Environment Sensitive Farming

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West Sussex SustainableBusiness
PartnershipAgricultural Waste Management
30th November 2005Presented byIan MuirWaste
Management Strategies Specialist
www.environmentsensitivefarming.co.uk
Supported by NFU, LEAF and CLA
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Agricultural Waste Management

• Opportunities for Waste Minimisation and
  Recycling Waste

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What is Waste?

• Legal Definition of Waste
• any substance or object in the categories set
  out in Annex 1 of the Directive which the
  holder discards or intends or is required to
  discard.
• Directive 75/442/EEC as amended by 91/156/EEC and
  Commission Decision 96/350/EC

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What is Waste?

• An alternative Definition of Waste
• Waste is anything that does
• not add value to
• your product

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Examples of Non-natural Farm Wastes

• Silage sheet and wrap
• Crop cover and mulch
• Netting and string
• Fertiliser/seed bags
• Pesticide containers
• Veterinary product containers
• Cardboard Paper
• Tyres
• Processed wood

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Why Manage Waste?

• Waste costs - cost to UK industry is 15
  billion/year
• The true cost is often hidden - reduce waste
  reduce losses
• Waste minimisation is good business - look at it
  as a valuable investment
• Reputation - with major customers and farm
  assurance schemes
• Legal consequences - legislation getting tougher
  each year

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The Waste Management Hierarchy

• Avoid
• Reduce
• Re-use
• Recycle
• Recover Energy
• Compost
• Disposal

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Stages in Waste Minimisation

• Identify areas where waste minimisation may be
  possible
• Generate a cause and effect diagram in each
  problem area (i.e.waste mapping)
• Think it through
• Prioritise options

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Start with a Review
Processes
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Process InventoryFor example Domestic Waste
22Kg/wk/household

• Metals 8
• Plastics 11
• Textiles 2
• Miscellaneous 10
• Glass 9
• Fines 7
• Putrescibles 21
• Paper Card 32

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What goes in YOUR farm bin? Whats its COST ?
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Stages in Waste Minimisation

• Identify areas where waste minimisation may be
  possible
• Generate a cause and effect diagram in each
  problem area (e.g.waste mapping)
• Think it through
• Prioritise options

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Waste Mapping

• Harvesting

Trimming
Washing
Packaging
Process
Cooling
Transport
Boiler
Offices
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Stages in Waste Minimisation

• Identify areas where waste minimisation may be
  possible
• Generate a cause and effect diagram in each
  problem area (e.g.waste mapping)
• Think it through
• Prioritise options

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Defra Publication
The Waste Minimisation Manual PB4819 Defra
Publications 08459 556000 www.defra.gov.uk/environ
ment/waste/topics/agwaste/reduce-waste.pdf
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Subjects Covered
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Stages in Waste Minimisation

• Identify areas where waste minimisation may be
  possible
• Generate a cause and effect diagram in each
  problem area (e.g.waste mapping)
• Think it through
• Prioritise options

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Recycling Opportunities

• Currently somewhat limited, but it is a rapidly
  evolving industry
• A number of schemes able to take polyethylene and
  some take polypropylene
• Scrap metal
• Waste oil
• Waste paper cardboard
• Pallets
• Consider use of take back schemes
• Waste Recycling Directory www.wasterecycling.org.u
  k (national)
• Other websites i.e. www.egeneration.co.uk
  (local/regional)
• www.wastepoint.co.uk (national)

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Non-packaging farm plastics

• Research suggests that 90 of farmers are keen to
  participate in a recovery scheme for waste
  plastics
• The Defra consultation paper proposes either a
  voluntary scheme or a statutory scheme with an
  obligation on plastic suppliers/manufacturers

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Silage Plastic
Range of contamination 21-74
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Silage PlasticStorage Undercover v Outside
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Maximise Recycling Opportunities

• Segregate waste by type e.g. plastics, metals,
  etc
• Sub segregate each waste type e.g. plastics into
  polyethylene, polypropylene, etc
• Store securely and protect from potential
  contaminants
• Give consideration to the cleanliness of the
  waste

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Summary of the Benefits of Waste Minimisation

• Reduction in wasted resource.....and costs
• Reduction in landfill spaceand disposal costs
• Reduction in pollution potential
• Improved image/competitiveness
• Legislative compliance

Waste minimisation works Saved costs of waste go
straight to the bottom line
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Please visit the ESF website for further
presentations and meetings on Agricultural Waste
Management and other ESF topics
www.environmentsensitivefarming.co.uk
Supported by NFU, LEAF and CLA