Municipal Waste Management
WasteDataFlow
- What is it?
- Who is behind it?
- What is expected from each local authority?
- How much time does a local authority have before returning the data?
- How can I access the data in WasteDataFlow?
- Contacts and help
What is it?
WasteDataFlow is a internet based system for municipal waste data reporting by UK local authorities to government. The system went live on 30 April 2004. Further detail can be found at the website http://www.wastedataflow.org.
The aim is to gradually replace the various and often repetitive waste questionnaires issued to local authorities by government departments, agencies, institutions and organisations by utilising one essential data set. This means that as of financial year 2004/5, WasteDataFlow replaced the Defra Municipal Waste Management Survey in England and similar surveys in Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland joined the system from April 2006
WasteDataFlow is designed for local authorities:
- to allow faster and more accurate data collection of municipal waste statistics, more regularly and efficiently,
- to enhance their local data management for reporting and strategic planning purposes,
- to offer them streamlined access to performance benchmarking with other authorities,
- to allow waste authorities in England to report waste BVPIs for 2006/7 onwards.
WasteDataFlow will allow government:
- to monitor progress towards national and local targets
- to enable waste disposal authorities to meet the requirement to report quarterly data to Environment Agency under the Landfill Allowances and Trading Schemes regulations (LATS)
- to enable the UK to meet reporting obligations
- to guide government policy
For an introduction to WasteDataFlow, a PDF of the 'hand out' that was distributed at the Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme (LATS) meetings organised by Defra in July 2004 is available for download. WasteDataFlow (PDF 430kb).
Who is behind it?
WasteDataFlow was developed under the guidance of The Chartered Institution of Wastes Management Environmental Body CIWM (EB), with funding from Biffaward and the Defra Landfill Tax Credit Scheme SWM Legacy Fund.
Responsibility for the system and data collection in England has now passed to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) who employ Enviros Consulting Ltd to manage and operate this system on their behalf.
What is expected from each local authority?
Each local authority will have nominated an administrative user whose role is: (1) to appoint one or more data entry user and (2) to review and authorise the data entered.
Each local authority submits data for each quarter either on a monthly basis (to spread the burden over time) or at the end of the quarter.
How much time does a local authority have before returning the data?
- In Wales, the data entry user is expected to have entered, checked and authorised the data by the end of the month following the end of a given quarter (e.g. for Apr-Jun data, the user has until the end of July to send the data to the level above).
- In the case of Northern Ireland, the waste data officer or data entry user will have two months after the end of a given quarter.
- England is allocated three months after the end of each quarter.
- Scotland have 42 days after the end of each quarter.
How can I access the data in WasteDataFlow?
Regional and national summary data for England are published by Defra at Municipal Waste topic of the e-Digest.
Public access to individual local authority data entered into WasteDataFlow is available after completing free on-line registration at WasteDataFlow. This gives anyone access to quarterly returns by authorities after they have been validated by WasteDataFlow and the Environment Agency LATS team. Summary data, including National Statistics produced by each UK country, are available on Defra’s, SEPA’s, WAG’s and EHSNI websites.
If you are a local authority and you need general information on WasteDataFlow please contact:
E-mail: helpdesk@wastedataflow.org
Phone: 0161 874 3602
Further Information:
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Page last modified: 6 November 2007
Page published: 1 September 2004