Landfill

Household waste sent to landfill

The Council is in a transition period, projecting to reduce landfill to below 10% by April 2022. The reduction is being achieved through encouraging waste avoidance and minimisation,  improved recycling and composting and the conversion of household residual waste to a Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) from which energy is recovered. 

March 2021 performance

Household waste to landfill reduced by 1.18% relative to the previous reported figure of 15.37% for quarter 1. This level of diversion reflects a higher proportion of residual waste diverted to RDF from landfill.
 All HWRSs were closed after Sunday 22nd March as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. The sites remained completely closed until Monday 11th May when they partially opened to accept garden and residual waste only and only essential journeys were permitted. From the 1st June 2020 HWRSs started to accept further materials. When HWRSs are closed or restricted in some way, waste material tends to be deferred.
As the HWRS’s began to reopen tonnage data showed in June and July 2020 that the residual waste delivered to the HWRSs was up significantly on the same period of the previous year. HWRSs have not closed again and the latest tonnage data we have, up until end December 2020, shows that the overall and residual tonnages delivered to HWRS between April and December 2020 is still below the same period in 2019.
 Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) offtake remained at good levels between April and June 2020. As COVID-19 hit, operations were adjusted and, in some cases, loose RDF was produced in order to maintain the levels of landfill diversion in addition to the usual baled volumes in order to manage the additional volumes of kerbside residual waste seen during COVID-19. During the first quarter of 2020/21 (April – June 2020) while only 16 loads of RDF were missed in the week commencing 13 April, loose RDF was started week commencing 20th April as a contingency to allow us to maintain the usual RDF run rate.
 Since then the West Sussex Britaniacrest Seneca Partnership (WSBSP) have continued to source UK capacity to assist MBT operations to minimise the impact of increased residual waste tonnages being received at the MBT, reduce the amount of RDF to landfill, reduce the overall price and to increase the tonnes via the RDF Contract to meet the guaranteed minimum tonnage for 2020/21 of 77,517 tonnes. There were some operational difficulties at the MBT in August and October/November 2020 which lowered the RDF production level, however at the end of 2020 WSBSP had collected 89% of the guaranteed minimum tonnage (GMT) for 2020/21 and are therefore on track to meet the GMT by the end of 2020/21.
 There were significant uncertainties going forward about the impact that COVID-19 and Brexit would have on all waste arisings, the economy and also end markets such as RDF and indeed, how long the effects might last. While Brexit caused a minor interruption in early January 2021, less than 2 weeks of UK contingency was utilised; The limited flow of backhaul capacity within the haulier market was resolved and EU bound RDF movements were soon reinstated in full.
COVID-19 and ongoing changes in peoples work and home lives seems to indicate that input residual waste tonnages to the MBT will remain higher than usual and as such will continue to produce higher volumes of RDF. This situation will be monitored closely.