London Wider Waste Strategy - London - Greater London Authority

egulations and also seeks to minimise the opportunities for data under and overreporting
that are present in the current system.
7.48. The Environment Agency believes that any data validity uncertainties associated with
their current SWaT database are not significant compared with the potential for the
over-reporting of hazardous wastes resulting from the current common practice of
notification of mixtures of non-hazardous and hazardous wastes as all hazardous.
7.49. In 2002, a total of 458,579 tonnes of hazardous waste arisings were recorded from
London. This represents around 9% of the total hazardous waste arisings recorded in
England and Wales (5.08 million tonnes). The bulk of London’s hazardous waste
arisings (334,558 tonnes, 73%) are ‘C&D waste and Asbestos’. Other significant waste
categories reported are: ‘Oil and Oil/Water Mixtures’ (38,085 tonnes, 8%), Water
Industry and Waste Water Treatment (33,198 tonnes, 7%) and inorganic chemical
processes (9,974 tonnes, 2%).
7.50. Of the 334,558 tonnes of hazardous ‘C&D waste and asbestos’ arisings in London in
2002, analysis of previous years’ data indicates that the greater part (around 68%, or
227,500 tonnes) is likely to comprise contaminated soil materials from brownfield site
development.
7.51. London is the least self-contained region in England and Wales for hazardous waste
management and in 2002 it treated and disposed of only 3.7% (16,900 tonnes) of the
hazardous waste it produces. The bulk of the hazardous waste exported from London
was landfilled. Conversely London also imports hazardous waste from other regions and
in 2002 this amounted to 18,700 tonnes, mostly from the South-East and the East of
England. An analysis of the types of hazardous waste imported into London for
treatment and disposal indicated the bulk of these wastes (10,127 tonnes) comprise ‘oil
and oil/water mixtures’.
7.52. An estimated total of 334,045 tonnes (~73% of London’s total hazardous waste
production) was landfilled in 2002, most of this outside London. It is likely that the
majority of this was untreated.
7.53. A breakdown of hazardous waste disposed of in London (including imports) indicates
the two main categories to be: ‘oil and oil/water mixtures’ (40%, 22,376 tonnes) and
‘C&D waste and asbestos’ (35%, 19,604 tonnes). However our review of infrastructure
capacity in London indicates that from July 2004, there will be no capacity in London to
accept C&D wastes and asbestos, and these wastes will have to be disposed of outside
London. Oil and oil/water mixtures will most likely continue to be processed in London.
The requirement from July 2004 to export all hazardous C&D wastes (mostly
contaminated soils) is likely to have an immediate impact on the cost of brownfield site
development in London - from this date.
7.54. Overall there has been no growth recorded in hazardous wastes arisings in England and
Wales between 1998/99 and 2002/03, and this trend has been repeated in London,
although the pattern of arisings documented in London over the last 4 years is rather
erratic with annual fluctuations of up to 45%. It is uncertain whether these fluctuations
are representative of changes in actual waste arisings or a function of the data validity
and consignment note reporting uncertainties.
7.55. For England and Wales, the effects of the Landfill Directive’s requirements to end codisposal,
and to pre-treat all wastes prior to landfill are expected to result in an annual
shortfall of some 1.0 million tonnes of landfill capacity from 16th July 2004. However
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