Waste Sector expands despite recession

Posted August 2009

There are growing moves to consider waste as a resource, rather than a problem.

The 2007 Waste Strategy for England states that by 2020 waste to landfill should be reduced to 25%, with recycling increased by 50%.

Given that the UK produces over 300 million tonnes of waste per year, this is an ambitious target, encouraged by a range of statutory and fiscal instruments.

An £8/$12/tonne annual increase in landfill tax will push the UK cost to £48/$73/tonne by April 2010.

A range of renewable energy measures, coupled with the problems associated with the security and consistency of energy supply, are also impacting on the waste industry.

Recycling will be the preferred option in reducing waste to landfill.

WRAP suggests that two thirds of UK households now actively recycle. The Waste Strategy for England also highlights increasing energy from waste (EfW) to 25% by 2020.

Earlier in 2009 the UK government revised its renewables obligations, requiring the power companies to increase their electricity from renewable from 9.1% in 2008/09 to 15.4% by 2015/16.

Local authorities, waste management companies and power companies are seeking new infrastructure to exploit this potential resource to its fullest extent - making the waste management industry one of the few expanding sectors in the current recession.

Other countries face similar issues, with China, India and Brazil currently spending only $5/£3 billion treating their municipal waste.

Waste grows alongside a country's economy, and typically escalates at the rate of urbanisation.

In China, several cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou have contracted with private waste management companies. Our team in China is currently working on a remediation and manufacturing technology facility.

In the US, around 70% of all waste is handled by the private sector.

In 2007, the US produced 254 million tons (imperial) of municipal solid waste (MSW) - an increase from 239 million tons in 2000, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Stimulus funding is now being sought to tackle the growing waste issue.

How we can help

In our role as cost managers, project managers and CDM co-ordinators, Faithful+Gould has supported the construction of all elements of waste management infrastructure, including the UK's first in-vessel composting facility at Wrexham.

Together with our parent company, Atkins, we provide a full range of design and management services to successfully implement any project in the waste sector.