Making the most of waste

Waste can be a goldmine and laboratory testing is the best way to take advantage of this, but – says Ryan Haughey – if the UK waste industry does not wise up to the need to set standards when it comes to testing waste then we’ll lose out to the rest of Europe As the global economy returns to growth, it is essential that the UK positions itself to take advantage of the opportunities that emerge. British businesses, and the British economy as a whole, have some fundamental strengths; namely science and innovation, advanced manufacturing and world-leading professional services. With increasing global pressure on raw materials for manufacture, it is vital that the resources within waste are identified, extracted and turned back into high value products for industry. This represents one of the key opportunities that the UK should increasingly look to exploit. To look at waste as an asset and invest in getting as much value from it, wherever possible, is an absolute necessity. When we opened our new state-of-the-art waste treatment facility in Prescot, Merseyside, last year, the Environment Agency hailed it as setting a new benchmark for the industry and being good for both the environment and the economy. Since then, it seems that the political will to both drive up and police standards has taken a back seat. Investing in a high quality laboratory was at the heart of design of the Prescot facility, where we test both hazardous and non-hazardous waste samples for pre acceptance and waste acceptance criteria. The role of high quality, well-equipped laboratories in achieving both stringent safety standards and understanding the resource value of the waste and a suitable route for disposal and/or re-use should not be under-estimated. The Environmental Agency sector guidance for recovery and disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous waste SG 5.06 states that “measures will need to be taken to identify a suitable disposal route prior to acceptance of wastes onto site”. From a health and safety point of view, it is very important to understand exactly what materials we are dealing with, both to protect our own workforce and the workforces of our disposal companies. This ensures that the right PPE and equipment can be used when handling, packaging and storing the materials. Prior to accepting waste, it is essential to fully analyse it to identify the best disposal route from both an environmental and commercial perspective, it also helps us to get a full picture of the different materials we have on site at all times. Extensive analytical testing is required to protect the environment, protect us and protect our disposal routes, so that potential risk of environmental hazards is kept to a minimum. Indeed, the sector guidance also states ‘The requirement to characterise the waste, including sampling and analysis, equally applies to transfer as well as treatment facilities’. The Environment Agency’s indicative Best Available Technology (BAT) requirements outline the intensive tests to be carried out on the materials for disposal. These extensive tests need to fully cooperate with the waste hierarchy. They represent a thorough investigation to determine that paperwork is in order and that hazardous waste delivered is as exactly as described. For laboratory smalls specifically, the BAT requirements are for a full list of items to be created and transported with the waste, with written procedures regarding their segregation, packaging and labelling. Guidance to customers should include details of the information required to meet pre-acceptance checks, what chemicals are allowed or prohibited under the site’s permit e.g. radioactive chemicals, clinical wastes, explosives etc. It also requires a procedure for identifying the waste laboratory chemical and to establish and record the hazards it may pose. The information should also include supporting documentation, such as manufacturer’s data and material safety data sheets; a segregation policy for waste laboratory chemicals to avoid mixing of incompatible wastes in the same drum; information on how to pack the chemicals and guidance on what information is required to accompany the waste. At Remondis, we have invested in the very best equipment including ICP-OES GC-MS, EDXRF spectrometers, a Karl Fischer titrater, an acid/alkali titrater, furnace, spectrophotometer, calorimeters, flash point analyser and an atomic absorption spectrometer. We have plans for expansion involving new techniques and equipment for analysis. Something that we are extremely passionate about is that standards in waste management are clearly defined and then closely regulated by an independent body. Remondis has invested heavily in the UK waste sector in the form of its facility in Prescot, but the business case for others to do the same is waning if the industry does not regulate its practices and therefore provide the platform to make waste a true commercial enterprise. The commercial value of waste is a key driver in innovation, but standards and outputs must be consistent and high quality in order to create real market value. When it comes to hazardous waste, high standards for handling, transport and disposal must be maintained. In order for UK companies to make the most of waste as a resource, it is essential that the infrastructure and legislative framework is put in place to support innovation. As an industry, we need to have the space and investment to explore new ways of processing waste in order to deliver valuable asset streams which can help meet energy demands, as well as creating completely new products for use in manufacturing and construction.   Our goal is to create a clear roadmap for the future of laboratories and testing in the hazardous waste industry in the UK, by investing in extensive research into the correct procedure for sampling of different kinds of waste. We also want accredited methods to be formed for correct sampling protocols. This will help drive consistency and raise standards in recording, by ensuring that representative samples can be put forward for analytical testing so that results match the waste material in its entirety. This commitment to quality will hopefully establish a clear benchmark that will help the industry to understand how to optimise the resources in our hazardous waste streams for future generations. Author Ryan Haughey, laboratory chemist at Remondis UK