Isonomia

by Adam Baddeley

An article by one my colleagues last year set out an intelligent case for the export of waste from the UK for use as fuel in other European Union (EU) Member States, particularly highlighting that this need not be just a short-term fix. But the debate rumbles on, and has begun to take new forms, so I thought I would examine the numbers and see how the case for retaining our refuse derived fuel (RDF), also known as solid recovered fuel (SRF), for incineration in the UK, stacks up.

Read more on Exports: a waste of energy?…

by Phillip Ward

It will no doubt take Owen Paterson a few days to uncover all the issues Caroline Spelman left in his in-tray.

One which has dipped under the radar is the promised revised guidance on applying the waste hierarchy.  Whilst it has been around for a long time, the hierarchy assumes greater significance now that the revised Waste Framework Directive gives its prioritisation of methods of waste treatment a statutory basis. Last year it was enshrined in England and Wales regulations that are now in force. Anyone creating or handling waste is already obliged to follow the hierarchy (Prevention, Preparing for Reuse, Recycling, Recovery or Disposal) and penalties can be imposed if they fail to do so. However, the guidance is a critical tool to enable the hierarchy to be applied in practice.

Read more on Reshuffling the waste hierarchy…

by Joe Papineschi

A few weeks ago I went to a great little event hosted by LG Legal at their HQ next to Boris’s City Hall that brought together leading players in the Anaerobic Digestion (AD) industry. I started writing about it in an initial fit of inspiration on the last train back to Bristol, while the debate (chaired by BBC Science Correspondent David Shukman), the good dinner, and several glasses of wine were still in my system.  Unfortunately after about a page of ranting I had typed myself to sleep, and only in the last couple of days has my screed come to light. Amazingly, I think I hit on a point that remains worth making – one which, if the leading players took it on board, would transform the economics of AD.

Read more on Collectors hold the key…

by  Rob Gillies

The biggest job in UK local government is up for grabs on May 3^rd, as voters hit the polls for the London Mayoral election. Whilst it may not quite match the razzmatazz of the US democratic process, it has thrown up one or two highlights. You may have seen Peter Jones’s comparison of the green policies of the would-be Republican nominees – in the same spirit, what do the mayoral candidates have to offer an environmentally minded Londoner?

Read more on Do votes grow on trees?…

by Peter Jones

A talk by Helen Browning, CEO of the Soil Association, on 2 November left me pondering the problems of farming and waste.  Helen is a compelling speaker and, despite battling the after-effects of a cold, tackled a lot of topics with energy and thoughtfulness.

Read more on Slurry seems to be the hardest word…