Recycling is the most environmentally friendly solution for waste disposal. Recycling essentially turns our waste into a new item or product and reduces the amount of raw materials needed. These closed-loop applications typically represent the Scottish Government`s interpretation of `high quality recycling` and waste management systems need to be designed and operated to prioritise these preferred outcomes. Part 2 of these Guidelines makes a clear distinction between high-quality recycling and other forms of recycling or recovery to help waste management understand its obligation under section 34(2L) of the 1990 Regulations. The Duty of Care: A Code of Practice (the “Code”) sets out these obligations, which apply to anyone who generates, holds, imports or manages controlled waste in Scotland. It advises on the design and operation of waste management systems to separate major waste streams at the source and promotes the “high quality” recycling outcomes outlined in Part 2 of this guide. The Code can be downloaded from the Scottish Government`s website at www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/0040/00404095.pdf. The following article introduces the concept of waste hierarchy and advises companies and organizations on how to comply with the required regulatory standards. The Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2012 implement Articles 11 and 22 of the WFD and deal with the practical implementation of provisions such as the separate collection of recyclable materials and waste treatment and management and the promotion of `high quality` recycling.

The least sustainable option in the waste hierarchy and our last resort is landfilling and incineration when energy recovery is not possible. In the UK, landfills are heavily taxed by the government to encourage more sustainable practices in the waste hierarchy. The Waste (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2011 implement the revised Waste Framework Directive for Northern Ireland. The regulation came into force on April 8, 2011. Regulation 17 of this Regulation introduces an obligation for waste business operators to comply with the waste hierarchy and that obligation shall enter into force on 8 October 2011. Change is a constant feature of UK waste policy. Since the publication of the Waste Strategy for England and Wales in 2000, significant changes have been made to the way waste is generated and disposed of in the UK, which have been largely driven by EU waste legislation. Building on the achievements of the 2000 policy and the 2007 waste management strategy for England, Defra published a new waste management plan for England in 2013. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland also have equivalent waste strategies.

(See links to Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish waste strategies). The waste hierarchy is a simple classification system used for different waste management options, depending on which one best suits the environment. The most preferred option is waste prevention, and the least preferred choice is landfill. In its simplest form, the waste hierarchy gives top priority to waste prevention. When waste is produced, it is first prepared for reuse, then recycled, then recovered and finally disposed of (i.e. landfilled). To help waste holders understand how to fulfil the obligation to promote `high quality` recycling, the tables in Part 2 provide details of the recycling results that the Scottish Government considers to be `high quality`. These results are displayed in the green boxes and should be prioritized over other forms of recycling. When making decisions about waste management, you need to be able to justify them. It is therefore a good practice to record your decisions. The UK`s waste policy aims to increase the amount of e-waste that ends up in landfills. Article 4 of the revised EU Waste Framework Directive (Directive 2008/98/EC) sets out five stages for waste management, sorted according to environmental impact – the “waste hierarchy”.

Composting is also a method we use when we can`t recycle materials. Composting turns organic waste into nutrient-rich foods for plants. The waste hierarchy ranks waste management options based on the best environmental outcome, taking into account the life cycle of the material. The life cycle of a material is an environmental assessment of all stages of a product`s life cycle, from cradle to grave (i.e. , raw material extraction, material processing, manufacturing, distribution, use, repair and maintenance to disposal or recycling). Introduced in 2005, the Hazardous Waste Regulations aim to record and record the movements of producers of hazardous waste in England and Wales. Hazardous waste includes televisions such as televisions, refrigerators, PC monitors and batteries. In order to reduce the UK`s reliance on landfilling as a disposal option, the EU Landfill Directive sets out clear standards and rules for the use of landfills, including the types of waste allowed and how waste is to be treated before disposal.