Legislation

The factors that are leading to the commercial development of AD for waste disposal are embodied in numerous pieces of current and pending legislation.

The Landfill Directive.

• European legislation setting targets for reduction in landfilling for member states. The UK is required to reduce the amount sent to landfill to 75% of 1995 values by 2010, 50% by 2013 and 35% by 2020.
• If the UK fails to meet this requirement we could face fines of £180 million per year.

Landfill Tax Regulations

• Introduced a tax on waste sent to landfill
• Currently Landfill tax is £32 per tonne. This is set to rise by £8 next year and every year after that until 2010/11.

Waste and Emissions Trading Bill

• Allows authorities to trade 'landfill allowances' based on landfill reduction targets set by government.
• Authorities failing to meet their targets will have to buy expensive allowances from more successful authorities or pay fines equal to those imposed by the Landfill Directive.
• Failure by local authorities to consider alternatives now risks passing a significant financial burden to their electorate.

Animal By-products Order

• Requires treatment and sets stringent minimum treatment standards for any waste containing material of animal origin.
• Splits waste into 3 categories according to risk.
• Identifies AD as a suitable method to treat some category 2 and all category 3 material including kitchen wastee

Renewables Obligation

• Sets targets for electricity suppliers to source power from renewable sources rising from 3% in 2003 to 10% in 2011.