Fortnightly Bulletin – 3rd June 2024

Guidance

Storing and handling waste glass containing other wastes: RPS 292  

The Environment Agency (EA) has published a Regulatory Position Statement (RPS) on when you can store or treat waste glass containing other non-hazardous wastes. This applies to operators who do not have waste code 19 12 12 in their permit or exemption. 

The RPS does not change your legal requirement to comply with an environmental permit for a waste operation or installation or comply with a waste exemption. 

However, the EA will not normally take enforcement action if you do not comply with this legal requirement and that the activity meets the description and comply with the conditions set in the RPS. 

In addition, your activity must not cause (or be likely to cause) pollution of the environment or harm to human health, and must not: 

• cause a risk to water, air, soil, plants or animals, 
• cause a nuisance through noise or odours, 
• adversely affect the countryside or places of special interest. 

The RPS applies if you have either: 

• a permit that allows you to store, or store and treat, waste glass (waste code 19 12 12) produced by a material recycling facility or by another mechanical waste treatment process,  
• registered a S1, S2, T1, T4 or U9 exemption for waste glass. 

The RPS allows the acceptance of glass waste that has been processed but not properly sorted and still contains non-hazardous wastes, such as plastic, paper and metal. You must code this as 19 12 12. This waste glass mixed with other non-hazardous wastes must go for recovery, including treatment to remove the non-glass waste. 

This RPS does not apply to waste glass from cathode ray tubes and other activated glass. 

If you comply with this RPS, you can continue to handle waste glass containing other non-hazardous wastes (waste code 19 12 12) until the EA has either: 

• sent your permit change (variation) to you, 
• decided on (determined) your application for a new permit. 

Operators who have an environmental permit 

You must have a permit that allows you to store (or store and treat) waste glass coded 19 12 05. 

You must store and treat the 19 12 12 waste glass mixed with other non-hazardous wastes on an impermeable surface with sealed drainage. 

For these storage and treatment areas, you must have appropriate measures to prevent: 

• litter 
• odour 
• pests and flies 

You must have the EA’s written agreement before you use this RPS. Email the EA by 21^st of June 2024. 

You must: 

• respond to a notice the EA sends to you (about varying your permit to include 19 12 12) by the date specified in the notice, 
• keep records for 2 years to show that you have complied with this RPS and make these records available to the EA on request. 

You must not use 19 12 12 waste glass containing other non-hazardous wastes to produce aggregates. You must remove non-glass waste before using glass to produce an aggregate. 

You must not continue to use this RPS if: 

• you do not respond to a notice the EA sends to you (about varying your permit to include 19 12 12) by the date specified in the notice, 
• the EA does not vary your permit to include 19 12 12. 

Operators who have registered a T1, T4, U9, S1 or S2 waste exemption 

However, you must have registered one of the following exemptions to store or treat waste glass before 13^th of May 2024 under T1, T4, U9, S1 or S2. 

You must: 

• comply with the limits and conditions of the exemption, 
• store and treat the waste glass containing other non-hazardous waste on an impermeable surface with sealed drainage.  

For these storage and treatment areas, you must have appropriate measures to prevent: 

• Litter, 
• Odour, 
• Pests and flies. 

You must have the EA’s written agreement before you use this RPS. Email the EA by 21^st of June 2024. 

You must: 

• Apply for a permit to store (or store and treat) 19 12 12, waste glass containing other non-hazardous wastes, by 27^th of September 2024. 
• Keep records for 2 years to show that you have complied with this RPS and make these records available to the EA on request. 

You must not continue to use this RPS if: 

• You do not apply for a permit by 27^th of September 2024. 
• Your permit application is rejected. 

The EA intends to review this RPS by the 31^st of March 2025. 

Source: Gov.UK 

For the full guidance, click here 

Articles of Interest

Atlantic to get ‘extraordinary’ hurricane seasons 

The North Atlantic could get as many as seven major hurricanes of category three strength or over this year, which would be more than double the usual number, according to the US weather agency National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has warned. 

As many as 13 Atlantic hurricanes of category one or above are forecast for June to November 2024. The blame is partly due to record high sea surface temperatures and a likely shift in regional weather patterns. Whilst there is no evidence climate change is producing more hurricanes, it is making the most powerful ones more likely, and bringing heavier rainfall.  

Source: BBC 

For the full article, click here  

Climate change made UK’s waterlogged winter worse  

Climate change is a major reason the UK suffered such a waterlogged winter, scientist have confirmed. 

October 2023 to March 2024 was the country’s second wettest period on record, and a disaster for farmers, who face flooded fields during a key planting period.   

One farmer in Lincolnshire told the BBC that a third of his farm could not be planted in time this year.  

Global warming due to human burning fossil fuels made this level of rainfall at least four times more likely, according to the World Weather Attribution group. 

The UK and Ireland’s wet winter is the latest in a long line of recent extreme weather events to have been worsened by global warming, as the impact of climate change begin to hit home. 

Scientists have long warned that a warmer planet will bring more intense rainfall in many parts of the world. 

Source: BBC 

For the full article, click here  

Morrisons rolls out coffee pod recycling collection points  

Morrisons is the first UK supermarket to roll out dedicated in-store recycling coffee pod collection points. This followed a successful trial in 29 stores in July 2023, initially an eight-week trial which was extended following its popularity with customers. By the end of March 2024, 42,300kgs of pods was collected (2.8 million pods). 

Source: Grocery Gazette 

For the full article, click here  

Enforcement action

Pair who ran illegal waste site in Lancashire served prison sentence  

A father and son were sentenced for operating an illegal waste site in Lancashire.  

Thousands of tonnes of waste was brought onto the site and tipped illegally, this included, significant quantities of household waste and contaminated excavation waste. Despite numerous warnings from the EA, no environmental permit was applied for. This meant that no environmental controls, which would have been in place at an appropriately permitted facility, were present. This allowed the father and son to undercut legitimate business who work hard to protect the environment. 

For the full article, click here 

Defendants that caused fires that raged for days are sentenced   

Six defendants, including a company director, in the North East have been sentenced after repeatedly ignoring EA advice about waste storage at three sites. 

These waste operators neglected warnings that their site posed persistent fire risks, leading to fires that burned for days. The sentences included prison terms spanning six and a half years and fines totaling more than £103,000.

The defendants repeatedly ignored EA advice about the storage and management of waste, which contributed to significant fire risk at all three sites.

For the full article, click here 

Battery recycling licence revoked after fire    

A battery recycling facility has had its waste management licence suspended after a devastating fire last month at its battery recycling site in Scotland. 

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) said ‘no waste can now be accepted, stored or treated by the company at the site on West Byrehill Industrial Estate’. 

SEPA has served two enforcement notices requiring the company to remove waste batteries that have been at the site for longer than six months, and has suspended the company’s status as an approved battery treatment operator. 

The operator is now required to remove the waste which breached licence conditions offsite to an appropriately licensed facility by the dates of the enforcement notices served by SEPA. 

For the full article, click here 

Events

30 Days Wild 

1^st to 30^th of June 2024

The Wildlife Trust are doing ’30 Days Wild’ for the whole of June.  

Sign up for the free pack. 

Source: The Wildlife Trust 

To sign up, click here   

Net Zero Week Conference  

6^th to 12^th of June 2024

Net Zero Week is the UK’s official national awareness week and the biggest net zero conference – and they are back for year four. They bring together all the stakeholders needed to reach net zero by 2050, and to ensure Britain’s energy is both secure and affordable. Get involved with their live and exclusive, online conference and hear from a wide range of experts sharing insight and commentary from academics, scientists, policy influencers, trade associations and solution providers. 

Source: SocEnv 

To register, click here