International Review of Waste Management Policy - Department of ...

of material generated as waste (since avoiding the production of waste entails a
reduction in primary or secondary material demand and associated reductions in
energy use, hidden material flows, pollution and other general adverse impacts on the
environment and human health).
There are likely to be possible exceptions to this rule. For example, if home
composting of organics effectively prevents the anaerobic digestion of the same
material, then it is possible that there may be a negative environmental benefit.
Home composting does eliminate the environmental impacts associated with
vehicular transport, but these tend to be a relatively minor contributor to the overall
environmental impacts associated with waste (though this assumes that the systems
for collecting waste are efficient ones). In our analysis, however, even though the
environmental impacts of home composting may be inferior to well performing
anaerobic digestion systems, the cost savings implied may justify the loss in
environmental benefit. 161
8.5.1.2 Evidence of Environmental Benefits Related to Recycling
Compared to waste prevention, the environmental benefits of recycling are typically
easier to quantify and, under the majority of circumstances, tend to be positive.
Recycling post consumer waste into new products gives environmental benefits
associated with the avoided extraction of primary materials, and the balance of
energy consumption between manufacture from primary and secondary materials.
Typically, product manufacture from recycled material uses significantly less energy,
and produces less emissions compared with manufacture from primary resources. A
policy guidance note for UK government indicates that recycling paper can entail 28-
70% less energy use, produces 95% fewer emissions, requires less water, and far
fewer raw materials. Similarly, producing aluminium from recycled materials uses only
5% of the energy used in primary production and generates only 5% of the
greenhouse gas emissions associated with manufacture from raw materials. Again,
making carrier bags from recycled plastic consumes two thirds less energy, releases
lower levels of pollutants and uses nearly 90% less water than manufacture from
primary polymer. 162
As such, within this report we also use the proxy that:
125
“Recycling = Environmental Benefit”.
We can, however, look to the literature to confirm this. The OECD charging review
assesses the private costs of waste management considered alongside monetised
environmental costs and benefits associated with avoided energy usage in the
manufacture of products and the reduction in environmental damage resulting from
disposal of residual waste. Of particular interest is the study into the Belgian
experience of Ghent and Destelbergen. Figure 8-1 (taken from the OECD review)
161 See Eunomia (2007) Managing Biowastes from Households in the UK: Applying Life-cycle Thinking
in the Framework of Cost-benefit Analysis, Banbury, Oxon: WRAP.
162 The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (2005) Recycling Household Waste, December
2005, POST Note Number 252, www.parliament.uk/documents/upload/postpn252.pdf
International Review of Waste Policy: Annexes