Waste Incineration Directive
The aim of the directive is to prevent or limit, as far as practicable, negative effects on the environment, in particular pollution by emissions into air, soil, surface and groundwater and the resulting risks to human health, from the incineration and co-incineration of waste.
The directive seeks to achieve this high level of environmental and human health protection by requiring the setting and maintaining of stringent operational conditions, technical requirements and emission limit values for plants incinerating and co-incinerating waste throughout the EU.
Recent developments
In December 2010, the directive on industrial emissions (integrated pollution prevention and control) (Recast) (2010/75/EU), was published in the Official Journal and requires transposition into UK law no later than 6 January 2013. It represents a coalescing of seven directives, including the Waste Incineration Directive, into one piece of legislation. Certain provisions of the directive follow the implementation dates below:
- Transposition into UK law by 6 January 2013.
- Implementation from 6 January 2013 in respect of any installation new after that date.
- Implementation by 6 January 2014 in respect of installations already in existence before 6 January 2013 (except large combustion plants).
- Implementation by 6 July 2015 in respect of industrial activities not subject to the current integrated pollution prevention and control Directive.
- Implementation from 1 January 2016 in respect of large combustion plants already in existence before 6 January 2013.