Product category:
Trade Associations and Standards
News Release from: The Environment Agency | Subject: IPPC Directive impact
Edited by the Processingtalk Editorial
Team on 22 July 2004
Companies make money from cutting waste
New regulations, increased competition and the rising cost of waste disposal are forcing companies to cut the amount of waste they throw away every year according to a report by the Environment Agency
New regulations, increased competition and the rising cost of waste disposal are forcing companies to cut the amount of waste they throw away every year according to a report published by the Environment Agency The report, which looks at the impact of the introduction of the Integrated Pollution, Prevention and Control (IPPC) Directive in England and Wales, identifies industry sectors that have reduced the amount of waste they produce, those that have done less and highlights opportunities for further improvement
This article was originally published on Processingtalk on 20 Oct 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
Related stories
Environmental controls on cement and lime kilns
The Environment Agency is to improve environmental controls on cement and lime kilns in England and Wales, to decide which fuels should be allowed, while protecting public health and the environment
Choice in a changing environment
Register now for the most significant event on the UK environment calendar, the Environment 2004 conference from The Environment Agency, where the theme is 'Choice in a changing environment'
It particularly considers how efficiently resources such as water are being used by companies.
The IPPC Directive encourages business and industry to reduce the impact their activities have on the environment by preventing or reducing pollution.
It is intended to help industrial operators move towards greater environmental sustainability.
Further reading
New Reservoir safety role for Environment Agency
In a change resulting from the Water Act 2003, the responsibility for over 2000 reservoirs has now passed from the control of 140 local authorities to the Environment Agency
New UK flood database released
Flood risk will be assessed more accurately and reliably in the future with the use of HiFlows-UK, a new database launched by the Environment Agency, for UK Scotland and N Ireland
New wallchart simplifies IEC61508
August 2004 was the deadline for IEC 61508, the standard focusing on safety-related systems that incorporate electrical, electronic or programmable instruments: this step by step wallchart will help
By 2007, more than 4,500 installations in England and Wales will be covered by PPC Regulations.
These include not only major industries such as cement manufacture and chemical plants but also smaller businesses in sectors such as the treatment of metals and food and drink production.
The report found that for regulated companies between 1998 and 2002 in England and Wales: waste going for final disposal has fallen by 25 per cent - the equivalent of 10 per cent of the total amount of waste produced by households in the UK each year; the amount of waste being recovered increased by more than 50 per cent; the amount of special (hazardous) waste disposed of was reduced by 191,000 tonnes - the equivalent of more than 12,500 truck loads.
Dr Martin Bigg, Head of Process Industries Regulation at the Environment Agency said: "We are pleased to see that IPPC is helping to encourage business and industry to think about and cut the amount of waste they produce and recycle.
The findings of today's report show that this message is getting through and companies are seizing the opportunity to reduce waste and save money.
For example, the cement and lime industries recovered almost three times as much waste in 2002 as they did in 1998.
By cutting the amount of waste companies produce and improving their resource efficiency processes, they can save a considerable amount of money and gain an important edge on their competitors".
The report highlights a number of key areas for further work that will help regulators persuade more companies to use their resources more efficiently: Improved data and information on waste consumption and minimisation will make it easier to target the poorer performing sectors and companies; Additional training of Environment Agency officers and industry on resource efficiency issues will improve awareness and commitment; Improved guidance to industry on making resource efficiency improvements and focus more on best practice.
The Environment Agency will now look carefully at the recommendations and consider how best to take them on forward over the next few months.
It aims to look at progress in this area again when PPC is fully implemented.
A Case Study example is also presented relating to the results obtained by Autofil Worldwide Ltd.
Autofil Worldwide in Nottingham is a yarn dying operation regulated by PPC with a turnover of GBP19million.
They have achieved annual savings of around GBP90 000.
They did this mainly through installing new more efficient technologies such as new air compressors with built in heat recovery and an air compression management system to maximise air compression utilisation.
Yarns rejects and waste are also sold on to be used by other textile operations.
'Environmental Management is achieved through the application of the same common-sense profit and loss control applied to all other areas of the business', said Finance Director, Steve Taylor.
• The Environment Agency: contact details and other news
• Email this article to a colleague
• Register for the free Processingtalk email newsletter
• Processingtalk Home Page
Search the Pro-Talk network of sites
