in a closed environment (i.e.
in the absence of
oxygen) to produce a secondary fuel product
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R
A wetland of Special Scientific Interest which is of international
importance.
The process of extracting a product of value from waste materials, including
recycling, composting and energy recovery.
We aim to “Recover value” from waste by processing it using some
form of mechanical,biological or thermal process.
This will allow us to generate a further resource or product which has a value
or use. For example creating material that can be used in road building or
land reclamation. It could also be used to generate energy which can be turned
into heat and/or power generation.
Atthe moment we do not have any facilities to do this. The target in the whole
of the South West for the year 2020 is to recover productive value from 55%
of waste.The Technology options on pages 5–8 describethe type of facilities
which will allow us toachieve this target.
Recycling means that waste material is re-processed to create more products
of the same or similar content. For example recycled paper is made into more
newspapers or cardboard; recycled tin cans are made into more metal products
etc.Thanks to you our track record is good and improving. All the councils
are totally committed to continuing and improving our recycling. We are currently
among the best performing local authorities in the country and aim to increase
our rates to between 41–45% for recycling and composting combined.
A document being prepared by the South West Regional
Assembly to
replace the Regional Planning guidance for the South West.
This document provides a vision and approach for achieving
sustainable
waste management within the South West for the period to 2020.
The re-use of materials in their original form, without
any processing
other than cleaning.
Waste collected by local authorities which is not re-used,
recycled
or
composted and remains to be treated through the recovery of energy
and/or materials or through disposal to landfill.
Regional Planning Guidance Note 10
Produced by the Government Office for the South West (GOSW) on behalf
of the Secretary of State. Until it is replaced by the new Regional Spatial
Strategy (RSS) it provides a regional strategy within which Local
Development Documents and the Local Transport Plan should be prepared.
S
Sustainability Appraisal/Strategic Environmental
Assessment
Dealing with wastes within the administrative
region where they
are produced.
Solid Recovered Fuel.
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A specifically defined area which protects ecological or geological features.
Making no changes at all to waste collections and
disposal
Using material resources efficiently to cut down on the amount
of
waste
we produce and, where waste is generated, dealing with it in a way that actively contributes to economic, social and environmental goals of sustainable
development. ^top
Treatment by heat. For waste this includes incineration,
pyrolysis and
gasification.
or tpa Tonnes per annum.
Processes or systems obtained from independent organisations
or those
outside the West of England.
V
The remaining capacity in active or committed landfill or landraise
sites.
Processing waste materials to decrease the amount of
space the
materials occupy. It is accomplished by mechanical, thermal or biological means.
W
Unwanted materials as defined by the Environmental Protection
Act 1990.
Waste includes any scrap metal, effluent or unwanted surplus substance or
article that requires to be disposed of because it is broken, worn out,
contaminated or otherwise spoiled. Explosives and radioactive wastes are
excluded.
The amount of waste generated in a given locality over
a given
period of
time.
Waste Collection Authority – Organisation responsible
for collection
of
household waste eg. your local council.
Waste Disposal Authority – Organisation responsible
for disposing of
municipal waste eg. your local council.
An order of waste management methods based on their predicted
sustainability.  A facility where waste is delivered for sorting prior to
transfer
to another
place for recycling, treatment or disposal.
Waste Development Plan Document.
Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment.
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Zero Waste is a new approach to the flow of materials and energy. It considers
the life cycle of products as well as the reuse, recovery and recycling of
resources in a manner that is cleaner and more efficient. The Zero Waste
approach recognises the connections between materials, products, and infrastructure
to ecological functions and services provided by the natural environment,
and is being promoted in a number of countries including New Zealand and
Canada.
Zero Waste is not only about recycling and diversion from landfills. It is
also about restructuring production and distribution methods to prevent waste
from being manufactured in the first place. Whatever materials are still required
in a resource efficient system will be recycled right back into production.
Zero Waste is a policy, a path, a target. It is a new way of thinking. Most
of all it is a vision. It represents a new approach to planning encompassing
the principles of conserving resources, minimizing pollution, maximizing employment
opportunities, and providing the greatest degree of economic self-reliance.
For more information on Zero Waste down load the Institute of Public Policy’s
paper on A Zero Waste UK published 2006.
Did You Know? ……
The largest thing in the world made by humans is an old landfill site on Statten
Island in New York, It’s bigger than the Great Wall of China. It covers
2,100 acres, and is so large it can be seen with the naked eye from space.
First opened in 1947, it is unlined and leaches toxic chemicals and heavy metals
into nearby estuaries each day. Its odour reaches into neighbourhoods on both
sides of the river which separates Staten Island from New Jersey.
This landfill site contained about 3 billion cubic feet of waste when it closed
in the spring of 2001 and was the highest point on the U.S. Eastern seaboard.
It became the repository for rubble from the World Trade Towers that were destroyed
in the terrorist attacks on 9/11. Yet as massive as this landfill site is,
it took only .02 percent of the waste generated in the U.S. Americans and American
industry generate an additional 5,500 times as much solid waste daily. Residents,
businesses and institutions in the US generate about 220 million tons of garbage
every year person every day. Most of the refuse is sent to landfills or incinerators,
but about 30 percent is recycled, from paper to glass to aluminium to steel
to plastic.
Extract from : Discarding the Idea of Waste:
The Need for a Zero Waste Policy Now
By Michael Jessen, BA, C.R.M. 2003 ^top
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Glossary