The Environment Agency has set out position papers on a range of topics relating to biowaste management. These position statements state the Agency‘‘s views on some of the most pressing issues concerning the developing topic of biowastes.

Facing up to the challenges of dealing with biowastes over the next decade will need the right balance of controls and incentives to encourage the reuse of waste while protecting the environment and human health, according to the Environment Agency.

The United Kingdom produces over 100 million tonnes of biodegradable waste every year, enough to fill approximately 25 Wembley stadiums, and a lot of this still ends up in landfills. The government, local authorities and industry need to focus on finding alternatives, and exploring opportunities to produce quality materials from biowaste.

Biowastes include livestock manures, the biodegradable part of municipal wastes including food and garden waste, treated sewage sludge, organic industrial waste such as paper and textiles, and compost. They are a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and pollution of watercourses if not managed properly.

Tricia Henton, Environment Agency‘‘s Director of Environment Protection, said: "The way in which biowastes are managed and disposed of by industry and local government is changing rapidly - so research and policy frameworks need to react in accordance with this. Local government, central government and the waste industry need a more coherent and integrated approach to managing and disposing of biowastes taking into account local and national government waste strategies and land use.

"We are now at a point whereby we can produce quality biowaste outputs that can be harnessed for green energy and organic fertiliser, or if mismanaged will lead to land and water contamination, odorous emissions and unabated release of greenhouse gases. Segregating the sources of biowaste prior to treatment will ensure quality inputs to a well managed treatment process, which will in turn result in quality outputs."

Key drivers for the sustainable management of biowastes in the coming decade, include:

§ The EU Landfill Directive binding the United Kingdom to a reduction of biodegradable waste sent to landfill to 35% of 1995 levels by 2020

§ Potential changes to the Nitrates Action Plans under the EU Nitrates Directive, which will require tighter controls on the amount of high nitrogen biowastes spread to land from spring 2008

§ A review by Autumn 2009 of the exemptions from permitting, under which we currently regulate waste landspreading activities,

§ The increasing focus on recovering energy from biowastes as a way of reducing greenhouse gases and producing green energy.


The position statements are described below, all are available from the websites given (all around 0.1 MB).

Sustainable management of biowastes

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/commondata/acrobat/overarching_2010742.pdf

Biowaste is often taken to mean the organic biodegradable fraction of the municipal waste stream, including garden waste, food waste and other biodegradable material such as paper. The EA have extended the definition to include similar biodegradable wastes from commercial and industrial sources, together with sewage sludge and agricultural manures and slurries. It does not include clinical bio-hazardous wastes.

Composting - maximising the benefits and minimising the environmental impacts

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/commondata/acrobat/composting_2010708.pdf

Composting can play a very important role in diverting biodegradable wastes from landfill and in recovering value from them, provided that the process is carried out properly. Composting facilities that have poor quality feed stock, that are not operated correctly or which use un