The Truth About Waste Management in the UK: How New Policies and Technologies Will Affect You
Do you know how much waste you generate every day? According to the latest statistics, the UK generated 222.2 million tonnes of waste in 2018, of which 12% was from households. That’s enough to fill over 17 million double-decker buses!
But what happens to all that waste? Where does it go? How is it managed? And most importantly, how does it affect our environment and society?
These are the questions we’ll answer in this post. We’ll reveal the current state of waste management in the UK and show you how it’s set to change by 2025. We’ll also share with you the latest innovations and trends that are transforming waste management for a greener future.
If you’re ready to become a waste management expert, read on!
The Waste Management Plan for England 2021
If you want to know how waste management in England will change by 2025, you need to know about the Waste Management Plan for England 2021 (WMPE). This document outlines the government’s vision and strategy for achieving a more circular economy in England.
What is a circular economy? It’s a system where we’re smarter with our use of resources and reduce waste as much as possible. It’s a system where we maximise the lifespan of products and materials and then recover and regenerate them once they are used or worn out. It’s a system that benefits the environment and the economy.
The WMPE is aligned with the EU Circular Economy Action Plan, which sets ambitious goals for reducing waste generation, increasing recycling and reuse, and promoting sustainable consumption and production. It also supports the UK’s net-zero emissions target by 2050, which requires a drastic reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from the waste sector.
Some key actions and measures proposed by the WMPE are:
Increasing recycling rates for household waste to 65% and for non-household municipal waste to 70% by 2035. This ensures more waste will be made into new products and materials, instead of being sent to landfill or incineration.
Reducing food waste by 50% by 2030 compared to 2007 levels. This will result in less food wasted along the supply chain, from farm to fork, saving money, resources, and emissions.
Promoting eco-design and extended manufacturer responsibility schemes to make products more durable, repairable, and recyclable. This means that manufacturers will have to design products that last longer and can be easily fixed or recycled. They will also have to pay for the costs of collecting and processing their products at the end of their life.
Supporting innovation and investment in waste management technologies. This supports the development of new solutions and practices to improve waste management efficiency and sustainability.
Improving data collection and reporting on waste generation and management. This provides more accurate and reliable information to monitor progress and identify areas for improvement.
The WMPE also explains how different types of waste are managed in England, such as municipal waste, construction and demolition waste, hazardous waste, agricultural waste, and radioactive waste. It identifies the main challenges and opportunities for each waste stream and provides guidance on how to apply the waste hierarchy principles of prevention, preparing for reuse, recycling, recovery, and disposal.
The WMPE is a key document that provides an overview of waste management in England and the plan for future improvement. It reinforces the government’s ambition to move towards a more circular economy that minimises waste and maximises resource efficiency.
Emerging Technologies and Innovations in Waste Management
Besides policy changes, another factor transforming waste management in the UK is technology. There are many emerging technologies and innovations that are turning waste into valuable resources, such as energy and materials. These innovations can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, save resources, and create new markets and jobs.
One example of how waste can be turned into energy is through thermal processes, such as incineration, gasification, and pyrolysis. These processes involve heating waste at high temperatures to produce heat, electricity, or fuels. They can process a wide range of waste types, including mixed or contaminated waste that cannot be recycled. They can also reduce the volume of waste by up to 90%, saving landfill space and costs. According to the latest statistics, thermal treatment accounted for 11.8% of local authority-collected waste in 2019/20. However, this share is expected to grow as more facilities are built and more types of waste are processed.
Another example of how waste can be turned into energy is through biological processes, such as anaerobic digestion and composting. These processes involve breaking down organic waste by microorganisms to produce biogas or compost. Biogas can be used for heating, electricity generation, or transport fuel. Compost can be used for soil improvement or fertiliser. They can process a large amount of food waste and other organic waste, such as garden waste or animal manure. They can also reduce greenhouse gas emissions by displacing fossil fuels. According to the latest statistics, biological treatment accounted for 17.1% of local authority-collected waste in 2019/20. Again, this share could also increase in the future as more food waste is collected and treated.
An example of how waste can be turned into new materials is through chemical recycling. This process breaks down plastic waste into its basic components, such as monomers or oils. These components can then be used to make new plastics or other products. Chemical recycling can overcome some of the limitations of mechanical recycling, such as quality degradation or contamination. It can also process mixed or difficult-to-recycle plastics, such as films or multi-layer packaging. Chemical recycling is still at an early stage of development in the UK, but it has the potential to revolutionise plastic waste management.
Biotechnology is another example of how waste can be turned into new materials by using biological systems, such as enzymes or microorganisms. This process can make biodegradable plastics from food waste or agricultural residues. It can also be used to make bio-based materials with novel properties, such as self-healing or antimicrobial. Biotechnology can offer a more sustainable alternative to fossil-based materials and reduce environmental impacts.
These are some of the emerging technologies and innovations that are transforming waste management in the UK. They show how waste can be seen as a resource rather than a problem and how innovation can drive a more circular economy.
Future Trends and Drivers for Waste Management
Besides policy changes and technological innovations, another factor that will shape waste management in the UK is future trends and drivers. These are the factors that will influence how much waste is generated and how it is disposed of in the coming years. They include demographic, economic, social, environmental, and regulatory factors.
One of the future trends that will affect waste management in the UK is plastic consumption. Plastic is one of the most widely used materials on the planet, but also one of the most problematic. Plastic consumption in the UK is expected to increase by 40% by 2030 compared to 2016 levels. This will result in more plastic waste being generated and requiring proper management. However, plastic waste poses several challenges for recycling and recovery, such as contamination, quality degradation, and low market value. It also causes serious environmental and health problems, such as marine pollution, wildlife harm, and microplastic ingestion. Therefore, reducing plastic consumption and increasing plastic recycling will be crucial for improving waste management in the UK.
Another future trend that will affect waste management in the UK is waste management routes. Waste management routes are the ways that waste is collected and treated before being disposed of or recovered. Waste management routes in the UK are expected to change significantly by 2028, with more emphasis on recycling and recovery. Recycling rates for household waste are expected to increase to 65% and for non-household municipal waste to 70% by 2035. Recovery rates for all types of waste are expected to increase by 1.9% annually until 2028. This will result in less waste being sent to landfill or incineration, which are the least preferred options in terms of environmental impact and resource efficiency.
Besides these trends, there are also other drivers that will influence waste management in the UK:
Population growth: The UK population is projected to grow from 66.4 million in 2019 to 69.4 million in 2028. This will increase the demand for goods and services and consequently, the amount of waste generated.
Urbanisation: The UK urban population is projected to grow from 56 million in 2019 to 59 million in 2028. This will increase the density and diversity of waste streams and require more efficient and integrated waste management systems.
Consumer behaviour: The UK consumer behaviour is influenced by factors such as income, education, awareness, and social norms. These factors can affect how consumers choose, use, and dispose of products and services and consequently their impact on waste generation and management.
Digitalisation: The UK's digitalisation is driven by factors such as innovation, investment, infrastructure, and adoption. These can affect how products and services are designed, delivered, and consumed and therefore the impact they have on waste generation and management.
These are some of the future trends and drivers that will shape waste management in the UK. As you can see, waste management is a dynamic and complex system that requires constant adaptation and improvement!
Conclusion
In this blog post, we have revealed the facts and figures about waste management in the UK and showed you how it could change by 2025. We have also shared the latest innovations and trends that are transforming waste management for a greener future.
We have seen that waste management in the UK is a crucial issue for the environment and society, as it affects our greenhouse gas emissions, resource efficiency, and economic development.
Therefore, improving waste management in the UK is not only a challenge but also an opportunity for creating a greener, healthier, and more prosperous future. To seize this opportunity, we need to take action at all levels: from individuals to organisations, from local to national, from public to private. We need to increase awareness, collaboration, innovation, and investment in waste management and support the development and adoption of new solutions.
In doing so, we can make waste management in the UK a model of excellence and sustainability for the rest of the world. We can also make a positive difference for ourselves and our planet.
