LAWR

NEWS September 2014 Local Authority Waste & Recycling 5 FOR MORE NEWS AND ANALYSIS VISIT www.edie.net /waste Householders' preference for a kerbside recycling scheme should be considered when deciding whether a collection system meets TEEP (technically, envi- ronmentally and economically practicable) requirements, accord- ing to the Welsh Environmental Services Association (WESA). The comments from WESA came in response to a call for evidence on draft guidance from the Welsh Government on separate collections, recycling quality and TEEP. Launched for consultation in April the guidance sets out the conditions the Welsh Government believes local authorities or private waste contractors should meet to collect paper, metal, plastic and glass for recycling in order to comply with the Waste (England and Wales) Regulations. WESA welcomed the publication of official guidance on the issue, claiming that a plethora of "unofficial" guidance could risk "muddying the waters" for those seeking to comply with the regulations. The regulations come into force next year. In its consultation response, the organisation said it does not agree with comments made by the Welsh Government that the test for practicability should not take into account householder or business preferences about collection methods. In a statement, WESA said that householder or business preferences "are a key element in practicability, because they influence participation rates". It added that local residents are more likely to put materials in the wrong bin if they do not understand their council's collection methods. TEEP response Two councils to save 'millions' through new waste deal Lancashire County Council and Blackpool Council have taken over ownership of their 25-year private finance initiative (PFI) waste contract, just three years into the £2bn deal. Waste from across Lancashire goes to two waste processing facili- ties at Thornton, near Blackpool, and Farington, near Preston. They have been designed to treat more than 30,000 tonnes per annum of household waste. Both of the facilities have a dedicated in-vessel composting area for garden waste, designed to process 80,000 tonnes per annum. Farington also boasts a materials recycling facility which can treat 55,000 tonnes of source separated dry recyclables per year. The facilities were developed by Global Renewables Lancashire Limited (GRLL), who until August (2014) ran the sites under the PFI agreement – originally signed in 2007. However, in a new move, the local authorities will take owner- ship and responsibility for running the two sites. The cost of terminat- ing the 25-year contract has not been made public, but by "restruc- turing the financing for the sites", the councils say they will jointly save more than £12m per year over what would have been the remain- ing 22 years of the contract. County councillor David Borrow, deputy leader of Lancashire County Council, said: "This agreement means both sites will continue to deliver a hugely important service for people across Lancashire, while the new funding arrangements con- tribute significantly to the £300m of savings the county council needs to make by 2017/18. It is a very good deal for the people of Lancashire." "In Blackpool, like in Lancashire, we are a proactive authority when it comes to recycling and disposing of our waste correctly," said Blackpool councillor and cabinet member for streetscene and the environment Amy Cross. She added: "We're pleased that this deal will allow us to maintain our current arrangements and con- tinue to work towards improving recycling rates in the town." PAS 110 anaerobic digestate update GIVE AND TAKE - Broadland District Council in Norfolk recently teamed up with youth charity 'Crack On!' to hold a 'give and take' event at a local school. Residents were able to bring along their old electronic equipment one week and take away items for reuse the following week. The PAS 110 specification for biofertiliser created during the anaerobic digestion (AD) process has been updated with changes to digestate stability criteria and limits on contaminants. According to Renewable Energy Assurance Ltd (REAL), digestate stability criteria now reflects the material's equivalence to organic materials commonly spread to land such as pig slurry, rather than its previous equivalence to cow slurry. The limits on physical contam- inants, such as plastics, have also been tightened to increase quality and safety standards. Lancashire County Council and Blackpool Council will run two waste processing sites

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