OPINION: ‘Preparing for the most intense legislative changes yet’

OPINION: This month, we see the much-discussed Simpler Recycling legislation come into force. The day after, further increases to landfill tax will come into force, with a rise to £126.15 per tonne, up from £103.70 in 2024.

It’s no secret that we all need to do better when it comes to waste, and whilst there’s a long way to go it’s perhaps fair to say that we are doing better. The problem is being tackled from a multitude of angles and whilst the government has been battling the problem for decades, the current level of activity is arguably one of the most aggressive pushes towards sustainability and waste reduction we’ve seen.

Let’s rewind:

• The 70s and 80s established guidelines which set the foundation of modern waste laws and created a framework for both hazardous and non-hazardous types of waste.
• By the 90s and 2000s recycling was on the rise, and the first major economic incentive to reduce landfill came into force via the Landfill Tax (1996).
• The 2010s saw a crackdown on plastic. This was the decade where shopping changed overnight – if you’d forgotten your bag for life after 2015, it was going to cost you.

But the 2020s are perhaps the most intense period yet, fuelled by increasing climate change concerns, plastic pollution and a continued push for the circular economy that is now a household phrase.

It’s a welcome level of change and positive to see so many avenues being taken to enhance our recycling rates. However, what challenges does this present? And how do we overcome them?

Make space for waste

In our experience, waste processing sites are already running at full capacity and aren’t harbouring any spare room for additional operating lines. Yet the demand on them from the changes in legislation will require significant operational adjustments if they want to ensure their provision enables their customers to fully comply with tighter regulation.

Waste site managers must therefore consider how they will adapt both operationally and with the use of technology.

What can be done?

Processing set-ups and equipment need to advance and keep pace with the progress being made in the sector. It is not going to be sufficient to simply create more of the same and do more of the same – as an industry, we must look at how we can process increased volumes more efficiently and optimise waste sites, recognising them as important commercial entities within the eco-system.

Reducing the footprint of machinery enables processing plants to minimise separate bulky equipment such as hoppers, feed conveyors, platforms, outfeeds and the like and is one such way to achieve this. For example, our new compact depackagers enable this and continue to be an area of focus.

Together, if we can help waste processing plants do more with less space, we will enable these important legislative changes to make an impact quicker.