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Data
Overall Aim
Develop a data strategy which will include collating robust data on commercial and industrial waste.
Data is fundamental to the development of waste policy. Data for 2004/05 indicates that an estimated 19 million tonnes of controlled waste was produced in Scotland. Of this total, 9 million tonnes (47%) arose from commerce and industry (excluding construction and demolition), 7 million tonnes (37%) from the construction and demolition sector and the remaining 3 million tonnes (16%) from household waste.
SEPA is responsible for the collation of waste data in Scotland and is currently revising its Waste Data Strategy. This strategy will recognise the importance of accurate business waste data but also look to minimise any extra burden on business due to extra reporting requirements. The strategy will take account of:
- The requirements of the EU Waste Statistics Regulation.
- Statistical returns already provided by business to SEPA (e.g. returns required as a result of waste management legislation).
- The work already carried out by SEPA in the National Best Practice Projects, which analyse specific waste streams.
- The introduction of waste data flow for municipal waste (this is an on-line web-based system for all UK local authorities providing for the capture of essential waste statistics and local management reporting).
- The need to monitor the amount of waste landfilled by local authorities for the purposes of the Landfill Allowance Scheme.
- The need to improve the understanding of the composition of business waste.
SEPA will produce a revised strategy by August 2007.
Since the initial consultation paper on business waste, SEPA has made significant improvements to the collection of waste data. In particular returns required to meet the new EU Waste Statistics Regulations reporting provide a more accurate picture of business waste in 2004. The results of this survey commissioned by SEPA can be found on SEPA's website at http://www.sepa.org.uk/nws/data/survey.htm
SEPA receives data on commercial and industrial waste from numerous sources including statutory returns from licensed/permitted sites, special waste producers and accredited reprocessors. SEPA may also carry out surveys of business waste producers or issue sector specific questionnaires, for example to gather data for national best practice projects. SEPA recognise that completing multiple questionnaires can be a burden to business and will consider the potential to use data from existing returns within their Waste Data Strategy.
As part of a pilot exercise in the Tayside area, SEPA is looking to use licensed site returns from waste management sites to understand the movements of business waste in that area and the capacity for processing. If the pilot is successful this approach may be extended to other areas of the country.
Data is currently published annually in SEPA's Waste Data Digest and this includes information on commercial and industrial wastes. The format of the Data Digest is currently under review, and while it will continue to provide information on the full range of data gathered by SEPA, there will be more emphasis on publishing data on the SEPA website as it becomes available, rather than waiting for annual publication of the Digest.
What is currently happening:
1.1 SEPA collects and publishes data on commercial and industrial waste obtained from statutory returns from licensed/permitted sites, exempt activities, special waste producers, incinerators and accredited reprocessors.
1.2 SEPA carries out studies of specific waste streams such as the commercial and industrial waste survey, construction and demolition waste study and national best practice projects http://www.sepa.org.uk/nws/index.htm.
1.3 SEPA must submit data on business waste every 2 years to allow reporting to the European Commission under the Waste Statistics Regulation: http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/pri/en/oj/dat/2002/l_332/l_33220021209en00010036.pdf.
1.4 SEPA publishes a Waste Data Digest annually which includes information on commercial and industrial waste http://www.sepa.org.uk/nws/data/data_digest.htm.
What will happen:
1.5 SEPA will carry out a comprehensive review of the Waste Data Strategy which will recognise the significance of business waste. SEPA intend to publish this Strategy by August 2007.
1.6 SEPA will publish a wider range of data on business waste on the SEPA website as it becomes available.
1.7 SEPA will review the scope and application of the National Best Practice Projects programme and publish an analysis on the future role of the National Best Practice Projects by November 2007 http://www.sepa.org.uk/nws/business/practice_projects.htm.
1.8 SEPA will complete the pilot exercise in Tayside to understand the movement of waste in the area and provide recommendations to improve data quality by May 2007.
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