Waste management strategy

The basis of the UK waste management strategy is "the waste hierarchy" for the order of preference for different waste management options. For solid waste there will be a range of ways of reducing the amount of waste generated, re-using individual wastes (like refilling bottles) or recovering a value in some form from the waste (ref.9).

WASTE HIERARCHY: REDUCTION RE-USE RECOVERY RECYCLING COMPOSTING ENERGY DISPOSAL

For detailed information about the waste strategy for Scotland see: SEPA's guidelines

For sewage sludge the management options are limited due to the nature of the waste:

Reduction of the amount of sewage sludge produced has not got much scope. (Use of Sewage and sludge treatment processes which produce less sludge.) Re-use - not applicable to sludge! Recovery of value from the sludge is possible, either by recycling of sludge to land as a fertiliser or as compost or by energy recovery. Disposal to landfill. (Disposal to sea only an option until end of 1998).

For more information about the ban on sea disposal and the impact of spreading sludge on land see: Newsletter from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

Energy from waste (EfW)

When minimisation or re-use of a particular waste stream is not suitable, energy recovery can be the best practicable environmental option (BPEO). Possibilities for recovering energy from waste are: