The Hazardous Waste Problem & Why Action Is Needed
As part of its waste strategy of the last five years, the UK’s Environment Agency (EA) has been stepping up its game on unnecessary waste disposal – where alternatives, such as the Rubbish removal company that works efficiently and without hassles, treatment, reclamation and recycling could be used instead. In its final waste strategy , the EA identified hazardous waste as one of its key concerns – too much was being improperly dealt with after being collected.
It’s report noted that all other types of waste (municipal, biodegradable, electronic and packaging) were improving since its last corporate strategy (2005-2010) and were on target to reduce the unnecessary waste collection and disposal figures – but hazardous waste had made no changes in the last ten years, with the EA identifying it as a concern with ‘additional urgent action required’. Hazardous waste disposal company BKP Group looks at why the situation hasn’t improved, and what action needs to be taken to remedy the situation. (which can be viewed here)
Why The UK Situation Is Concerning
A vast majority of waste, including hazardous waste comes from the construction and demolition industry – according to the EA’s final waste strategy, it accounts for 32% of all annual waste in the UK, narrowly overtaking the mining and quarrying industries which account for 29%. Major sources of hazardous waste in construction is from organic chemical process from oil, and contaminated land remediation – producing hazardous waste which needs to be carefully managed and either treated or disposed of properly.
Five years ago, the level of this for England and Wales reached 6.6 million tonnes, and hasn’t shown signs of improving (though we are only two years away from the EA’s next report and set of recommendations) – it’s a long way off the targeted 533,000 tonnes per year.
What Action Can Be Taken By The Environment Agency?
Over the last three years, over halfway through the EA’s current strategy, has already implement plans to offer financial incentives for the most effective disposal techniques, to minimise the environmental impact. This has included a 20% rise in Landfill Tax (from £40 per tonne to £48 per tonne), and more stringent action against those who illegally dump or mismanage waste – Thames Water, for example, was fined over £400,000 after mismanaged of effluent waste water.
An article from TechWaste Recycling suggests that as a large proportion of hazardous waste is coming from construction sites, it should be stressed that appropriate waste management and disposal strategies are implement – chiefly, this involves ensuring that a fully licensed waste disposal firm is used, and that they have environmental strategies in mind regarding the appropriate disposal of harmful and hazardous waste.
Only then will we see these figures drop, as well as see a reduction in the environmental impact that illegal dumping and mismanagement (including illegal export) can have – effective management, treatment and reclamation (where possible) and disposal will help reduce the effect of hazardous waste, making the Environment Agency’s a goal far less of an unobtainable pipe dream and more of a reality.
