Reference: 2003/33/EC
Last Update: 18/07/2011
LANDFILL: WASTE ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA
European Council Decision 2003/33/EC sets out Waste Acceptance procedures, waste acceptance criteria (WAC) and sampling and testing methods for wastes being sent to landfill.
These requirements are implemented in England and Wales through the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010 (Schedule 10).
All types of waste going to landfill must be characterised. The basic characterisation of each type of waste involves gathering all necessary information for the safe disposal of the waste in the long term, and includes:
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Source and origin of the waste
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Information on the process producing the waste
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Description of the waste treatment applied or why treatment is not considered necessary
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Data on the composition of the waste and leaching behavior, where relevant
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Appearance of the waste including smell, colour, physical form
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EWC
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Relevant hazard properties of hazardous wastes
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Information to prove that the waste is not a banned waste
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The landfill class at which the waste may be accepted
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Any additional precautions to be taken at the landfill
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Check if the waste can be recycled or recovered
If the waste meets the criteria set out for each class of landfill in Section 2 of the Annex, it can be accepted. The producer of the waste is responsible for ensuring the characterisation is correct.
Wastes that are regularly generated in the same process can generally be characterised once and then undergo periodic compliance testing. For wastes that are not regularly generated, each batch may require basic characterisation. Basic characterisation is not required for certain exempt inert wastes; municipal waste; wastes where the basic characterisation information is known and duly justified to the regulator; and certain wastes where testing is impractical or where testing procedures are unavailable.
Compliance testing must be carried out on regularly arising waste streams to ensure they continue to meet WAC. Compliance testing parameters will be determined at the basic characterisation stage. Compliance testing must be carried out at least once per year and records kept.
Each load arriving at site shall be subject to a visual inspection to verify the documented descriptions are accurate. Landfill operators may periodically take samples to demonstrate compliance with WAC.
Section 2 of the Annex to the Decision sets out descriptions and leaching limits values and other limit values for wastes which are acceptable at the various classes of landfill.
Section 3 of the Annex sets out sampling and testing methods to be used for basic characterisation and compliance testing.
Schedule 9 to the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010 also sets out some additional waste acceptance criteria relating to physical stability and bearing capacity of granular waste and monolithic waste.
Last Update: 10/02/2011
By: Waterman
Applicability
This legislation is applicable to the English sites only.
Ardagh Glass should be aware of the Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC) where disposal of waste to landfill occurs. Ardagh must ensure that any waste sent to landfill meets the appropriate WAC.
The company representative has stated that waste is recycled as far as possible and, as such, only a minimum amount is sent to landfill.
It was stated during the 2009 Barnsley site visit that one skip had been refused at landfill as it contained oily wastes. It was reported that additional procedures had been put in place since this incident, with addiional checks carried out by staff members to ensure the correct segregation of wastes.
It is advisable to audit the waste contractors appointed to ensure that Ardagh's waste is disposed of through the correct channels.
The equivalent requirements for the Scottish site are laid out in the Landfill (Scotland) Regulations 2003.
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