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Waste

Waste

  

Part D of the Framework was published in July 2004 and sets targets for waste minimisation and recycling. The waste targets take account of the Government White Paper Waste Strategy 2000 and the priorities for adopting the waste hierarchy: waste reduction, reuse, recycling and composting, energy recovery with heat and power and landfill.

Since the Framework targets and commitments were not in place during the 2003-04 reporting period, the 2003-04 questionnaire asked Departments to provide information on their waste management strategies and on data collection. It also asked for information to continue earlier data series on waste minimisation and recovery.

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Waste Management Strategies

Target D1 requires each Department to draw up and publish a sustainable waste management strategy by October 2004. This should include steps to implement the waste management hierarchy.

Departmental strategies are required to prioritise sites and must incorporate mechanisms for ongoing monitoring of sites for impacts of waste and for reviewing new sites.

Figure 9 below summarises the position on Departmental strategies as at March 2004.

Three Departments (CO, DfID and HMT) have already developed a waste management strategy. The Royal Parks Agency has a detailed waste management plan (see box below) and DCMS as a whole is working towards developing its own strategy. Fifteen Departments are currently developing their waste management plans including steps to implement the waste hierarchy. DfES plans to develop its waste management strategy by the target date. ECGD reported that it did not have a strategy in place. DCA did not provide information on this section of the report.

Sixteen Departments currently have implemented or are in the process of implementing monitoring programmes to collect data on waste arisings.

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Figure 9: Departmental progress against Target D1 - Waste Management Plans

Department Waste Management Strategy (WMS) WMS incl. steps to implement waste hierarchy Monitoring programme to collect data on waste arisings
C&E In Progress Yes Yes
CO Yes Yes Yes
DCA ? ? ?
DCMS In Progress Yes Yes
Defra In Progress Yes Yes
DfES No n/a In Progress
DfID Yes Yes Yes
DfT In Progress Yes Yes
DoH In Progress Yes Yes
DTI In Progress n/a ?
DWP In Progress Yes Yes
ECGD No n/a ?
FCO In Progress Yes In Progress
HMT Yes Yes Yes
HO In Progress Yes Yes
IR In Progress Yes Yes
LOD In Progress Yes In Progress
MoD In Progress Yes In Progress
ODPM In Progress ? ?
ONS In Progress Yes Yes

Notes: ? - data not provided; n/a - question not applicable.

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Waste Management Strategy - The Royal Parks Agency (DCMS)

The Royal Parks Agency is working in line with the waste objective for ISO14001 and has a detailed waste management action plan in place in order to fulfil this. It also has a quarterly waste and recycling data monitoring programme. All Parks collate and send data which are summarised in a quarterly report. A waste sub-committee was set up as a separate working group from the Green Housekeeping committee to help drive waste management issues and implement the waste management action plan. The action plan is reviewed and updated on an annual basis.

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Data Collection

In 2003-04, seventeen Departments were able to provide data regarding the total amount of waste generated and waste recovered. However, some Departments were unable to provide a more detailed breakdown of waste information by waste stream (e.g. paper, plastic, IT equipment). Eleven Departments collected data this year on more than three waste streams. Of these, the majority could only provide detailed answers on levels of waste paper, can, glass and fluorescent tube, toner cartridge and IT recycling.

The levels of data collected by Departments are quite low when compared to other Parts of the Framework. Many reported that there are no systems in place for either the Department, or for their waste contractors to collect detailed data against waste categories. In some cases, Departments (e.g. Defra) stated that it was uneconomical to record data at smaller sites. Additionally, as ODPM indicated, it is difficult to collect accurate data for specific aspects of a scheme, such as stand-alone recycling bins. Data collection is expected to improve as Departments implement the new Framework commitments.

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Waste Minimisation and Recycling

Previous targets set by the Ministerial Sub-Committee of Green Ministers required all Departments to:

  • Recover a minimum of 40 per cent of total office waste by March 2001, with at least 25 per cent of that recovery by recycling or composting;
  • Have recycling and minimisation schemes in place, in all offices with over 50 staff, by 31 March 2002.

Figure 10 outlines the Departments that currently have a waste minimisation scheme in place for both their office and non-offices sites. At this stage, ten Departments have a waste minimisation scheme covering all offices. Of the eight Departments with non-office sites that provided data, six reported that their waste minimisation schemes cover all of their non-office staff.

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Figure 10: Waste Minimisation Schemes

Department Offices Non-Offices
% of offices with waste min schemes % of office staff covered by waste min schemes % of non-offices with waste min schemes % of non-office staff covered by waste min schemes
C&E 100 100 100 100
CO 100 100 ? ?
DCA ? ? ? ?
DCMS ? ? ? ?
Defra 45 54 53 43
DfES 0 0 n/a n/a
DfID 100 100 ? ?
DfT 11 83 ? ?
DoH 100 100 n/a n/a
DTI ? ? ? ?
DWP 0 0 100 100
ECGD ? ? 100 100
FCO 100 100 100 100
HMT 100 100 n/a n/a
HO 100 100 46 41
IR ? ? n/a n/a
LOD 100 100 n/a n/a
MoD n/a n/a ? ?
ODPM 100 100 100 100
ONS 100 100 100 100

Notes: ? - incomplete or no data provided; n/a - no non-office sites.

Departmental performance on waste recovery and recycling is outlined in Figure 11. In 2002-03, 53 per cent of total measured waste was recovered, with nine Departments (CO, Defra, DFID, DfT, DoH, DTI, DWP, HMT and ODPM) recovering more than 40 per cent of their waste.

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Figure 11: Departmental Waste Recovery and Recycling Performance

Department 2002-03 2003-04
% of waste recovered (40% target) Met 25% recycling target? % of waste recovered (40% target) Met 25% recycling target? Waste recycling schemes in place
C&E ? ? 2% No Partly
CO 51% No 52% Yes Yes
DCA ? ? ? ? ?
DCMS ? ? 17% No ?
Defra 47% No 55% Yes Yes
DfES 32% Yes 21% No Yes
DfID 75% ? ? ? Yes
DfT 53% ? 62% No Partly
DoH 78% Yes 61% Yes Partly
DTI 79% Yes 99% Yes Yes
DWP 58% Yes 50% Yes Yes
ECGD ? ? ? ? Yes
FCO 31% No 36% Yes Yes
HMT 79% Yes 48% Yes Yes
HO 25% Yes 31% No Partly
IR ? ? 6% No Partly
LOD ? ? ? ? Partly
MoD 29% Yes 8% No Partly
ODPM 46% ? 38% Yes Yes
ONS 38% Yes 37% Yes Yes

Notes: ? - no data provided.

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Waste recovery in 2003-04 has fallen with 24 per cent of total measured waste recovered across all Departments and a drop from nine to seven Departments (Defra, DfT, DoH, DWP, DTI, HMT, and CO) recovering 40 per cent or more of their total waste. Another three Departments (ODPM, ONS, and FCO) were nearing this goal, reporting between 36 per cent and 38 per cent waste recovery.

For 2003-04 eighteen Departments reported that they had, at least in part, recycling schemes in place to recover a proportion of their waste. DCMS and DCA did not provide data for recycling schemes. Seven Departments (Defra, DoH, FCO, HMT, ONS, ODPM and CO) met or exceeded the 25 per cent recycling target.

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Waste Management in the Home Office and HM Prisons

Within the Home Office a reduction in the use of disposable items such as cups and an increase in the recycling of paper, glass and toner cartridges was initiated in the Contract Environmental Plan 2003 and will be reviewed later in 2004.

The Prison Service introduced a waste management strategy in 1999 and has completed a programme of waste audits at the 128 public sector managed prisons. Waste Management units are operational at 38 prisons. Another 21 prisons are recycling all cardboard and paper wastes and initiatives are under development at a further 30 prisons. Waste management targets have been set to increase the number of waste management units and also to increase levels of recovery, reuse and recycling.

The recycling of lamps and fluorescent tubes is mandatory, as is the central contract for the supply of recycled office paper. The composting of catering wastes is being piloted at three sites. Vermicomposting units have been set-up at two sites to compost garden waste.

IT equipment (supply and disposal) is managed and controlled by an external provider. Contracts exist for recycling all non-lead acid batteries and for supply of refurbished and reusable physical education equipment. Recycling, packaging and product disposal are key areas incorporated into the 'Environmental Impact Assessment Checklist' used by buyers.

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Waste Minimisation at CO

CO has implemented a waste minimisation scheme which seeks to encourage staff to follow the waste hierarchy and to take steps to minimise the generation of waste e.g. by:

  • Using the double-sided facility on all photocopiers/printers to reduce paper usage (all photocopiers / printers print double-sided by default);
  • Making maximum use of electronic communication and minimal use of paper;
  • Reducing unnecessary printing e.g. emails;
  • Considering whether a report can be published only (or in part only) electronically;
  • Purchasing environmentally friendly products e.g. office stationery.

CO is also considering approaching suppliers to take back packaging and/or using less packaging.

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Waste Minimisation at MoD

The Disposal Services Agency (DSA) provides a disposal service for the MoD and other Government Departments. It offers advice and consultancy, supplies a collector facilities to dispose of service and market surplus assets. It runs marketing agreements for vehicle sales, miscellaneous surpluses, IT equipment and furniture. It also has waste and recycling contracts for Special Waste Disposal, Lamp recycling, toner and ink-jet cartridges, scrap metal, oils, rubber and batteries. The DSA 2003/2004 annual report declares 5500tonnes of waste dealt with per annum, including PCB bearing equipment, solvents, chemicals etc; over 35,000 ink-jet cartridges recycled; and some 12 million litres of waste oil, 220 tonnes of rubber and 375 tonnes of lead-acid batteries being disposed.

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Departmental Data

For more detail on the how specific Departments within the UK Government are achieveing these targets, please access our Search Departmental Data section.

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Report 2004
 

Updated: 07 March 2005

  
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