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1 $"# %"&!"# '" 1. The European Union (EU) implemented Directives that sets out management frameworks, definitions and principles, primarily placing responsibility on the waste producer. However it is worth noting that all Directives are related in some way and impact on each other, in particular the way certain waste is handled and disposed. The aim of the Waste Framework Directive is to ensure that Member States of the European Community (EC) take the necessary measures to prevent and reduce waste. The document establishes a framework for Member States to managing waste, giving priority to waste prevention, reuse and recovery. In order to carry out such tasks a waste management plan is vital. Importantly the Directive provides definitions of terms related to waste so everyone is reading from the same page. Other aspects are ensuring that the producers of waste pay for disposal (Polluters Pay Principle) and waste carriers are registered. Competent Authorities were set up to issue waste permits, produce waste management plans and inspect waste installations. Such authorities include Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and the Environment Agency (EA) for the rest of the UK. This Directive applies to all producers and processors of waste. If you produce / manage / collect waste you should adhere as reasonably as practical to the principles established within the National Waste Plan.!"##$ This Directive works in hand with The Waste Framework Directive by providing a more structured framework for hazardous waste that may cause harm to the environment or human health. The document does not set out all relevant areas that are included in the WFD but sets clear definitions on how hazardous waste (corrosive, carcinogenic, explosive & flammable) must be identified / handled / stored / treated and disposed. It also indicates that record keeping is essential too. These details are also set out in the regulations which transpose the directive.

2 #%%%&'(&)**+$# The Directive is aimed at the prevention and cure of environmental damage - specifically, damage to habitats and species protected by EC law, damage to water resources, and land contamination which presents a threat to human health. It is based on the polluter pays principle, i.e. polluters should bear the cost of repairing the damage they cause to the environment, or of measures to prevent possible damage. Significant environmental damage is defined by reference to: biodiversity, whether protected at EU or national levels; waters covered by the Water Framework Directive; and human health. For more information visit 2. Treatment directives set out technical advice on how waste types should be handled at EU level standards. These directives are transposed into regulations for the UK to abide by. #,'% -&& The EU Landfill Directive was adopted in Various materials are now banned from landfill including liquid waste, explosive or flammable waste, hospital and clinical waste, new / unidentified chemicals from research. Since 2003 whole used tyres were banned and shredded tyres from Waste is reclassified; establishing new categories of inert, hazardous and non-hazardous landfill sites, see Directive also requires the pre-treatment of wastes going to landfill (including sorting) to encourage recycling. The Directive's overall aim is "to prevent or reduce as far as possible negative effects on the environment, in particular the pollution of surface water, groundwater, soil and air, and on the global environment, including the greenhouse effect, as well as any resulting risk to human health, from the landfilling of waste, during the whole lifecycle of the landfill". The requirements of the Landfill Directive are to reduce landfill of biodegradable waste to: 75% of 1995 figures by % of 1995 levels by % of 1995 levels by The requirement to properly characterise waste (using a 6-digit European Waste Catalogue, EWC code) is intended to make producers look more carefully at the waste they produce and improve the overall state of knowledge of waste stream constituents. For a copy of the Landfill (Scotland) Regulations, visit: The Environmental Protection (Duty of Care) Regulations 1991 places a Duty of Care responsibility on anyone at the University discarding any items to ensure that: All waste is stored and disposed of responsibly; Waste is only handled or dealt with by individuals or businesses that are authorised to deal with it; and A record is kept of all waste received or transferred through a system of signed Waste Transfer Notes (WTN).

3 It is the responsibility of each person discarding waste (the Producer) to make an assessment of each item, to segregate and dispose of it safely and retain records relating to this disposal. The contractor should provide the WTN and will help you to complete it. Ensure you, and the contractor sign and date the WTN and that you retain a copy of the completed Transfer Note for your records. Records must be kept for a minimum period of three years. How does this work in practice? In the case of contracted waste collections, such as those by Hannay (General Waste, Paper & Cardboard collections), MWMS (Clinical Waste collections) or Grundons (Radioactive Waste collections), an Annual WTN is completed and retained centrally. When waste is transferred to an waste contractor on an ad hoc basis, a WTN must always be completed. In these instances the WTN should be retained by the waste producer for 3 years. In addition, all waste contractors must be authorised suppliers. The Energy & Sustainability Office is here to advise and guide Producers. If you would like to find out more about WTNs and Duty of Care please click here to link to the relevant page on the Environment Agency's website. A copy of the Environmental Protection (Duty of Care) Regulations 1991 regulations can be found at 0&&!%0%%$%&.00$ IPPC is a regulatory system to ensure that industries adopt an integrated approach to pollution control so that all aspects of the environment (land, air & water) as well as human health are protected. It looks at appropriate control methods concerning the industries emissions arising from their activities. The main features of the IPPC regulations are: The requirement to use BAT (best available techniques) for pollution prevention; Sites will be required to use energy efficiently; When operations cease the land must be returned to a "satisfactory state"; There will be stricter controls on emissions from sites, and a wider range of substances will be covered; Noise and vibration will be controlled. The Directive lays down 2 processes: A procedure for applying for, issuing and updating operating permits; A minimum requirement to be included in any such permit (compliance with the basic obligations, emission limit values for pollutants, monitoring of discharges, minimisation of long-distance or transboundary pollution). For further information on the IPPC Directive and the Pollution Prevention & Control Act 1999 see: 3. The EU set out specific directives that focus on policies for a waste stream as each waste is very different. All of which are interrelated to the WFD and/or Hazardous Waste Directive.

4 #&&% #&%#1!2%###3**#$ The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive is a response to EU Directives 2002/95/EC on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment, 2002/96/EC on waste electrical and electronic equipment and RoHS Directives on the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic equipment. It is a Producer Responsibility Directive designed to tackle the fastincreasing waste stream of electrical and electronic equipment all over Europe (and indeed the rest of the world). In this case, "Producer" means manufacturer or importer normally. The WEEE Directive sets targets for collecting WEEE, new standards for the treatment of WEEE and strict recycling and recovery targets to help minimise its disposal. It affects any business that manufactures brands or imports electronic or electrical equipment (EEE) as well as businesses that sell EEE or store, treat or dismantle WEEE within the European Union. The Directive: introduces requirements to mark EEE products with a 'crossed out wheelie bin' symbol, a date mark and a producer mark sets targets for the amount of WEEE to be collected separately from private households requires the UK to establish and maintain a register of EEE producers makes distributors and retailers responsible for making arrangements to take back WEEE free of charge in a convenient way for customers requires all separately collected WEEE to be treated introduces recycling and recovery targets for various categories of WEEE. For more details, a copy of the legislation and government guidance notes, visit the Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform (ex-dti) website here. 0/%/ The Packaging Waste Directive requires volumes and weights of packaging to be kept to the minimum necessary to maintain safety and hygiene. Producers of waste are made responsible for proving their packaging is diverted from landfill by buying Packaging Waste Recovery Notes (PRNs) from regulator-accredited reprocessors or recyclers. The materials affected are glass, paper, cardboard, metals, plastic and wood. The requirements for the Packaging Waste Directive are: 60% overall recovery and 55% minimum recycling of packaging waste by December % glass recycling by % paper and cardboard recycling by % metal recycling by % plastics recycling by % wood recycling by 2008 For more details about the Packaging Waste Directive, visit #% -'-4&#'4 The aim of the End of Life Vehicles Directive is to increase the recovery and recycling of old cars by setting laws demanding the use of Authorised Treatment Facilities (ATFs) for their breakdown and reprocessing. Materials affected include metals, oils, batteries, tyres, plastics and WEEE waste. For more information, visit

5 5& The Waste Oil Directive prioritises regeneration of waste oil, for use again as oil. Currently, most waste oil in the UK is treated and used as a fuel substitute for virgin oil (primarily in power generation and kilns). Legislation affects the storage and disposal of waste oil from vehicles' industrial engines and equipment. All engine oils require special disposal. From 28 December 2006, the Waste Incineration Directive requires tighter emissions control for recovered fuel oil burning as a support fuel. For more information, visit 6 An EU Directive for battery recycling is now in its latest phase. The EU has agreed that recycling of batteries will become obligatory from The legislation will ban most batteries with more than a trace of the chemicals cadmium or mercury. The Directive is expected to state: at least 25% of all used batteries must be collected by 2012 at least 45% of all used batteries must be collected by 2016 at least 50% must be recycled. The Directive will call for collection points where consumers can hand in used batteries and new legislation is likely to prohibit final disposal of all industrial and automotive batteries into landfill or through incineration. This indirectly means that all batteries from these sources must be recycled. 4. Acts transpose the EU Directives, providing UK legislation. UK legislation is then cascaded down to Scotland, when it is passed by the Scottish Executive. #%%%&0%7* Part II (S75) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (EPA) defines Controlled Waste as Household, Industrial and Commercial waste and defines Household Waste as including waste from a premises forming part of a university, school or other educational establishment. However, certain wastes from laboratory and health care, animal care and research are covered by other, more specific legislation instead. The EPA prohibits the unauthorised or harmful deposit, treatment or disposal of waste and sets out a system for waste management licences. It also introduces the concept of Special Waste. As of May 1994 all provisions that applied to Controlled Waste only apply to Controlled Waste that is also Directive Waste. A copy of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 can be found at 5. Regulations detail how the Acts / UK legislation should be implemented and details what is required in order to abide by the UK legislation. #%%%&.%-%8/!&%** The regulations give members of the public the right to access environmental information held by public authorities/organisations or private organisations who have an environmental obligation. The regulation works in similar ways to that of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) but covers a wider range of features. These key differences are:

6 Emphasis on participation & improved decision-making, Cannot refuse/ignore requests via phone or in person, Cannot refuse an EIR request on the grounds of cost, and All exceptions are subject to the public interest test. For more information on whether to apply EIA or FOIA visit Environmental information covers various areas. Such areas include: Environment sate of all aspects and the interaction between each one, Elements (such as energy, waste, emissions and discharge) likely to affect or are affecting the aspects, Measures and activities to prevent negative affects on environment such as legislation and policies, Economic aspect regarding the measures and activities, and State of human health, safety and contamination of food chain that may or are affected by ALL of the above. For information on exceptions to disclose environmental information visit $%&& 8/!&% The Controlled Waste Regulations 1992 (SI 1992 No 588) clarify the definition of Clinical Waste. The criteria for decision are: a) Could the waste be hazardous to any person coming into contact with it? If so does it consist wholly or partly of: human or animal tissue, blood or other body fluids, excretions, drugs or other pharmaceutical products, swabs or dressings, syringes, needles or other sharp instruments b) Could the waste cause infection in any person coming into contact with it? If so did it arise from: medical, nursing, dental, veterinary, pharmaceutical or similar practice; or from investigation, treatment, care, teaching or research or the collection of blood for transfusion. If waste fits any of the criteria laid out in a) or b) above then it is clinical waste. It is essential to remember that clinical waste may also be special/ hazardous waste. A copy of the Controlled Waste Regulations 1992 can be found at 92& Until 2004 the principal legislation for Special Waste throughout the whole of the UK was the Special Waste Regulations 1996 (as amended). However the introduction of the Special Waste Amendment (Scotland) Regulations 2004 introduced legislation that applies only to Scotland and provides a definition for special waste that aligns it with the term hazardous waste, otherwise the 2004 amendments make very few changes to the existing regulatory regime. In Scotland "special waste" means any waste that is hazardous waste as defined by Article 1(4) of the Hazardous Waste Directive. This includes substances or categories of substances that are waste and are marked with an asterisk in the European Waste Catalogue (EWC).

7 The majority of wastes that will be special waste under the Scottish Amendment Regulations are likely to have been special waste under the 1996 Regulations. There will, however, be some new special wastes relevant to the FHE sector, such as end-of-life vehicles before they are de-polluted and fridges that contain CFC, HCFC or HFC. A recent revision of the list given in the EWC includes some waste streams that were not previously considered to be hazardous and that routinely arise in the HFE sector such as fluorescent tubes, TV sets, computer monitors and some batteries. These wastes are now therefore special waste in Scotland. Another significant difference is that not all prescription medicines will be special waste in Scotland. Special waste is subject to the Duty of Care and the requirements of the Environmental Protection (Duty of Care) Regulations Compliance with the Duty of Care, however, does not in any way discharge the need to comply with the Special Waste Regulations. Segregation of special waste is now required by law. In addition, if one item of special waste is mixed with a consignment of household waste, this will result in the whole consignment having to be disposed of as special waste. A copy of the Special Waste Regulations 1996 is available at A copy of the Special Waste Amendment (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2004 is available at Further guidance on the definition and classification of Special waste is given in a joint SEPA/EA document Hazardous Waste: Interpretation of the definition and classification of hazardous waste. This applies to special waste in Scotland as well as hazardous waste in England and Wales. This guidance is available on the SEPA web site at ( '% -&&:8/!&% The Finance Act 1996 turned a commitment to a Landfill Tax into UK law. The tax creates a disincentive by charging for each tonne of waste disposed of at landfill. The materials affected are all materials collected by local authorities sent to landfill. The rate of Landfill Tax was 18 per tonne in 2005, 21 per tonne in 2006 and is rising by 3 per tonne (now 8 per tonne from Apr-08) per annum until a medium-term target level of 35 per tonne is reached. The Landfill Tax Credit Scheme (LTCS) means that much of the revenue generated from the tax goes to support waste reduction and recycling schemes. 7%&6);0!8/!&% ()*+,('-..,/-(( *0(1,)*2(11(((,, (, (( 4+532(1,+ /-)* Animal by-products are products of animal origin that are not intended for human consumption. These include: animal carcasses and parts of animal carcasses manure and gut contents ova, embryos and semen which are not intended for breeding purposes blood, hides, skins, hooves and horns shells feathers, wool, hair and fur

8 Some catering waste is classified as animal by-products such as raw meat and eggs which should be treated as an ABP Animal by-products must be stored in sealed leak-proof authorised containers. It is essential that this waste is stored separately from all other waste and each category stored separately. Therefore containers must be labelled with category of material: Category 3 material: Low Risk Material, Category 2 material: High Risk Material, Category 1 material: Very High Risk Material. There are specific legal requirements relating to the transport, treatment and disposal of each category. For more information visit All documentation regarding animal by-product waste must be kept for a minimum of 2 years. Documentation should include the date waste was removed, a description of the material, the name and address of the waste carrier and the receiver of the waste. All packaging that is contaminated with animal by-products i.e. blood stains must not be landfilled and must be disposed of as if it were an animal by-product. ABPs must be treated in an approved rendering, incineration, biogas or composting plant. Suitable materials may go to approved pet food or technical plants. Some may also be used for diagnostic, educational or research purposes. The treatment is specific to the category. It is the responsibility of each person to ensure that storage and transport are followed according to regulations and documentation is kept on all ABP waste. It is essential to categorise ABP correctly as to prevent the spread of infection and ensure it is dealt with thoroughly. A copy of the Animal By-Products Regulation (ABPR) 2003 can be found at