Recycling is the recovery of useable material by putting waste through a process.
The process which returns the material to a useable state can be thermal (e.g. re-melting scrap metal), chemical (e.g. bleaching), or physical (e.g. shredding waste paper to make insulation). Often a material will need a combination of processes to return it to use.
Segregation and collection for recycling
Most companies can show some example of where a waste material is collected separately for recycling, e.g. office paper or scrap metals.
The key to keeping down costs in recycling is segregation. For some wastes, segregation of materials can occur when mixed materials pass through material recycling facilities (MRFs). For domestic wastes, kerbside collection of segregated recyclables is becoming the standard. It offers better efficiency than separation at the MRF and helps to promote recycling amongst householders.
In commercial premises, segregation of wastes is worthwhile if:
- there is an outlet for the collected material;
- the collected material is in a condition which satisfies the recycler’s specifications;
- a suitably licensed contractor is ready to collect the material; and
- employees are trained and instructed in the correct procedures for segregation of the waste.
Pre-treatment
It is now (since 30 October 2007) a legal requirement for waste producers to pre-treat their waste before sending it to landfill. Waste will have been considered as having undergone pre-treatment if it has undergone a physical, thermal, chemical or biological process (including sorting); that also changes the characteristics of the waste; and it must do so in order to:
- reduce its volume, or
- hazardousness nature, or
- facilitate its handling, or
- enhance its recovery.
Separating some of your general waste streams for reuse or recycling is therefore an acceptable form of pre-treatment. Note that compaction (e.g. squashing a cardboard box) does not qualify as treatment. The pre-treatment could be done either by yourself, or by your waste contractor at a sorting facility.
Some waste materials will have to be treated in some way before they can be put through a recycling process, e.g. a load of non-ferrous scrap metal may have to be checked for radioactive contamination, passed under a magnet to remove any ferrous metal contaminants and treated to remove oils, greases or paints before it can be loaded into a furnace and re-melted.
Even carefully segregated wastes may require some kind of separation process to ensure their suitability for recycling, e.g. paper waste may contain staples, paperclips, plastic binders or glossy paper (which contains china clay). All of these materials are unwanted contaminants when the paper is pulped.
Who is affected?
The requirements apply to anyone that is involved in sending waste to landfill and to each site and each separate waste stream on that site.
If you already sort out recyclables, such as glass, paper plastics or metal from your general waste stream, or have a separate collection for such material, then your waste satisfies the pre-treatment requirements. In these cases no further treatment is necessary and no further action is required.
For waste streams where simple segregation for recycling is not possible, other forms of treating waste include thermal treatment, such as incineration with energy recover, mechanical biological treatment or anaerobic digestion. Your waste management company will be able to advise you on the best option for your waste stream.
If you want to continue sending waste to landfill, you will have to demonstrate that is has been pre-treated.
What are the new duties?
The legal obligation for ensuring that no waste ends up in landfill which hasn't been pre-treated, lies with the landfill operator. However, as a waste producer, and as part of your Duty of Care, you are expected to either:
- treat your own waste, for example through sorting recyclables out from the mixed waste stream; or
- get your waste management company to do the waste treatment for you.
If you decide to treat your own waste before sending it to landfill you will need to provide written confirmation to the landfill operator that you have treated the waste. You should include the declaration with your waste transfer note, and keep a copy with your waste transfer records.
How is it enforced?
Since April 2008 landfill operators have been required to obtain written evidence from waste producers that their waste has been treated. The Environment Agency will be able to monitor compliance with the rules under its inspection programme and audit of landfills and where necessary, take enforcement action.
Visit the Environment Agency website and Waste Matters which offers help and advise to businesses on compliance with waste legislation.
Envirowise offer small business a free and confidential ‘fastrack’ waste minimisation audit.
Transformation
This is the step that turns the waste into a useful material once again. Paper can be turned into pulp and, when suitably bleached, mixed with fresh paper fibres to be turned into new paper. Metals can be melted and re-cast into new ingots. Polystyrene foam can be ‘densified’ and extruded to create new products such as garden furniture.
All these processes use energy. Many also use aggressive chemicals and give rise to difficult wastes.
In every case, the life cycle of the recycled material should be compared with other recovery options, such as incineration with heat recovery. Recycling may not be the best environmental option in every case.
Location of recycling centres
Recycling needs an infrastructure for transportation, segregation and treatment of wastes.
Ideally, the proximity principle (see managing environmental responsibilities) should predominate, and local recycling centres would sort wastes so that transportation costs are minimised.
In practice, obtaining planning permission is often difficult for such facilities. Common problems or reasons for neighbour complaint are traffic volumes, odours, noise, vermin, etc..