Draft Business Waste Strategy PDF - london.gov.uk - Greater ...

12 Mayor of London
Making waste work in London The Mayor’s Draft Business Waste Management Strategy
those traditionally involved in waste management and the contribution
of reuse to waste targets and goals is difficult to measure. However,
in recognition of the social, environmental and economic benefits that
reuse can deliver, it is being increasingly drawn into the regulatory and
policy system.
Recycle and compost
2.9 Recycling prevents valuable resources being disposed of to landfill and
reduces the need for raw materials. Recycling requires an energy input
to reform the materials into different products, but it is generally much
lower than the energy required to process raw materials. This results
in more efficient use of resources and lower greenhouse gas emissions.
UK recycling currently saves between 10 and 15 million tonnes of carbon
dioxide equivalent greenhouse gases per year compared to other waste
management options 9 . Through this strategy the Mayor has set
challenging reuse, recycling and composting targets for London’s
businesses and seeks to develop new recycling and reprocessing
infrastructure for London and prioritise recycling that achieves the
greatest carbon benefits.
2.10 Composting is a controlled process where organic materials, such as food
and garden waste, are broken down in the presence of oxygen to produce
compost for use as a soil improver and other landscaping uses. Wastederived
compost can replace peat, which provides a natural carbon store
and helps protect the UK’s natural landscapes. Composting avoids the
production of methane (a powerful greenhouse gas 10 ), which is generated
if organic materials are disposed of to landfill.
2.11 The compost industry is in the midst of dramatic change. Until recently,
composting has been a largely low-tech process, principally used for the
management of green waste (leaves and trimmings from gardens and
parks) the majority of which has taken place using open-air windrows.
However, in order to meet the targets of the Landfill Allowance Trading
Scheme, London boroughs have been required to divert greater quantities
of biodegradable waste, including food waste, from landfill. To protect
human health the Animal By-Products Regulations (2005) restrict the
composting of food waste to specialist facilities. These factors have
required the composting industry to develop enclosed facilities, such as
in-vessel systems, suitable for the urban environment and which meet
stringent regulations.
2.12 Anaerobic digestion is the treatment of biodegradable wastes in the
absence of oxygen. The process produces a methane-rich biogas, which
can be converted into heat and power. Ultimately, it can be used as a