Author Information: Peter Mills has a long history within the composting sector. In addition to his full time job as contracts director at composting firm New Earth Solutions, he is also chairman of the Composting Assocation. Previous to his work at New Earth he worked as a composting manager at Onyx (now Veolia). Peter Mills urges the industry to review its environmental impact
It will not come as a surprise to learn that this current generation is likely to depart this planet having left it in a significantly worse state than it entered it.
The issues of globalisation, resource depletion and the resulting environmental consequences are well documented and it would appear will be the inheritance of today's children. Probably our best claim is that we, as a generation of adults, have raised awareness of our own failings at put in place the means of measuring the destruction we have caused.
Whilst huge strides have been made in understanding the causes of climate change the effects of resource depletion and the measures to mitigate the combination of these we as a society have failed to summon up the 'human will' to tackle them.
Obviously there are those groups that have long seen the writing on the wall and campaigned remorselessly for changes in behaviour but alas these groups have had to exist in the minority whilst the majority continue to consume everything on which it can place a monetary value.
Apologies to those of you expecting to read a glowing article on the composting of biodegradable wastes and its magnificent contribution to the environment and society. For whilst composting is all of these things it, on its own, is not enough.
Failure
The waste industry has failed to present itself as a major player in the environmental sector and has positioned itself as a major developed of infrastructure rather than a recover and guardian of discarded resources.
The waste sector needs to take a good hard look at itself and that includes the policy makers and those authorities charged with implementing Government strategies. For too long we have approached waste as a waste issue without realising or acknowledging that the situation is in fact more fundamental than that. We are, or at least should be, recognised as a key element of the environmental sector and this recognition needs start from within the sector.
Perhaps the failure to communicate this message is at least partly responsible for the attitude of the public to proposed waste management facilities. For whilst objections to an ERF, sorry I nearly bought the corporate packaging there, 'a mass burn incinerator with some inefficient energy generation bolted on' why do they object to a MRF. I know the industry can be very smug and blame those well used acronyms of NIMBYISM and BANANAISM but to do this is to abdicate responsibility for the real reasons.
The general public, and lets not forget that they are the producers of the waste we are charged with managing, do recognise us as an industry that is here to make a contribution to society and the environment.
Is it the fact that the sector is dominated by what the public perceive as 'fat cat' businesses, a lack of understanding of the issues or that waste and the treatment of it has become politicised at both a national and local level?
Whatever the causes both producers of waste and those charged with the responsibility of managing need to wake up quickly and recognise the responsibility of their respective roles. It is unfortunate that those responsible for the situation that the next generation will inherent will not be around to answer what will be some very poignant questions!!
Finances
I do not wish to appear naive and do realise that serious financial investment was and still required to treat the ever burgeoning waste stream. However, why is it that this investment rests in the hands of only a few global companies and is being spent on what are destructive technologies. The consequence of such a system is the imposition of waste facilities that nobody wants, the loss of vital resources (probably forever) and to cap it all a significant contribution to climate change through the emission green house gases, it's no wonder we have failed to get the message across, we do not have one !
A glimmer of hope shone through with the adoption of the European Landfill Directive and the recognition of the impact of landfilling biodegradable wastes. However rather than attempt to understand the consequences of this and look at the big picture we appear to have done nothing more than introduce a series of massive PFI funded projects than will do nothing more than impose
a fixed waste treatment technology for the next 25 years.
If that seems a good idea how many waste technologies from 1982 are still in use today?
Although I appear to have focused on certain failings of the waste industry should it shoulder all of the blame? After all it can only react to the instruments of policy makers and whilst widely recognised how can any Government with a 5 year term be expected to take a generational approach to our sector in isolation.
If it is not too late already we and by we I mean all those charged with managing waste, need to undertake a thorough review of waste, its production, its value, its potential for recovery, the best environmental option even if that means storage until the economics of processing are favourable and the number one measure the global impact of how we choose to deal with it.
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