Organics Recovery Judy Proctor and Kathy Nicholls Environment - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Organics Recovery

Judy Proctor and Kathy Nicholls Environment Agency National Plastics Strategy Lead Environment Agency National Biowaste Treatment Lead 25 February 2020 BBIA Conference

Strategic Context:

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• An important circular economy & source of renewable

energy

• Pressures on land bank & concern over plastics in soils
• 25YEP: aim to eliminate all avoidable waste by 2050,

reduce food waste & micro-plastics entering the environment

• Net Zero, Resources & Waste Strategy (increase

recycling & food waste collections) & Treasury’s fiscal incentives

• Business leaders- WRAP UK Plastics Pact & Courtauld

Commitment 2025 & Business in the Community Circular Economy Taskforce & Waste to Wealth, REA & ABDA initiatives

Micro-plastics in sludge and soil

• 10Mt/yr of organic wastes (incl. biosolids and

composts) applied to farmland

• Estimated to include >100 kt of microplastics

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Plastics in compost (from Bläsing and Amelung 2018) Earthworms concentrate finer microplastic particles in their casts (from Lwanga et al. 2016)

Macro Plastics Contamination on Land

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Concerted Action in Partnership

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• Shared knowledge gaps
• Consistency for sampling & assessment for

micro-plastics

• Investigating micro-plastics with water industry,

Highways England & academics

• Role compostable plastics in food waste recovery
• Prevent release of plastic pellets used in

regulated industries

• Key Actions for Farmers: Resources & Waste
• Establish regulatory and industry led approaches

to reduce plastics from biowastes and other materials spread to land

Organics Recovery: An Overview

Food waste (commercial and LA collected) Green waste (commercial and LA collected) Sewage sludge Industrial waste

SOURCES

Engaging to reduce plastic contamination of green and food wastes Research- UKWIR Sink to River and CIP3 investigations of plastics in sewage sludge

Anaerobic Digestion (wet & dry) Industrial Composting (IVC & open windrow) Home composting Industrial treatment prior to spreading to BSI PAS and QP standard

PROCESSING

Biowaste facilities permits- Standard Rules consultation & phased review limiting wastes accepted and improving plastic separation prior to treatment. Bringing sewage sludge treatment facilities into Industrial Emissions Directive.

Materials to Land having met End of Waste tests (QPs) Digestate spreading (QP & PAS 110 standard < 2mm plastic) NB PAS are marketing standards Compost spreading (QP & PAS 100 total physical contaminants 0.25 % mass (of which 0.12 plastic) varies according to N) Sewage Sludge to land (Sludge Use in Agric Use Regs no plastic limit) Quality Protocols review for Digestate & Composts EA Sewage Sludge Strategy EA Materials to Land Strategy Key Actions for Farmers: Resources & Waste

DISPOSAL & RECOVERY

Campaigns to reduce plastic in green and food waste (information barriers)

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• Recycle Now
• REA & cross-industry Quality Action Plan
• WRAP organics survey of biowaste
• perators
• REAL Compostable Plastics- certification

scheme