e-Digest Statistics about: Waste Data Hub
The Waste Data Hub
The first element of Defra's Waste Data Strategy was to develop a data warehouse, known as the Waste Data Hub. The Hub receives quarterly data from the returns made by licensed waste management facilities to the Environment Agency (EA), and from municipal waste data as reported by local authorities via a system known as WasteDataFlow.
The system will therefore hold, and will be able to report on:
- quarterly data on the quantity of waste handled both by facilities working under an Environment Agency licence, and by local authorities. This can be broken down by waste type and to give an indication of the waste production location down to disposal authority level (the local authority that disposes of the waste);
- annual data on waste infrastructure (buildings, operational sites etc.) in terms of the number of facilities (licensed, permitted, registered or registered exempt) by type (e.g. landfill, incineration and recovery facilities), and by waste types handled. This will include information on capacity, amount of waste received and location down to a County and Unitary Authority level;
- quarterly data in relation to cross-boundary movements/transfers of waste into sites which hold an EA permit. This will produce an idea of the amount, by type of waste, which cross a regional or local authority boundary to reach a final destination, by location of source and destination down to a County and Unitary Authority level.
Where we are now
The Hub went live on 31st March 2007, although an initial report was created from the test system and published on the Defra Website in May 2006. Work is still ongoing between Defra's Waste Data Strategy team, the Environment Agency and the Welsh Assembly Government to improve the quality of data reported to the Hub.
Linked to improving the data quality is the need for Defra and the Environment Agency to agree a reducing timetable identifying when the data quality for each quarter will be sufficient for it to be published from the Waste Data Hub. We are working to publication of reports within 6 months of the end of each quarter.
Reports
Some reports are available from the link below. New reports are being developed and will be published when available.
What Next?
Besides the work on data quality and dissemination, the Waste Data team are working on communicating and building on the success of the Waste Data Hub.
Linked Sites:
For more statistical data on waste and recycling see the
Defra Municipal Waste Management Bulletin
Defra Waste Implementation Programme (WIP)
Page last modified: 16 August 2007
Page published: 16 August 2007