London Wider Waste Strategy - London - Greater London Authority

2.34. Legislation applying to specific types of C&I waste includes the following:
• Packaging waste, through the Producer Responsibility (Packaging Waste)
Regulations 1997*, is the most regulated waste type within the C&I waste stream.
However the Regulations have little direct impact on smaller companies below the
turnover and volume thresholds, being £2m and 50 tonnes of packaging per annum.
• The Hazardous Waste Regulations* to be introduced in mid-2004 will require some
wastes, such as monitor screens, to be diverted from the general C&I stream into the
hazardous waste stream.
• The new Batteries Directive which is to replace the Batteries and Accumulators
Directive* later in 2004, is expected to set a collection target of 95% of industrial
batteries and to require 55% of collected battery materials to be recycled, and will
have to be transposed into UK law.
• The End of Life Vehicles Regulations 2003* will require producers to take back or
provide for disposal of vehicles at the end of their useful lives.
2.35. The Landfill Tax Regulations 1996* provide a cost incentive which works to discourage
landfilling of C&I waste to an extent, particularly waste which is defined as ‘active waste’
and is subject to a higher charge.
2.36. The Landfill Regulations 2002* require that certain waste types are not disposed of in
landfills, such as hazardous waste (unless in a hazardous waste landfill), liquid wastes,
whole tyres (from 2003), and shredded tyres (from 2006). While applying in the first
instance to the disposal contractor, the Regulations have an upstream effect on waste
generators who must segregate such wastes for appropriate treatment or disposal.
Construction and Demolition Waste
2.37. Construction and demolition (C&D) waste management is also largely market driven.
The main legislative requirements relate to contaminated soil from brownfield sites,
which is generally classified as hazardous waste, and asbestos waste. The Producer
Responsibility Regulations 2002* also apply to packaging generated at construction
sites.
2.38. The Aggregates Levy* (implemented under the Finance Act 2001) affects the
management of C&D waste by increasing the cost of virgin aggregates (currently by an
increase of £1.60 per tonne) and thus provides some incentive for re-use and recycling
existing aggregate materials. The Landfill Tax also provides an incentive through the
cost of disposal of waste in landfills (£10/tonne for ‘active’ waste, and £2/tonne for
‘inactive’ (inert) waste). The relatively high transport and disposal costs for C&D waste,
due to the large quantities generated, provide a further financial incentive for re-use
and recycling.
Hazardous Waste
2.39. The hazardous waste chapter of this report describes the specific legislation applying to
such waste, which is much more extensive than that applying to C&I or C&D waste. The
existing Special Waste Regulations 1996* are to be replaced by the Hazardous Waste
Regulations* in mid-2004, which will increase the volume of waste requiring
management as hazardous waste with a commensurate reduction in the general C&I
waste stream. At the same time, the Landfill Regulations 2002* will prevent co-disposal
of hazardous and non-hazardous wastes from July 2004 and thus limit the disposal
options available.
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