The climate change phenomenon, its causes and consequences, is now generally accepted and recognised by the international scientific community, governments, the private sector, NGOs and the general population.

It requires a robust response. Solutions must be found that will mitigate emissions of greenhouse gases and help to adapt to its unavoidable consequences. The complexity of the issue requires the acceptance of a common responsibility from both the public and private sector.

The waste industry occupies a unique position as a potential reducer of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. As industries and countries worldwide struggle to address their carbon footprint, waste sector activities represent an opportunity for carbon reduction which has yet to be fully exploited.

The waste sector offers a portfolio of proven, practical and cost effective technologies which can contribute to GHG mitigation. When adapted and deployed according to local traditions and needs, they can help secure significant global GHG emission savings.

The transfer of sustainable technology to developing countries is crucial to reducing GHG emissions. The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), introduced under the Kyoto protocol, has provided an opportunity for the waste sector to make significant advances towards this goal. However, structural and administrative improvements to the CDM registration process are needed.

Waste policies and regulations can be strong national drivers to reduce GHG emissions.

However, accurate measurement and quantification of GHG emissions is vital in order to set and monitor realistic reduction targets at all levels. Current methodologies form a valuable database for assessment of GHG emissions from waste activities, however, improvements are required to adequately represent the full life-cycle of materials and energy.

Read More ISWA: Waste and Climate Change White Paper.

SARDINIA SYMPOSIUM NEWSLETTER –
11 ^th AUGUST 2009

The Twelfth edition of the Sardinia Symposium, SARDINIA 2009 will include two general sessions and six specialized and workshop sessions for a total of eight parallel tracks.

During the meeting several interesting case studies and major controversial subjects will be discussed, representing an excellent opportunity for exchange of knowledge and experiences.

The final programme is available in the web site www.sardiniasymposium.it

Visit the web site www.sardiniasymposium.it for full details on how best to enjoy the Sardinia Symposium and register. Don’t forget to contact the IWWG secretariat to register in the IWWG training courses.

The Waster recommends the Sardinia Symposium as the top global waste management event. Sadly, the Waster himself, who did have the abstract of his paper this year approved for presentation, will not be able to attend this time, due to lack of funds due to recessionary belt tightening measures, otherwise he would be there like a shot! (by the way! – If anyone has a spare ticket, I can use, because they are unable to attend at the last minute for any reason please do email me!)

Just when will our society realise that when everyone produces such large quantities of waste, the waste HAS to be processed and disposed of somehow, and somewhere, and that it is unreasonable to expect to send it out of the area in which the waste was created!

In our first case the Surrey County Council Energy from Waste (EfW) facility, which only received planning permission in October 2008, now looks set to face further delays after a successful challenge against its development by the local parish council. Surrey Waste Management’s proposal for the facility at the Clockhouse Brickworks site in Capel, Surrey, has suffered a myriad of set-backs and challenges since the original planning permission, granted as far back as 2002, was overturned.

An official judgment is expected to have been made by the end of February (after this issue has gone to press). The 100000 tonnes capacity facility was intended to be operational in 2012 as part of a PFI-funded deal between Sita subsidiary, Surrey Waste Management, and the county council.

Our second problem waste processing facility in Cornwall has been rejected and new plans must be drawn up, so the problem is really serious for the citizens of Cornwall. The following is an extract from the BBC News item highlighting the problem:

New county waste plans ‘needed’

An alternative strategy for dealing with Cornwall’s waste needs to be drawn up as soon as possible, a council scrutiny committee has ruled.

The call to Cornwall Council comes after plans by waste company Sita for an incinerator at St Dennis were refused two weeks ago.

Sita then withdrew proposals for a waste centre at Scorrier last week.

The council will decide whether to follow the recommendation for a waste plan after elections later in the year.

Cornwall Council’s Environment Policy and Development Scrutiny Committee recommended that a dedicated panel be set up to look at alternatives.

The committee’s chairman, independent councillor Mark Kaczmarek, said: “It is essential that Cornwall has a clear way forward to deal with its waste.

“Our remaining landfill is running out. Far too much time and money has been wasted over the last few years and no solution to Cornwall’s waste disposal has been created. Cornwall Council must make this issue a priority.”

The full council will decide whether to follow the recommendation for a waste plan after it holds its elections in June.

County councillors voted 20-to-one on 26 March against Sita’s bid to build a waste-to-energy incinerator in the county. Planning officials had advised the council to grant the application.

The £117m waste-to-energy plant would have handled all of Cornwall’s waste – an estimated 240,000 tonnes of waste a year which would, in turn, have generated power for thousands of homes across the county. More here.

26-01-2009

Gasification specialists Energos have been appointed to provide the technology for a multi-million pound waste treatment facility being built in Derby.

The company, which is part of Manchester-based renewable energy firm ENER-G, will help to develop a 140,000 tonne-a-year gasification facility on Sinfin Lane in Derby on behalf of a joint venture between United Utilities and services firm Interserve.

An artist’s impression of the Sinfin Lane facility that will use Energos’ gasification technology

United Utilities and Interserve were confirmed on January 13 as preferred bidder for a 27-year deal, beginning in 2010, to design, build and operate a facility to process both Derbyshire county council and Derby city council’s residual household waste.

Energos’ appointment means the plant will use their patented version of the advanced thermal treatment process to convert the waste into a gas, which will then be used to produce 8MW of electricity for export to the National Grid.

Energos’ process has already been installed in a plant on the Isle of Wight which opened last year (see letsrecycle.com story) and, in July 2008, the company submitted a planning proposal to build an 80,000 tonne-a-year capacity facility at Knowsley, on Merseyside (see letsrecycle.com story).

The Derby project’s joint venture project director, Blair Marriott, said: “We are pleased to be working with Energos which offers a world class, low emission technology and a proven reputation for excellence.

“Our proposed state-of-the-art waste management facility points the way forward for UK municipal solid waste management and is a viable and environmentally friendly alternative to landfill and incineration,” he added.

Energos’ managing director, Nick Dawber, described the facility as “a community-sized solution to responsibly dealing with local waste.”

United Utilities and Interserve were announced as preferred bidder for the Derbyshire contract in December 2008, winning a lengthy head-to-head contest with Spanish-owned Waste Recycling Group (WRG) (see letsrecycle.com story).

The deal represents United Utilities first major contract success in the waste sector, though it is one of four shortlisted bidders for the Cheshire PFI contract (see letsrecycle.com story), and is also part of the consortium the ‘Resource from Waste Alliance’ which is the running for the Merseyside PFI waste deal (see letsrecycle.com story).

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The “Wasters” Waste Management Related Web Sites

Here is a list of the various Waste Management web sites that I have created over the past 5 or more years.

It has now reached the point that there are so many that I will need this list myself in order to keep track of them, and ensure that I regularly update them.

All the sites are independent of any manufacturer, and many are supported by my Employer.

I have listed them in chronological order with the oldest first:

www.leachate.co.uk - Leachate Treatment Site: UK centred and Worldwide Plants. Normally ranks well in all search engines. Listed in the DMOZ Directory. Provides detailed information and many case studies on the design and commissioning of biological leachate treatment plants. (What is leachate? It’s the dirty water that seeps out of landfilled waste mostly from rain.

www.landfill-site.com - Landfill Site Technical Information. UK Centred. All types of landfills, lists, links, and articles.

www.landfill-gas.com - Landfill Gas Technical Information. UK Centred. All types of landfills, lists, links, and articles. Landfill gas extraction, pumping and flaring. More recently some energy as aspects, and details about bio-oxidation research we have been conducting.

www.compost.me.uk – A composting web site which provides commercial composting information, and is a promotional vehicle for my employer’s Composting expertise. A very popular web site, for this small niche.

www.waste-technology.co.uk – A waste technology information web site which lists all the major waste technologies currently being developed for recycling, waste minimisation, and the diversion of waste from landfill. Again UK centred, and originally based on an extended briefing Note on Waste Technologies.

www.mechanical-biological-treatment.com – Links to my main Waste Technology Web Site. No unique content.

www.leachate-treatment.com – A site which is purely a niche site to promote the Enviros Consulting Leachate management Service.

www.leachate-irrigation.com – Set up as a collaborative site to research the stae of the art in leachate irrigation throughout Europe and wider if the oppotrunity arises. Just a small site. Much of the data is held in the membership area.

www.waste-technologies.co.uk – Is a large web site of articles, directory pages and information about the development of waste technologies for waste processing. Although the Index Page is UK centred, most of the rest of the site is worldwide in content and outlook.

www.anaerobic-digestion.com – After the popularity of the waste technology web sites became apparent I created this site which has in a short period since autumn 2005 become one of my most visited sites, second only to the main leachate web site.

www.resource-india.net – Environmental Resources for India. A web site offering information articles and services in Waste Management, Landfill, Composting, Environmental Software, etc.

www.blog.landfillcqa.co.uk – Landfill Construction Quality Assurance is an important element of all United Kingdom Landfill Developement work whether it be a lining, or a capping project. In this blog we provide general information on the Landfill CQA scene, and news.

Tags: DSEAR Leachate Landfill Mechanical Biological Treatment Waste Technology Anaerobic Digestion Leachate Treatment Compost Landfill Gas Landfill Site Landfill Construction Quality Assurance