Agricultural waste has been exempt from industry waste restrictions under the amended European Waste Framework Directive up until this point, but DEFRA is now looking to introduce the controls, which other sectors of industry already face.
The National Farmers' Union has been working closely with the government, representing its members' concerns over the new controls as part of the Agricultural Waste Stakeholders' Forum.
Richard Percy, a Hertfordshire farmer and the NFU's representative on the forum, said that with the new controls expected in the summer 2004 is was now time for farmers to prepare.
Mr Percy said: “This is European legislation and we have to get on with it. We have engaged with DEFRA and the Environment Agency to make this workable. We do need recycling schemes and we do need for those to get off the ground as we are starting from a dead start. There is a lot to be done to get the ideal solution.”
Collection
The controls are likely to mean the end of many common waste disposal practices on the 180,000 farms in England and Wales. An Agricultural Waste Stakeholders' Forum study found that 90% of farmers are currently disposing of waste using methods that would be forbidden by the Waste Framework Directive, including burning waste in the open, using farm dumps to bury it or putting it in the household dustbin.
Industry experts have warned that the difficulty of collecting waste in rural areas would be a key problem, although treatment facilities are likely to be sufficient. The Forum has estimated that the new regulations would cost farmers about 50 million. Farms in England and Wales produce about 300,000 tonnes of non-natural wastes each year, including plastics, tyres and machinery, with a further 600,000 tonnes of scrap metal and tyres currently though to be stored on farms.
Consultation
John MacIntyre, waste policy officer responsible for the new agricultural waste controls at DEFRA, said the government is looking to introduce the new regulations mid-2004. He explained: “There will be a public consultation early next year and will last for three months. DEFRA and the ministers will then read the responses and produce regulations which could be introduced in the early summer, perhaps in June.”
Mr MacIntyre warned that some practices will be affected immediately by the new controls, while others would have transitional arrangements phasing in the requirements.
He said: “Farm 'd;umps' or uncontrolled landfill will be controlled from day one of the regulations. But the other provisions will have a run up time, perhaps of six to 12 months.”
It has been suggested that suppliers of agricultural goods could offer a take back service for waste packaging, while some local authorities might accept agricultural waste at civic amenity sites. Councils have no obligations to take farm waste – because it is classified as industrial waste – but DEFRA is working with the Local Government Association over possible assistance the local authority sector may be able to provide in this area.
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