LAWR

LANDFILL MANAGEMENT 12 Local Authority Waste & Recycling April 2014 jects, both in terms of savings to coun- cils derived from diversion from landfill and in the enthusiasm for banks to fund such projects. But the majority of new capacity is for municipal waste alone. Many in the commercial sector favour further increases to the differential between landfill and alternative tech- nologies, to help encourage the banks to fund merchant facilities dependent upon short-term commercial rather than long-term public sector contracts. Of course the lack of alternative capacity to landfill at home is also seen in the annually increasing volumes of RDF being exported to energy recovery capacity abroad, at almost 0.9 million tonnes in 2012, increasing to 1.5 million tonnes in 2013 (Source: Environment Agency). This is driven by abundant free capacity and the large price differential between UK landfill and European ener- gy recovery gate fees. Further increases in landfill tax have the potential to drive more of this material, and some would argue the benefit of the cheap energy and heat it produces, out of the UK. Future for landfill tax So how does the future look for landfill tax? Although the fate of landfill tax beyond April 2015 has not been clari- fied, at present there seems little appe- tite in this Government to increase tax above its 2014-15 level. An added dimension to the debate is the devolution of responsibility for the setting of landfill tax rates in Scotland to the Scottish Government, with first Scottish landfill tax rates being set in April 2015. Will a Scottish Government focussed upon zero waste favour increased landfill tax rates or scrap the tax all together in favour of alterna- tive legislation? If the Scots favour increased tax rates would differential rates between nations encourage "waste tourism" with Scottish generated waste landfilled in England or Wales, and put Scottish businesses and local authorities at a financial disadvantage compared to the rest of the UK? And what of the landfill capacity that is left? It is likely that there will be a proportion of available landfill void which will never be filled. Of course landfills can be closed or mothballed, but this will have significant asset value and balance sheet implications as waste management businesses continue to adjust to a new world without landfill. So although landfill tax has already been a powerful stimulant for change in the way we deal with our waste, the biggest impact may yet be to come. The question is whether £80 per tonne is enough to deliver all the change the sector and the environment needs, or whether the momentum for change needs to be maintained by additional upward pressure on annual tax rates. As April 2015 gets closer and interested par- ties continue to lobby, hopefully we'll get to better understand which direction our politicians want this debate to go. Peter Scholes is managing director of Urban Mines. AIR SPECTRUM LANDFILL ODOUR? AIR SPECTRUM 01905 362100 www.airspectrum.com The one stop odour control and dust suppression specialists ODOUR CONTROL EXPERTS ODOUR CONTROL EXPERTS site assessments and surveys nozzle misting systems rotary atomisers neutralisers Pine | Eucalyptus | Orange | Bubblegum Vanilla | Strawberry | Green Grass | Cherry Lemon | Peppermint | Cotton Fresh Odr NEUTRALISING ADDITIVE Odour threshold analysis from Odour Lab visit odourlab.co.uk odour lab 01905 362100 www.odourlab.co.uk odour analysis per sample* including bag analysis analysis ONLY per sample* including bag £85 LANDFILL ODOUR? 8283 National Pollen and Aerobiology Research Unit at the University of Worcester *excluding delivery Cut your sample testing costs by 50% University partnership 24/7 testing Up to 100 bags a day No cost cancellation fee Sample bags and equipment

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