“We are exploring the possibility for something to ensure local authorities provide separate collections for domestic hazardous waste,” Andy Howarth said.
” We are expecting that separate collections of household hazardous waste will be required in three to five years time
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– Fay Daspher, waste contacts officer, Oxfordshire county council
However, Mr Howarth was quick to add that he was “not making an announcement about this and obviously we realise councils would require more funding, but we are looking at it within the current review of the Waste Strategy 2000. We want to encourage better policies on household hazardous waste.
The comments were made at the National Household Hazardous Waste Forum in Oxford yesterday, which was organised by SWAP.
The event, attended by about 130 local authority recycling and waste management officers was to officially launch 'The Haz Guide: Managing hazardous waste at Household Waste Recycling Centres' CD, which is being made available to every unitary and waste disposal authority in the UK.
Time scale
Also speaking at the event was Fay Daspher, waste contacts officer for Oxfordshire county council. She said: “We are expecting that separate collections of household hazardous waste will be required in three to five years time. Oxfordshire is already making plans and encouraging as much minimising of hazardous waste as possible in preparation.”
As of 16 July this year CA sites and waste transfer stations accepting separate collections of domestic hazardous waste, such as TVs and batteries, need to register as waste producers under hazardous waste regulations.
Councils legally have to provide separate covered collection areas for hazardous waste and should not mix hazardous wastes in these containers if it is likely to hinder the recyclability or treatability of the waste.
Concerns were raised by local authorities at the event on the cost of providing separate areas for hazardous waste at HWRCs.
Money
Mr Howarth said that there had been money provided to local authorities in 2002 and 2004 which could be used for this purpose. But one waste management officer, Andy Holmes at North Yorkshire district council said this money was likely to have been spent by now.
“Defra said it had given funding for this, but it wasn't specifically allocated for separate storage areas and a lot of councils will have spent the money meeting recycling targets. Luckily we've ordered new covered containers anyway,” he explained.
Mr Holmes expressed his dissatisfaction over the fact that WEEE regulations had not come out in line with hazardous waste regulations, as was originally planned.
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DTI is looking urgently at cost implications of delay and that they would welcome any information from CA sites on this
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– Defra
Officials and local authorities at the event all said the delay in the WEEE regulations from August 13 had caused a nuisance, particularly with the disposal of TV sets which contain hazardous cathode ray tubes. There are about 96,000 tonnes of waste TVs in the UK each year.
There is still some confusion over the relationship between WEEE and hazardous waste. (see letsrecycle.com story)
As of August 13 producers were supposed to take responsibility and pay for the disposal of waste electrical and electronic equipment such as TVs. This date has now been put back to 1 January 2006, leaving councils responsible for waste TVs and other items, which are classed as both WEEE and domestic hazardous waste.
One delegate asked Defra and Environment Agency officials whether councils would be able to apply for WEEE funding retrospectively to cover costs of providing separate areas at CA sites. The officials said they did not expect this to be a possibility.
Mr Howarth commented that the: “DTI is looking urgently at cost implications of delay and that they would welcome any information from CA sites on this.”
For a copy of the guide, contact charlotte@swap-web.co.uk or call 0113 200 3970
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