Sustainable development in Defra - Part D: Waste
Introduction
Target D1 - Waste management strategy
Target D2 - Data collection and reporting
Target D3 - Waste reduction
Target D4 - Increase recycling rates
Target D5 - Clauses in waste contracts
Responsibilities
Within Defra the chain of responsibility for delivering the targets in Part C of the Framework is:
- Ben Bradshaw - Sustainable Development Minister
- Helen Ghosh - Permanent Secretary
- Andrew Burchell - DG Chief Operating Officer
- Francesca Okosi - Director of Human Resources & Corporate Services
The Chief Executives of the nine agencies attached to Defra:
- Mark Farrar - Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS)
- Professor Michael Roberts - Central Science Laboratory (CSL)
- Robert Bettley-Smith - Government Decontamination Service (GDS) Nigel
- Gooding - Marine Fisheries Agency (MFA)
- Dr Kerr Wilson - Pesticides Safety Directorate (PSD)
- Tony Cooper (interim) - Rural Payments Agency (RPA)
- Glenys Stacey - State Veterinary Service (SVS)
- Professor Steven Edwards - Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA)
- Steven Dean - Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD)
Data collection systems
Data on waste was collected from:
- 56 Defra sites and 30 Executive Agency sites in 2005/2006
- 40 Defra sites and 29 Executive Agency sites in 2005/2006
- 42 Defra sites and 16 Executive Agency sites in 2004/5
- 26 Defra sites and 15 Executive Agency sites in 2003/04
- 23 Defra sites and 12 Executive Agency sites in 2002/03
Notes
(i) For 2003/04 and 2004/05 data was collected from sites on which Defra and Executive Agencies are sole or major occupier and there are 50 or more staff members. For the year 2005/06 this was extended to include those sites with 25 or more staff members.
(ii) The State Veterinary Service (SVS) became an Executive Agency on 1 April 2005. This accounts for the reduction in Defra sites and increase in Agency sites.
(iii) The Marine Fisheries Agency (MFA) was created in October 2005.
(iv) The Government Decontamination Service (GDS) was created in October 2005Monthly data is collected by local Recycling Champions and it is sent to Sustainable Operations Branch on a quarterly basis. The information is then compiled, analysed and fed back to Recycling Champions.
Baseline performance data
Our data collection procedures were vastly improved during 2004/05 and we therefore believe this data provides a more accurate reflection of the Defra estate.
| Year | Total Waste Produced (tonnes) | Total Waste Recycled (tonnes) | Recovery Rate |
| 2002-2003 | 2151 | 951 | 44% |
| 2003-2004 | 4689 | 2560 | 55% |
| 2004-2005 | 4283 | 2209 | 51% |
| 2004-2005* | 3696 | 2209 | 59% |
| 2005-2006 | 5155 | 2428 | 47% |
| 2005-2006* | 3969 | 2428 | 61% |
*This line shows recycling rates excluding Special Waste. Laboratories across the Defra estate produce a great deal of material that cannot be recycled e.g. chemicals, medicines, sharps, and animal carcasses and parts.
Mechanisms to be used to improve performance
Waste data at all sites is monitored on a regular basis and is compared with the baseline data to ensure performance is improving.
On a quarterly basis, a league table is produced to allow us to identify and discuss levels of performances and highlight cases of good practice.
On the basis of the league tables, discussions are held with Regional Works Officers and local Waste Champions about sites that are performing below average. Corrective action will be taken, which may include:
- Reviewing the recycling facilities to see if more waste streams can be recycled at the site.
- Carrying out waste audits to identify problems.
- Improving staff awareness through various campaigns on waste reduction and recycling.
Resources required
Some additional costs may be incurred for extra waste management functions by Recycling Champions or Facility Management staff in monitoring and measuring waste streams. Changes to waste management contracts to include improved reporting of weights etc may also add costs. Additional contracts will be needed at some sites for new recycling initiatives. These costs are difficult to quantify. There will also be additional staff resource at each site to ensure accurate reporting. Some consultancy may be used to conduct waste audits.
Milestones and review dates
- By 31 December 2004 - publication of Defra waste strategy
- By 31 January 2005 - review coverage of data collection sites. This was completed and all major/freehold occupiers with more than 25 staff members are now required to complete waste returns.
Targets D1 - Waste management strategy
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Target D1 - Waste management strategy |
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D1 - By October 2004, each Department will draw up and publish a sustainable waste management strategy. This should include steps to implement the waste hierarchy. Departmental strategies will prioritise sites and include clear timetables for meeting Targets D2 - D4. They must incorporate the mechanism for ongoing monitoring of sites for impacts of waste and for reviewing new sites. |
Defra response - Target D1 - Waste management strategy
Key strands of our waste management strategy are:
- Reduction - raising awareness of the amount of waste generated (by waste stream) at each site. This will focus particularly on paper waste, setting targets and campaigning for more efficient use of paper. We will also work through PCD with suppliers to reduce packaging waste.
- Re-use - identifying and promoting re-use opportunities which will avoid unwanted goods entering the waste chain.
- Re-cycling - ensuring that adequate facilities are in place to collect end-of-life goods that can be re-processed into new or alternative products.
- Composting - ensuring that wherever possible facilities are in place to compost organic waste produced at Defra sites.
- Incineration for heat and power - ensuring that existing facilities are running effectively and to their maximum and considering whether this method could be adopted at other sites.
- Disposal of waste electrical goods - compliance with the WEEE directive
- Landfill - where practical only types of waste which must be dealt with in this way.
- Guidance to local managers on measuring, monitoring and reporting on waste streams.
- Review of waste management contracts
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D2 - Departments will measure and obtain a figure for the amount of waste arisings from a site. Departments will put in place monitoring programmes incorporating comprehensive data collection methods for identifying and quantifying waste arisings in line with the timescales adopted in departmental strategies. These figures must be reported annually and sub-divided into those type of waste arisings that are consigned to:
Data collected should be measured in kilogram's and reported in tonnes for solid waste and, in litres or cubic metres for liquid waste.** **Where appropriate and where the local infrastructure has the capacity, re-use should be measured where a substance or object which the holder has or intended to discard, has been subsequently re-claimed from the waste-stream and re-used. It is understood that measurement of re-use is often not straightforward. However, Departments are encouraged to report actions taken to eliminate waste arisings. |
Defra response - Target D2 - Data collection and reporting
The waste strategy covers all Defra sites.
Waste data has been collected over a number of years. Pre-existing data collection systems have been refined to comply with this model;
- re-use
- recycling and composting
- incineration with heat and energy being produced
- landfill and incineration without any heat or power being produced
- special & clinical waste.
We regularly review data collection methods to best reflect the information we need for government reports and to adapt better to the waste hierarchy. Where practical, data collection will be extended to further sites in due course to improve the records on waste within Defra.
Guidance notes have been circulated to standardise data collection methods and ensure smooth running in the absence of regular Waste Champions. Waste Champions have been asked to produce local procedure guides with details of how their data is collected and compiled. This will provide an auditable 'paper' trail and will ensure consistency and accuracy.
To see the raw data of the waste streams produced across the Defra estate, see:
- Annual staff waste in tonnes across
Defra estate, 2004-2005
(10 KB) Please note that all information here is in tonnes. - Annual staff waste in tonnes across Defra estate, 2005-2006 (13 KB)
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D3 - From the date that total site waste arisings have been calculated, Departments should reverse the upward trend in waste arisings, through progressive reduction by at least one per cent per annum in total waste arisings generated, and where possible extend this to each type of waste arisings generated. For those Departments that currently have no waste arisings data, site data must be calculated by December 2006 and reported in the following reporting period. |
Defra response - Target D3 - Waste reduction
The Recycling Champions are all kept informed of local targets for reduction. Advice from SOB is given on strategies to achieve waste targets. Data sheets were amended in 2005-06 to calculate the amount of waste produced per person in each quarter. This means that despite the staff numbers changing, we will have an accurate idea about which sites are reducing their waste production.
These targets will also be incorporated in site-based Environmental Management Systems (EMS)
- SOB will work closely with the Procurement & Contracts Department (PCD) to reduce the packaging of goods – this is an action point in the 2006 SD Action Plan
- Encourage PCD to choose products and services with the least environmental impact – this is a recommendation from the Sustainable Procurement Task Force Report published on 12 June 2006
- Review print/production runs of offices notices with Reprographics unit – during 2005 the decision was taken to issue Office Notices on Defra Online
- Make all printers default to double sided printing – the printer refresh strategy is addressing this issue
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D4 - As soon as the recycling / composting figures from target D2 have been established at a site or unit of establishments, Departments should increase these rates by at least five per cent per annum, with an aim of reaching a 75 per cent recycling / composting rate overall. Where possible this should be extended to each type of waste arisings generated. |
Defra response - Target D4 - Increase recycling rates
All sites have been informed of their baseline percentage recycling/composting rate and given guidance on achieving a 5% p.a. improvement. When quarterly reports are received they are checked for progress against the annual target. Where they appear to be failing against the target the reasons are investigated and consideration given to the most appropriate ways of improving performance. This could include awareness raising for staff, training for the Recycling Champions, or discussion with waste collection companies.
As seen in the table below, several sites have already exceeded their recovery target rate of 75%.
- League table – Defra and
Executive Agency sites waste recovery rates 2004-05
(13 KB)
- League table – Defra and Executive Agency sites waste recovery rates 2005-06 (15 KB)
In some cases there are valid reasons for low recovery rates, for example some sites are so small that they cannot contract a service for the quantity produced. Recycling infrastructure is not developed for some materials (especially plastics) throughout the country. The laboratories produce significant quantities of special waste which cannot be recycled and is thus disposed of either by incineration or to landfill. As recycling is not a viable option for this type of waste it has been removed to avoid distorting the picture on recycling rates. A table comparing performance across Defra and the Executive Agencies is available below:
- Departmental comparisons:
waste recovery rates 2004-05
(9 KB)
- Departmental comparisons: waste recovery rates 2005-06 (11 KB)
An annual comparison table enables us to see % improvement in recycling rates:
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D5 - All Departments to include clauses to minimise and, where possible, avoid impacts of waste in all relevant waste management contracts initiated three months after the publication of standard Government contract clauses. This should include partnership contracts (such as Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) and Private Finance Initiatives (PFIs)). |
Defra response - Target D5 - Clauses in waste contracts
A continuing review is being carried out of waste management contracts to establish best practice and identify any areas which could be strengthened to contribute to these targets. Wherever possible we will work with existing contractors to minimise and reduce negative impacts of waste. We will produce a schedule of renewal dates and ensure, as contracts fall due for renewal, that standard Government contract clauses are incorporated in them.
Best practice will be disseminated to staff responsible for waste management. This is expected to include arrangements whereby waste disposal companies weigh and record the waste streams and provide this information to sites on a regular basis.
Waste arising and waste recovery
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Year |
Waste Recovered
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Special / |
Incinerated |
Landfilled |
Total |
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| Reused* | Recycled / Composted |
Incinerated for Energy Use** |
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| 2002/03 |
951
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|
104
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|
1096
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2151
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| 2003/04 |
1213
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1348
|
394
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1734
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4689
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| 2004/05 | 0.0043 |
943.1 |
1262.19 |
558.05 |
0.08 |
1576.33 |
4339.75 |
| 2005/2006 | 6.41 |
1387.17 |
1040.70 |
1185.40 |
151.37 |
1390.00 |
5161.05
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Page last modified: 28 July 2006
Page published: 15 October 2004