Printers Must Treat Non-Hazardous Waste

Non-hazardous waste will have to be treated before it is disposed in landfill sites in the UK after the end of October, according to the UK government's sustainable business organisation Envirowise.

Printers will need to treat their non-hazardous waste destined for landfill, in addition to current regulations that compel businesses to separate and treat hazardous waste.

The new rules became yesterday and their provisions could also include anything from food waste, paper and plastic, to bricks, wood and soil.

Envirowise said that printers could be eligible for a fast-track visit from the organisation, where an Envirowise advisor will work with companies on-site to help identify cost savings and develop a tailored resource efficiency action plan.

More information is available on the Envirowise website.

The regulations represent the next step in the European Landfill Directive 2 and are likely to change the way businesses think about and handle waste on a daily basis, believes Envirowise.

Heather Cholerton, Envirowise's programme delivery leader, said: "The main objective is to encourage companies to consider options for elimination, minimisation, re-use, recycling and recovery of their wastes.

From October 30, non-hazardous waste must be treated in some way before being sent to landfill.

Treatment can be as simple as collecting wastes in separate streams and arranging for the recycling of one or more of the separated components.

She continued: "Other treatment options include physical treatment, such as breaking down waste brick in to aggregate and such thermal treatments as incineration, or mechanical biological treatment (MBT) which involves composting or anaerobic digestion, for instance.

It will be the responsibility of landfill operators in England and Wales to ensure that non-hazardous waste has been treated before accepting it for disposal 3.

Cholerton explained that in the longer term Envirowise is hoping the new rules will encourage people not just to focus on treatment but to also consider whether their waste needs to be generated at all.

And she explained: "The more businesses can do to reduce the use of raw materials at the outset, the more resource efficient and cost-efficient their operations will be.

Back to top