Waste firms warn co-disposal ban will be flouted

摘要

The government is continuing to claim that the ban on the co-disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous waste that came into force on 16 July will not lead to a "hazardous waste crisis". But the latest official estimates suggest there will be a significant shortfall in treatment and disposal capacity, leading some waste firms to warn that some hazardous wastes will be landfilled illegally. Co-disposal - the tipping of hazardous and biodegradable waste in the same landfill - was banned from 16 July. Hazardous wastes must be pre-treated and deposited in special landfill sites or, if stable and non-reactive, in dedicated cells at ordinary landfills. Investment in new treatment capacity was delayed while the Government decided how to apply the EU rules - known as the waste acceptance criteria (WAC) - which determine the level of pre-treatment needed before hazardous wastes can be landfilled.