Wednesday 18 September 2019

Environment Agency to launch biowaste sector review

The Environment Agency is set to launch a review into the biowaste sector as it looks to embed recent changes to legislation to ensure compliance.

That includes the Industrial Emissions Directive, which aims to reduce pollutant emissions from industrial installations.

The review will also look into permitted waste sites within the biowaste sector, which include composting, anaerobic digestion and mechanical biological treatment and ensure all operations are regulated in a consistent manner.

According to the Environment Agency, the biowaste sector is critical to a closed loop, circular economy and is particularly important as it helps support agriculture, reduces the need for inorganic fertilisers, mitigates against decreasing soil quality as well as helping meet renewable energy targets.

The review seeks to improve the quality of recovered material and improve the performance of the sector whilst providing the “best possible protection” for people and the environment.

Operators of biowaste sites will be requested to provide information on their process and pollution control measures to assess against new best available techniques and a standard rules consultation will be published in early Autumn.

An Environment Agency spokesperson said: “The aim of the review of permitted sites is to ensure the biowaste sector continues to grow and develop in a sustainable and efficient way, providing benefits to communities and the environment.

“The review has developed with input from industry representatives from the biowaste sector, ensuring we are well sighted on opportunities and issues.”