The document was released alongside a draft of the capital's first business waste strategy – which looks at how to tackle the 80% of waste in London which derives from businesses.
The municipal waste strategy, entitled ‘London's Wasted Resource', is open for public consultation until January 14 2011 and is expected to be published in final form in March 2011.
The consultation document maintains the main themes of the original draft, which was published in January 2010, such as:
-
Zero municipal waste direct to landfill by 2025;
-
Recycling or composting 45% of municipal waste by 2015; 50% by 2020; and, 60% by 2031;
-
Increasing reuse capacity from 6,000 tonnes each year in 2008 to 40,000 tonnes-a-year in 2012 and 120,000 tonnes-a-year in 2020;
-
Realising around £90 million-a-year in savings from efficient waste management;
-
Revenue sharing arrangements between councils to foster development of waste infrastructure.
However, since then, Bristol-based consultancy Eunomia has developed an emissions performance standard (EPS) to benchmark the greenhouse gas emissions produced by how each council manages its waste – from collection to disposal.
This is incorporated in the latest draft and means that councils will be encouraged to consider the carbon savings of how they manage waste as opposed to just the weight of recycling.
For example, the Mayor hopes that more plastics and aluminium will be collected, which although not as heavy as other materials will help save oil and energy. The collection of higher quality materials which have a higher economic value will also be encouraged, as will the diversion of food and garden waste from landfill – which produce methane.
This would mean London councils with relatively low recycling and composting rates – such as Tower Hamlets and Newham – could instead focus efforts on collecting carbon intensive materials, such as plastics, textiles and metals.
EPS
My waste plans seek to maximise the economic value of London's waste material whilst moving away from environmentally damaging methods to dispose of it
Mayor Boris Johnson
Under the EPS, any new treatment technology would need to be “no more polluting in carbon terms than the energy source it is replacing”, with the document outlining plans for an ‘energy floor'. In practice, this could mark a move away from ‘mass burn incinerators' to treat London's waste, which, at present, account for 23% of London's municipal waste treatment.
The document states: “The Mayor will work with London's incinerator operators to explore opportunities to introduce heat-use infrastructure and improve the incinerators' overall efficiency – and thus their overall CO2eq performance.”
The strategy indicates that as much as 40% of municipal waste could be turned into energy under the EPS method. Although there are no specific energy generation targets in the strategy.
The proposals, taking account of savings from avoiding emissions involved in the manufacture of virgin materials, are expected to save London up to 1.6 million tonnes of carbon a year and, after recycling, save £90 million off the city's £4.4 billion electricity bill and £24 million off its £2.5 billion gas bill.
In the foreword to the document, Mayor Boris Johnson said: “My waste plans seek to maximise the economic value of London's waste material whilst moving away from environmentally damaging methods to dispose of it. This will include funds for infrastructure to make recycling easier and to use waste to generate cleaner, more efficient energy.
“I also want to ensure our streets and town centres are rubbish free to improve quality of life especially as we gear up to welcome the world to London in 2012.”
Business Waste
Alongside the latest draft of the municipal waste strategy, the Mayor also unveiled London's first dedicated draft document aimed at tackling the 16 million tonnes of waste from sources such as the commercial and industrial, construction, demolition and excavation sectors.
The document, which is a non-statutory strategy, particularly focuses on waste reduction and highlighting the economic benefits of businesses improving their waste management practices.
Outlining the current picture for business waste, the strategy identifies that business waste arisings are set to rise to 17.6 million tonnes by 2030, with an estimated infrastructure capacity gap of 6.719 million tonnes by the same date.
And, assessing the current landscape, the document states that there is currently a “high proportion” of mixed commercial and industrial and construction, demolition and excavation waste being landfilled, with this material requiring further segregation at source.
Mayor Johnson said: “Companies are realising that there are real cash savings to be made as well as knowing they are contributing towards a cleaner, more pleasant city.
“But these remain more than can be achieved, particularly with regard to the prevention of rubbish in the first place and in taking steps to ensure the reuse of items that are still in working order.”
Aims
The main tenants of the strategy are to transform perceptions about waste in the business sector, overcome issues regarding the separation of waste and help develop new waste infrastructure to benefit the capital.
The business waste strategy is intended as a practical guide for business to be able to meet targets outlined in the draft replacement London Plan, which targets 70% reuse, recycling and composting of commercial and industrial waste by 2020, along with 95% reuse, recycling and composting of construction, demolition and excavation waste at the same time.
The business waste strategy is out for consultation for 13 weeks, with feedback set to be used to inform the final document published in spring 2011.
Mayor Boris Johnson said: “These targets are quite challenging. They require robust action from everyone in London – those that generate waste and those with a shared responsibility to dispose of it. But the rewards are high.
“I want London to become the best big city on earth, boasting a great quality of life. We can achieve this if we become world leader in how we manage the waste we generate. I look forward to hearing Londoner's views on proposals contained [in the strategy].”
Register for free to comment