Biodegradable Municipal Waste

Overview

The biodegradable fraction of Municipal Solid Waste (generally around 50% by weight of MSW) is important as the UK has legally binding EU targets to deliver set reductions of BMW waste to landfill. These targets were originally addressed through individual targets on local authorities but they have now been lifted (in England); the primary reliance is now on the Landfill Tax and treatment systems under PFI funded schemes to deliver the objectives.

Targets

The targets outlined below (and which the UK is expected to meet), come from European Directive 1999/31/EC on the landfill of waste.

The amount of BMW to landfill as a target is measured against the 1995 baseline requiring:

• No greater than 75% of the 1995 baseline by 2010
• No greater than 50% of the 1995 baseline by 2013
• No greater than 35% of the 1995 baseline by 2020

and has progressively reduced year on year with 7.4 million tonnes sent to Landfill in 2017, representing 21% of the 1995 baseline value.

BMW to Landfill as a percentage of 1995 baseline (extract from DEFRA digest)