High diversion - is it achievable?

How does Bonn compare with Bexley and Daventry with Graz? Are there similarities between waste strategies in New York and London? And what is Flanders doing that makes it so good?

The answers can be found in the first ever worldwide comparative study of top recycling countries in Europe and North America highlighted in a report entitled High diversion – is it achievable? researched and written by leading UK independent waste consultant Dr David Davies and published by the Resource Recovery Forum.

In his report, Dr Davies urges the government, local authorities and devolved administrations to reconsider their waste strategies in the light of the report’s findings - otherwise there is a strong likelihood of them failing to meet statutory landfill diversion targets.

“Waste strategies in the UK tend to place greatest emphasis on meeting aspirational recycling/composting targets. In doing so they adopt a ‘top down approach’ to the waste hierarchy that places insufficient emphasis on the single most important legislative measure that should be driving the strategy, namely the EC landfill directive targets,” he said.

“As a result, the tonnage of residual waste to landfill is not ‘driven’ by the strategy, increasing the likelihood of failing to meet the statutory landfill diversion targets. It would seem better to approach the problem the other way round, as Flanders does, setting explicit targets for progressive reduction in residual waste to landfill.”

The report also accuses the London Assembly of setting unrealistic recycling/composting targets of 60% by 2015 which it believes to be unachievable. Dr Davies compares London to New York which has had mandatory recycling in place for 15 years and where its recycling rate has reached a plateau at around 20%, with 25% considered to be the maximum achievable.

“It is by no means clear how a comparable city like London will achieve a performance at two or three times this level; indeed, it will do well to match it,” warns Dr Davies.

The report will be launched by the RRF on Thursday, 24 June in London, along with an innovative RRF WasteFlow tool. This invaluable software is a waste management ‘accounting’ system that models the flow of materials through the entire MSW cycle. It is also a predictive tool and can assess how much future waste will be generated from increased household growth and the facilities needed to cope. Demonstrations of the tool will be held throughout the day.

Dr Davies said: “Recycling performance in the UK is undoubtedly improving and substantial resources are being invested in it. My concern, however, is that we are giving insufficient consideration to the need for coherent strategies for residual waste. The infrastructure needed is simply not going to be in place in time to meet the landfill directive targets”.

Kit Strange, RRF’s director, states: “The Forum’s worldwide membership shares an active interest in attaining higher levels of resource recovery and landfill diversion. This remarkable study delivers a kaleidoscopic array of insights into the policies and practices that separate the best from the rest. We are delighted with Dr Davies’ impressive study, which will assuredly become an essential reference for government agencies, municipalities, academics and consultants”.

Other key findings from the report are:

• The levels of diversion that are realistically achievable through recycling and composting differ widely according to the nature of the area being served. Population density and affluence are the two factors that appear to have the greatest significance.
• Diversion rates of 60% are achieved in several largely rural areas with low population densities. However, the best performing provincial cities and urban areas in Europe and North America achieve recycling and composting rates of around 45%. By contrast in larger metropolitan areas recycling/composting rates tend to be lower, seldom exceeding 30-35%.
• Those countries and regions that have been most successful in achieving high diversion are those with well-balanced integrated strategies, with incineration playing a strategic role in the management of their residual waste.
• One of the most successful strategies for driving high levels of diversion is also the most simple: setting a clear target for achieving progressive reductions in residual waste (expressed in kg per person).
• Best performing local authorities in the UK, including Daventry and Lichfield, have been featured in the report. It also considers “pay as you throw” PAYT schemes throughout the world and the role of incineration.
• The results show that high recycling figures can successfully work alongside energy recovery, with many countries commissioning new incinerators. “There is little evidence that incineration is ‘crowding out’ recycling, as is sometimes claimed. On the contrary, what is happening is that incineration is ‘crowding out’ landfill and replacing it as a means of residual waste treatment,” says Dr Davies in his report.

Guest speakers at the launch, which was held at Jury’s Hotel, Great Russell Street, include:

• Dr David Davies, from David Davies Associates
• Birgit Munck-Kampmann, a Director from the European Environment Agency
• Andrew Pollock, Director of Waste Management, Region of Peel, Canada
• Dr Wilhelm Himmel, Director of Waste Management & Resource Efficiency, Regional Government of Steiermark, Graz, Austria
• Keith Riley, Managing Director - Greater London & South, Onyx Environmental Group
• Peter Johnson, Director - Corporate Development, Cory Environmental
• Peter Jones, Director - Development & External Relations, Biffa
• Derek Stephenson, Communities Supporting Recycling (Canada)

You can collect a PDF showing the contents pages from here.

You can buy copies of the report High diversion - is it achievable? and the WasteFlow tool for the sum of GBP95 (including post & packaging).

You can join the RRF and get this copy (and all others) free of charge.