Which regulations cover landfills

Similar regulations apply in Scotland and in Northern Ireland. Under these regulations, from October 30, , landfills no longer accept untreated waste or liquid wastes. Businesses and industries must now arrange for alternative ways for disposing of liquid waste and ensure that non-liquid waste is properly treated before disposal. The regulations also ban the disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous waste in the same landfill.

All hazardous waste must be disposed of in specially designated landfills. The regulations also affect the way in which household waste is disposed of. Anyone wanting a copy of the most recent general permit should contact Solid Waste Permitting and Monitoring Section staff.

Hereinafter, these landfills will be referred to as Class Three landfills. Code Section This section of the regulation addresses the general provisions that are specific to these activities and provides permit-by-rule registration, location, design, operational and closure requirements. Structural fill may not provide a sound structural base for building purposes. Skip to main content. He said star screens and ballistic separators operate with the same purpose: trying to get 3D material to go airborne.

But for these devices to work properly, they cannot be overrun with material. He said most of the issues with optical sorters are mechanical. Overrunning the sorter and not cleaning valves or putting them in the wrong place can cause disruptions. As for robotics, Davis said he sees this type of equipment and optical sorters as both competing and complementary to each other.

MRF operators will be charged with assessing the effectiveness of these new technologies in their facilities in the coming years to cut down on contamination and combat shifting end markets. The author is associate editor of the Recycling Today Media Group and can be contacted at mworkman gie. The franchising of commercial waste collection zones to select haulers has been a common practice in the U.

Proponents of franchising claim that it is a good way to cut down on the number of trucks on the road, fine-tune recycling practices and provide more consistent service to businesses. Detractors say that it encourages lackluster collection efforts and leads to elevated costs. To get to the bottom of the issue, Waste Today talked with individuals across the waste industry to get their perspective on the pros and cons of franchising and see what it takes to implement a system that truly works.

Franchising pares down the number of commercial waste collectors operating in a given city. GBB , this can give municipalities a greater handle on their waste collection procedures. The greater control afforded under the franchising system means that it may be easier in some scenarios to measure progress. Both municipalities and vendors can find it easier to track and collect data, which can then be analyzed to further improve collection processes.

This can result in more robust services and flexibility, industry sources say. This can lead to better waste diversion, litter control, messaging, visual aesthetics, time of day service, etc. Frey also notes that franchising can be positive from a cost perspective. Long-term contracts can embolden haulers to make the necessary investments in equipment needed to bring about economic benefits for businesses.

A reduction in the number of trucks on the road made possible by franchising is often touted by commercial zoning proponents. This reduction cuts down on city congestion and diminishes greenhouse gas emissions. Franchising is also often billed as a way to help improve diversion and promote zero waste initiatives.

Changing the way waste is collected in a municipality has far-reaching implications. Not only does this affect the city, its businesses and the selected vendors, it has impacts on the haulers who lose out on jobs. According to Porter, careful consideration must be taken to prevent major market disruptions.

How much recycling is taking place? What are the diversion goals? How many haulers are operating? What is the business density? And what are the current issues being faced? The reduction in haulers can also make it more difficult for waste companies to account for the personalized needs of some business owners. This can complicate collection efforts. While Getter acknowledges that franchising often comes at a lower cost initially, he argues that things can change over time.

And on year six, whoever owns the landfill increases their fees, there needs to be a mechanism for price increases. And some unknowns like this can create a bait-and-switch type situation. Additionally, on the service side of things, there could be truck drivers who go on strike and their wages could go up, things of that nature, and there needs to be allowances between the service provider and the customer on how those things are going to be handled.

My perception from afar is that sometimes these things can be neglected or glossed over when a system is implemented. To avoid these types of problems, Getter suggests looking at the track record of vendors who have previously participated in franchise agreements. He notes that the promises made at the launch of a franchise rollout can differ when new market realities come into play.

Because of this, engaging stakeholders is paramount. A solid waste advisory committee or stakeholder review committee can be convened for this purpose. When groups like this are given a clear goal and a timeline, GBB has seen these groups be very effective at reaching consensus for a desired path forward. A waste program that works in one city might not make sense for another.

According to Frey, municipalities can help themselves find the right fit by clearly outlining their commercial waste goals at the outset of planning. More time dedicated to due diligence upfront can help a program avoid early growing pains. Phasing in these systems could help prevent some of the initial conflict. Once a program is launched, it is up to the municipality to ensure that the vendors are providing adequate service. To do this, haulers have to be held accountable. There is no one-size-fits-all waste solution that will work for every community.

However, there are certain factors that lend themselves to a more seamless transition to a franchise system. The burden of ensuring that a commercial collection plan is implemented correctly lies on each individual city. If the research into the merits of franchising point to potential complications down the road, municipalities must have the discipline to walk away from a deal. The author is editor of Waste Today and can be reached at aredling gie. Rubicon Global , Atlanta, has unveiled the RubiconMethod, a guide that summarizes best practices for organizations aiming to reduce their waste generation and keep materials out of landfills.

The company turned its best practices into a universal tool for running a successful recycling and waste reduction program. The RubiconMethod is providing organizations of all sizes with a simple list of best practices to create successful and thriving recycling programs. This guidance is desperately needed.