INTEGRATED WASTE MANAGEMENT: STRATEGY AND OPERATION

Visited January 1998
Forbes R. McDougall
Jane Willmore
Elizabeth Wilson

Acknowledgements
We would like to thank all the people who gave their time to help in the preparation of this document, Roger Sired and Graham Tombs of New Forest District Council, Karen Jones of Portsmouth City Council, Quentin Wallace-Jones of Hart District Council and Ray Smith of Southampton City Council.

Many thanks also go to individuals from Hampshire Waste Services Ltd. for providing detailed data on their past and current operations, especially John Collis, Mike Carvey, David Goodwin and Peter Mills.

Special thanks to Val Morris of Hampshire County Council for her help and patience in gathering the raw data.

F.McD. J.W. E.W.
Hampshire, England

Integrated Waste Management: Strategy and Operation

External Drivers

• EU legislation on incinerator emissions (1996)
• Legal responsibility for household waste collection (local authority) and waste disposal (County council)
• Landfill tax (make materials recycling more attractive)
• Local authority budget capping by central Government
• EU packaging directive
• UK Government’s recycling target of 25%

Internal Drivers

• Lack of landfill space
• Public opinion

Facilitator

• Co-operation between all levels of local government and the private waste management sector.

Executive Summary

The close co-operation between Hampshire County Council, the unitary authorities of Portsmouth and Southampton, the 11 District Authorities and Hampshire Waste Services Ltd has been essential in the development and implementation of Project Integra.

Public consultation has been extensive, and the views of the public have been reflected in the integrated waste management strategy that was evolved over a period of years.

Waste collection practices are still being optimised by each of the 13 collection authorities, the numbers of households with some form of kerbside collection of recyclable material is increasing on a monthly basis.

Waste management is currently based on recycling, composting and landfill, but 3 waste to energy incinerators are planned and an anaerobic digestion facility is under consideration. In the future this will considerably reduce the final volume of material being sent to landfill, and the energy from the incinerators and the biogas will replace fossil fuel use, another environmental bonus.

The Hampshire waste management strategy is a good example of how an integrated system can be set up and operated by partners from local government and the private sector, both sharing responsibilities and costs to provide a good service to the customer in an environmentally responsible manner.

There are still data gaps within this document. This is mainly due to the large number of people involved in all the aspects of waste management in Hampshire. We have tried to be as accurate as possible, and hope that within the following document it is clear that certain areas remain under investigation. The very nature of integrated waste management systems makes direct comparisons very difficult. The mass flow schematic presented on the last page of this document summarises the whole process and allows fundamental similarities and differences to be identified.

Hampshire - Project Integra

Table 1: Summary of Hampshire Region

Key Learnings

• All levels of Government must agree on basic IWM concepts to ensure a coherent strategy.
• Economies of scale play a significant role in the financial viability of any IWM scheme.
• Public consultation is important to measure support for waste management solutions that may initially cost more than alternative solutions. It can also help avoid public opposition to otherwise viable waste management strategies.
• Accurate data on waste generation and waste composition is essential for strategy development.
• A well defined interface between collection and disposal is essential to the smooth running of the whole operation (waste delivery points).
• Any integrated waste management strategy will take a considerable period of time to set up (e.g. 1986-1995).

Hampshire, the single largest county in England, contains 2 unitary and 11 district authorities (who have the statutory responsibility for the collection of waste) and has a population of 1.7 million people and 600,000 households. In southern Hampshire, the cities of Portsmouth and Southampton are twin centres of the largest urban concentration in the south east of England outside London. These cities are major centres of employment in the county, Portsmouth is an important naval base and Southampton is a major commercial port. Portsmouth and Southampton are unitary authorities and are therefore responsible for both collection and disposal of waste. The coast, with its many harbours and estuaries is a mixture of intensive development and open spaces. Across the middle of the County lies a broad belt of countryside which gives Hampshire its rural image, but North Hampshire also has the large urban areas of Andover, Basingstoke and the Blackwater Valley commuter belt. South west Hampshire is dominated by the New Forest and the conservation of this area of outstanding environmental importance.

The Problems

In the late 1980’s Hampshire’s landfill sites were rapidly filling up and the 5 incinerators (without energy recovery) in the county were reaching the end of their working lives. The incinerators would cease operation by 1996 as they would not meet new European standards on emissions. Hampshire County Council (which has the statutory responsibility for disposing of the waste collected by district authorities) aware of the increasing amounts of waste being generated in the county, and the lack of suitable disposal options, adopted a Waste Management Plan. The plan which encouraged minimisation, reuse and recycling proposed energy from waste incineration as the solution. This led to a technically and professionally sound proposal to build a large energy from waste incinerator in Portsmouth. This plan was unsuccessful, largely due to serious opposition from the public in the Portsmouth area with respect to the concept, siting and concerns over the implication of emissions from the proposed incinerator.

The Analysis

This setback, which put considerable pressure on the existing waste management infrastructure in the county, had the positive effect of bringing the 13 collection authorities and the County Council together to develop a new approach to the waste management problem. A major new effort was made to involve the public of Hampshire in the decision making process required during the design of "their" waste management strategy. In order for the public to be able to understand the options, they needed to understand the problem in the first place.

A major County wide education and information campaign was initiated in September 1993, describing the problems and outlining a new solution based upon all 13 collection authorities and the County Council working together to provide an integrated system for the collection, treatment and disposal of waste in Hampshire. This approach was a key change as previously collection authorities and the disposal authority (the County Council) had considered their functions in isolation, rather than as part of an overall process.

During the six month consultation period, the response from the public generally supported the proposed strategy, but also highlighted several areas of concern.

• The authorities were urged to do more to encourage waste minimisation and recycling.
• Concern was expressed that an expensive incineration infrastructure may reduce the incentive to recycle.
• There was a desire to have biological treatment (both anaerobic digestion and composting) as part of the waste management strategy.
• Although recognising the advantages of modern waste to energy facilities, there remained some concern about the health and safety impacts of emissions.
• Landfill was recognised as playing an important role in final waste disposal, the shortage of suitable sites was acknowledged but authorities were encouraged to keep this option to a minimum.
• A fuller understanding of waste management costs were necessary.

The Solutions

Public concerns were addressed when finalising the county-wide integrated waste management plan. A tender document was developed for a long term contract for the provision of household waste disposal services in accordance with the waste management plan. For these tenders Hampshire was conceptually divided into three regions, North, South West and South East, to allow for the processing of waste as near to its production as possible to reduce transport costs and to ensure cost-effective localised solutions. Contractors were asked to present waste management infrastructure strategies including an option without incineration in acknowledgement of public concern.

Hampshire Waste Services Ltd. (HWS) were selected as the contractor for all three regions in April 1995, as they put forward a detailed proposal utilising a number of treatment facilities that would provide a long-term service for the treatment of waste in the county. The name PROJECT INTEGRA was suggested by Hampshire Waste Services and has been adopted to represent Hampshire’s integrated waste management strategy.

The main points of Project Integra’s strategy are:

• The development of a waste minimisation scheme for householders and local industry.
• Source separated collection of recyclable material available to all households within 5 years.
• The provision of a network of delivery points for refuse collection vehicles. A number of these are new transfer stations where waste from collection vehicles can be loaded into larger vehicles for transport to processing or disposal facilities.
• The construction of up to 3 major new Materials Recycling Facilities (MRF’s) to replace the existing old ones. Target 25% diversion rate from landfill by the year 2000, 40% by 2005.
• The construction of 3 new composting plants to treat garden wastes, and anaerobic digestion plants to treat collected kitchen wastes if feasible and affordable.
• The construction of 3 new Energy from Waste (EfW) incineration facilities, with a total capacity less than the estimated maximum amount of residual non-recyclable waste, to ensure a continued emphasis on increased waste avoidance and recycling.
• The alternative option to incineration involved replacing it with landfill, the recycling and composting options remaining the same. HWS did not believe that any other technology was proven or practical at the time.
• Landfill of all residues from MRF’s, composting, anaerobic digestion and EfW incineration in Hampshire where possible. Where this was not available, a mixture of out of county landfill and landraising was proposed.
• Contract prices for processing waste for each of the various options.

The HWS tender in effect offered a menu of options and once again an extensive consultation of interested parties was undertaken. A key aim was to gather the views of the "silent majority" as well as those with a direct interest. This resulted in clear messages for the authorities.

• There was no support for the transportation of waste to other counties for landfilling. The people of Hampshire believed that their waste should be treated and disposed of in Hampshire.
• A significant majority (70%) of the population supported modern EfW incineration, there remained some people who were totally opposed to the process, including environmental groups and those living close to potential incinerator sites.

Not to have EfW incineration would require a large increase in available landfill space in Hampshire, this would involve engineered land raising (tipping on agricultural land). This was not supported.

The final Project Integra plan is an amalgamation of the original strategy HWS proposed, and the conclusions drawn from the public consultations. The issues regarding incineration were accepted and as far as possible addressed in the contract with HWS. Construction of new waste management facilities will require planning permission and proposals for them will again be subject to public consultation. It is accepted that residents living near proposed sites would most likely protest against their construction. No matter how carefully planned and sited any waste facility, inevitably it will cause serious concern for local residents.

The contract with HWS includes provisions to ensure the following:

• The proposals for EfW incinerators are subject to full study of their environmental impact.
• Any research undertaken as a result of this requirement is independently audited.
• There is independent background monitoring and auditing of plant noise and emissions.
• All facilities are capable of being upgraded to meet new standards if necessary.
• All facilities will be designed to high architectural standards with appropriate attention to the local landscape setting.

The first aim of the Project Integra strategy is to maintain household waste at 1995 levels through waste minimisation initiatives. Hampshire’s local authorities have undertaken to distribute waste information packs to schools, to provide information to the public, to work with major retailers and local communities, to provide a self help pack for householders, to pilot waste reduction schemes and to work with industry and government to seek a long term solution. A key initiative is a media based "War on Waste" awareness campaign which is supported by local television, radio and newspapers. War on Waste features a mascot character "General Waste".

Essentially, waste arisings in the County are estimated to be increasing between 3-7% per year.

Figure 1: Results of N Hants wastestream analysis 1995.

Figure 2: Results of SW Hants wastestream analysis 1995.

Figure 3: Results of SE Hants wastestream analysis 1995.

The long term contract with HWS began on 1st January 1996, although the collection of recyclable had commenced two years earlier and interim facilities for the processing/disposal of the various waste materials collected by the 13 local authorities were already in place. The contract was split into 3 phases.

• Phase 1 ran from 1/1/96 until 30/11/96 when the last old incinerator closed.
• Phase 2 began 1/12/96 and will continue in each of the 3 regions until the long term infrastructure (incinerator) has been provided in that area. It is anticipated that Phase 2 will last up to six years.
• Phase 3 begins in each region once the incinerator in that region has been commissioned, this phase runs for 20 years.

Collection

The 13 collection authorities are responsible for waste collection and it was agreed that household collection of recyclables was necessary to meet the recycling target of 25% by the year 2000 and 40% in the longer term. The approach involved agreement on the types of materials to be collected in each region, each collection authority implementing the type of collection system that best met the local circumstances and financial constraints. As a result, there are a range of different collection schemes in place in the county. Most of the authorities were running pilot kerbside collection schemes for recyclable material using either twin wheelie bins, split bins, different coloured plastic bags or plastic boxes. These schemes are continually expanding.

One of the fundamental features of Project Integra is waste delivery points. HWS is required to provide waste delivery points throughout the county. Each of the 10 waste delivery points accepts a range of wastes, according to local demand, such as recyclables, compostables, clinical waste, residual waste etc. They provide a "One Stop Shop" for waste deliveries. In practice, the waste delivery points are either landfill sites or transfer stations with the facilities to handle a range of wastes. They are crucial to the integrated waste management approach because they provide a secure interface between waste collection and waste disposal.

There is a defined specification for the quality of recyclables/compostables delivered to the waste delivery points/transfer stations, the contamination rates must be less than 5% to ensure that the volume and mix of the material is within defined limits.

Packaging

No special collection of packaging material occurs in Hampshire.

Treatment and Disposal

The following description of Hampshire’s waste management practices are presented as a breakdown of yearly developments. The system is evolving as the collection authorities progressively implement new collection systems and HWS develop their new integrated infrastructure.

1995/96
HWS began the first phase of its 25 year waste disposal contract for Hampshire and the cities of Portsmouth and Southampton on the 1st January 1996. At this time HWS operated 9 landfills and 4 incinerators (the 5th incinerator had already closed) available for the final disposal of waste. Three interim MRFs, a composting site and one transfer station already existed.

The second phase of Project Integra started on 1st December 1996 on the closure of the 4 remaining incinerators. Establishment of a new network of transfer stations and a composting plant . This was the first step in the development of the infrastructure necessary for the continued development of the integrated waste management strategy within Hampshire County.

During this year the recycling rate in the county was 10.1%, compared with a UK national average of 6%. Much of this was due to the fact that the County Council had in place 26 civic amenity sites encouraging multi-materials recycling and 623 sites with material collection banks mainly for glass and paper. The diversion rate, which indicates the reduction in the amount of waste that would otherwise be sent to landfill, was 24 %.

1996/97
This second year, and continuing second phase of HWS waste disposal contract saw the infrastructure within Hampshire develop further. There were 5 transfer stations, 3 interim MRFs and 3 composting facilities now fully operational, but only 7 landfills remained available, two of which were nearing closure.

1997/98
The second phase of Project Integra continued and by January 1998 the two landfills nearing closure finally closed while a new transfer station opened and a full scale permanent MRF, that supersedes one of the interim MRF’s, began operations on the 1st April 1998.

1998/99
Planning applications for new energy from waste plants in North and South East Hampshire will be made in mid 1998. A planning application the third plant in South West Hampshire is expected to be submitted by the end of 1998.

Paying for Waste Management
Households charges are included in the Council tax bill and therefore not very transparent. An estimated £60 per year (covering £25 for collection and £35 for disposal costs) are charged.

Costs of Waste Management
Very little financial data was available from Project Integra due to commercial sensitivity.

EC 89/429/ EEC. Council Directive on the Prevention of Air Pollution from Existing Municipal Waste Incineration Plants. This resulted in the closure of Hampshire's incinerators.

Environmental Protection Act 1990, permitted the privatisation of municipal waste management services and required landfill operators to obtain certificate of closure for end of life landfills.

Packaging and Packaging Waste 94/62/EC - is resulting in the establishment of parallel collection schemes, may reduce the availability of recyclable material to the municipality, threatening the financial viability of the entire recycling operation.

1996 UK Landfill tax, this has increased the cost of landfill and therefore has made recycling more competitive.

Direct quote from Hampshire County Council.

"Waste management is constantly evolving and changing as a result of legislative, technical, social and economic drivers. Project Integra has flexibility to respond to the opportunities and challenges that these changes present.

"The availability of good quality data on the waste being handled and a better understanding of people's attitudes and habits will be vital for setting priorities and making decisions. This is particularly important in areas such as waste minimisation.

"Project Integra has the scope to further develop and maximise recycling, including through new opportunities which may arise via Producer Responsibility initiatives with industry. It has the key ingredients of a collection and processing infrastructure, economics of scale and the ability to achieve consistent quality standards.

"Landfill is under pressure, both in the EU and the UK. Project Integra's aim of reducing as far as is practical the use of landfill means that it is well placed to meet the key requirements of the proposed EC landfill directive, as well as mitigate the impact of increases in the UK landfill tax.

"The way ahead in waste management points to an integrated approach underpinned by partnerships and organised on 'Best Value' principles. Project Integra will be in place for the next 25 years and the aim is for it to evolve as an example of best practice."

Project Integra was based on the concept of integrated waste management, treatment facilities have been developed based on their financial viability and environmental sustainability, e.g. composting and recycling both having good markets for the respective products.

Final disposal is currently limited to landfill, but plans are advanced for the building of 3 waste to energy incinerators in the county. Air quality monitoring is currently underway at several potential sites. Only through the process of public consultation and education has the necessity (and benefit) of these EfW incinerators become apparent to the majority of the people in Hampshire.

Public awareness of the main issues relating to waste management in the county has also risen due to considerable effort made by Project Integra. This has had a knock on effect and resulted in good participation rates in the ever expanding kerbside collection schemes in the county. A possible side effect of this enthusiastic participation is a slight reduction in the amount of material being collected at the civic amenity sites. The continued operation and refinement of the different kerbside collection schemes should eventually allow the development of optimum waste collection in the different districts in the county.

One of the major strengths of Project Integra is the partnership between collection and disposal authorities and the shared advantages of large scale operations. This has enabled the rapid development of the facilities necessary to develop a truly integrated waste management strategy.

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