Energy from waste helps Britian to become 'Zero Waste' nation.
Energy from waste will play a central role in the path towards Britain becoming a 'zero waste' nation, Environment Secretary Hilary Benn has stated.
Speaking at a summit of local authorities and the waste industry on October 13th, Mr Benn said that councils and the waste sector should be using new technologies such as anaerobic digestion (AD), which re-uses farm and food waste to generate energy.
He was speaking as the government announced a raft of targets and measures for both household and commercial and industrial waste, one of which was that in 10 years' time 75% of household waste would either be recycled or used for energy.
Mr Benn said: "We need to rethink how we view and treat waste in the UK. Using new technologies will help us to re-use things, for example anaerobic digestion that creates energy from food and farm waste."
And, at the same event, secretary of state for Communities and Local Government John Denham continued: "If we continue to send recyclable or compostable waste to landfill we are missing a major opportunity to generate heat and energy. I have recently set out ambitions for councils to play a bigger role in tackling climate change and thinking more creatively about waste is just one way to unlock that potential," he added.
The government wants to significantly reduce the amount of waste that is sent to landfill or incinerated without recovering energy, saying that, where possible, energy should be recovered from materials that cannot be reused or recycled, and that disposal to landfill should only be necessary for small amounts of residual material.
Figures released recently in a 2008/09 progress report for the government's Waste Strategy 2007 showed that the amount of energy recovered from waste increased by around 3% between 2007 and 2008, but the government said it want to see a "much greater uptake" of AD by local authorities, businesses and farmers in a way that is "both cost effective and beneficial to the environment."
Defra estimates that if all the food and other organic waste that the UK produces could be harnessed in this way it could provide enough heat and energy to run over two million homes.
Anaerobic Digestion
AD can be used on farms to process animal slurries and other agricultural residues; by the water industry to process sewage sludge; and to process food waste and biodegradable packaging that would otherwise go to landfill.
The Waste Strategy for England 2007 aims to incentivise recovering energy from waste, as well as reducing, re-using, and recycling it, and AD is among the technologies that will receive additional support in the form of two Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs)/MWh as a result of changes introduced by the Energy Act 2008.
This government's call for a larger take-up by local authorities comes after it announced in this year's Budget that an additional £10 million funding package would go towards new composting and AD facilities, which could be able to process over 300,000 tonnes of additional food waste every year.
And, in February 2008, Mr Benn said that up to £10 million would be made available from the Environmental Transformation Fund towards the construction of new plants to demonstrate ‘state of the art' use of AD to create renewable energy. These are expected to be built by March 2011.
Click here to make an online enquiry regarding our services.
or call 01603 864796 (during office hours)
-
British are "bored" with Climate Change
A new energy report suggests that British people are less environmentally conscious than they were five years ago.
4 out of 10 britons take no action at all to reduce their household carbon emissions, and twice as many people are now "bored" by talk of climate change as in 2005. Experts warn that green fatigue is one of the major reasons as to why there are more cars on the roads, more planes in the sky and no reductions in the mountain of packaging waste. The report reveals that too few people are making an effort to reduce their household CO2 emissions and environmentalists believe the recession is further undermining public commitment.
The report, by market researchers Mintel, shows that many of Britain's 26 million homes fail to make simple adjustments such as switching off lights, turning down thermostats, and switching off appliances rather than leaving them on standby. The findings also reveal that people are less willing to spend money on energy-efficient appliances than they were five years ago. Analysts believe the recession together with a backlash against "extreme" environmentalist pressure has reduced people's enthusiasm to combat climate change.
The report also found that resistance to saving the planet was greater among men; one in four said they think there is too much concern over the environment, compared with one in six women.
-
More information on the 2016 definition of "Zero Carbon".
Housing Minister, Grant Shapps announced additional information about the new definition of "Zero Carbon".
The Government plans to investigate setting up a community energy fund which will be used to pay for district heating and renewable energy schemes.
Developers who pay into the fund will not have to install onsite renewables or microgeneration equipment. Many developers have welcomed the flexibility of paying into a fund rather than grappling with renewables on each site.
However, the full definition of 'zero-carbon' has once again been delayed. This is despite a pre-election promise to get the definition of zero carbon finalised “within weeks” of getting into office.
The new Government Housing Minister has recently announced that the coalition will review the level of on-site renewables required - before publishing the final definition of the standard, which all new homes will have to reach after 2016.
In the announcement, the Minister also re-affirmed his commitment to all new homes being zero-carbon from 2016 and confirmed the introduction of the ‘Fabric Energy Efficiency Standard' which requires a minimum standard in relation to insulation levels and air tightness and thermal bridging in buildings.
Zero carbon is required of all Code for Sustainable Homes level six homes. Clarification of what zero carbon will mean is still to be decided.
If you require assistance with your Code for Sustainable Homes level requirements, contact Ecowise - we are a fully accredited Code for Sustainable Homes assessment organisation.
-
Pilot Tidal Energy Scheme for North Wales Coast
Conwy County Borough Council has backed plans for a pilot tidal energy scheme off the North Wales Coast.
The £150 million scheme at Llanddulas in North Wales would provide a testing facility for turbine designers and manufacturers, and assess the environmental impact of turbines.
The project was given approval by the council as part of a strategic regeneration strategy for the Conwy coast, prepared by consultant Capita Symonds.
Paul Terry, Capita Symonds, said: "Tidal power will play a key role in providing a sustainable energy source for future generations. The North Wales coast is an ideal place for such a scheme as it’s blessed with a good tidal range and suitable ocean depth." He added that the project could also help protect the coast from rising sea levels, storm surges and coastal erosion.
The regeneration strategy also calls for seven new visitor centres costing £30m should be built at key locations stretching from Conwy to Rhuddlan. But North Wales Tourism chairman Chris Jackson raised doubts over whether the proposals could realistically be funded in the current economic climate. The council’s approval now means that Capita Symonds will seek funding for feasibility studies and investigations to develop a business case for the scheme.
