No consultations were responded to, or new consultations published, since last month’s update.
Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) were the main policy topic with letters from the Environment Agency sent to all English local authorities and HWRC operators in early September about the implementation of new guidance to achieve compliance with the Stockholm Convention on managing POPs.
The new POPs guidance reiterated the requirements to destroy POPs using high temperature incineration and to avoid mixing POPs with non-POPs waste. POPs waste cannot be disposed of to landfill. Soft furnishings (sofas, chairs, settees) are the main items where local authorities will encounter POPs in household waste.
LARAC undertook a survey of our members to establish the consequences of the new guidance on local authority operations, contracts, and the associated costs. The main concerns were around collecting bulky items, separate storage within transfer stations, the immediate cessation of landfill disposal services, and the cost of dust abatement for compaction and shredding activities.
The findings of our survey can be found here
The latest contact to all English local authorities and waste management companies from the Environment Agency in early November confirmed that they want a statement on the organisation’s compliance with the new guidance by 31st December 2022. They will then work with those respondents who are not immediately compliant to support them towards compliance.
LARAC will host a webinar on Tuesday 22 November at 10:00am where there will be presentations from LARAC, the Environmental Services Association and the Environment Agency on the issues and the way forward.
LARAC members can join the webinar free of charge - for info and to join click here
