Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority

Our Aim is Zero Waste

Councillor Neil SwannickNorth West Representative, UK Delegation

EU Committee of the Regions

Our Aim is Zero WasteGreater Manchester’s Integrated Solution

• Nine Districts• 1 million households• 1.1 Million tonnes

waste• 50% recycling by

2015• 60% by 2025• Zero waste to landfill

Greater Manchester Solution

Education is key

Facilities (1)

21 Household

Waste recycling Centres

5 Mechanical

and Biological Treatment4 with AD

Material Recovery Facility

4 In vessel Composting

Facilities (2)

4 Education Facilities

2 Green Waste

Shredding

7 Transfer Loading Stations

1 Thermal Recovery Facility

Combined Heat and Power

• SRF from MBT AD used to produce electricity and steam for the Ineos Chlor chemical plant at Runcorn

• Two stage (4 line) scheme providing total capacity of 750k tpa.

• Phase 1 relates to GMWDA - 375k tpa capacity against waste flow forecast of 275k tpa.

Learning from the best

• Massive difference between the worst and the best performers in the EU.

• Clearer drivers for low performers that can be enforced with penalties e.g. landfill ban on municipal waste.

• Learn and apply EU best practice to move medium performers towards the best:– High recycling achievable– Complete coverage with collection systems– Material consistency– Restrictions on collecting residual waste– Bans on municipal waste to landfill– Producer responsibility.

EU SupportZero Waste in the EU

Source: Eurostat ,2012

Countries with the lowest municipal waste have landfill bans

EU SupportProduct Stewardship

Source: TESCO (2008). Wrap mixed plastics event

EU SupportProduct Stewardship (2)

• Recognition that manufacturers, importers, retailers, distributors, governments and consumers have a shared responsibility for the environmental impacts of a product throughout its full life cycle.

• 50% per cent of UK household waste originally comes from supermarkets, so large Retailers have a huge responsibility.

• Move towards responsibility across the supply chain, so that distributors, and sellers take more responsibility for returning end of life goods to manufacturers.

• ‘Requirement’ for householders and businesses to separate, not a ‘right’ to dispose.

EU SupportMaterial Specific Targets

• Supply and demand economics too complex to rely on blunt instruments.

• Critical materials too widely distributed and arising in small quantities to rely on product based recycling targets.

• Technically possible to recover some materials e.g. indium, household polystyrene but not economical.

Complex interaction of material extraction. Demand for one materials leads to increased supply of others.

Targeting ResourcesScotland’s Carbon Indicator

We need Recycling and Energy

Material recycling Energy

SeparationCollection

Separation technologyRecycling technology

MarketsCost

Low quality woodBiowastesNon recyclable plasticsWorn TyresPaper short fibres / contamination

GlassMetalsPaper and cardPlasticsTextilesWEEE

High targetsProduct stewardship

Energy financial upliftLandfill bans

Waste is a Design FlawEco-Innovation Performance

Key features of top performers

• Strong collaborative R&D.• Culture of innovation.• Networks, direct advice and seed funding.• Culture of resource efficiency.• Strong regulations, targets, caps.• Tax incentives for consumers, tax reduction for

consumers, ‘eco vouchers’ to create demand.• Ultimately moving to product based service

based models where waste is retained and strong relationship between consumer and supplier exists.

Email: cllr.n.swannick@manchester.gov.u

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The Future:Sustainable Consumption and Production

Councillor Neil Swannick