Frequently Asked Questions

Why do we need facilities to treat our rubbish?

Landfill sites that are in use at the moment are nearly full and there are very few areas available in Wales that are suitable for new landfill sites.

 

Aren’t landfill operations a cheaper way to deal with residual waste?

Historically this has been the case, but this will not be the case for very much longer. In Europe landfill tax is £40 per tonne and this will become commonplace in the UK soon. By treating waste to produce electricity, waste becomes a valuable resource.

 

If we cannot landfill residual waste, what can we do with it?

There are a number of options available. We have to turn waste into a resource. The priority is set through the waste hierarchy set by Government, reduce, reuse, recycle and compost and then recover value from what cannot be reused or recycled.

 

What can I do?

Everyone can make a difference when it comes to waste issues. It is essential to reduce waste growth and everyone can reduce the amount of waste they produce. With the waste that is generated reuse what is practical and then try to recycle and compost as much waste as possible using the Council schemes that have been developed for you. Once recycling and composting has been maximised, a solution has to be found for the remaining waste. It is important that the public take an interest in this issue, as this problem will not go away.

 

Is residual waste treatment better than landfill?

Landfill capacity in Wales is fast running out and it is widely recognised that this is not a sustainable option. The full WRATE carbon footprint assessment shows that managing residual waste through landfill alone generates the highest carbon impact.

When waste decomposes in landfill in the absence of air, methane is produced which is one of the main contributing factors of climate change. Although landfill regulations state that the methane should be collected to generate energy, the collection rate is at best only 10%.

Residual waste treatment reduces the need for landfill. Although there are residues from the variety of treatment options, the amount of waste sent to landfill will significantly reduce.

 

By using these technologies, won't recycling and composting rates be affected?

‘European experience illustrates that recovery of energy from residual waste (including by incineration) is compatible with high recycling rates. Therefore both incineration and Advanced Thermal Treatment can form part of an overall waste management strategy but not at the expense of waste reduction and recycling.

'Mainland Europe, Denmark and the Netherlands divert the most waste from landfill, achieving the highest recycling rates but have a high reliance on incineration to deal with residual waste.’ (Defra New Technologies Supporter Programme 2007).

Did you know?

  • The decomposition of waste in the absence of air, gives off methane. As a molecule, methane is 23 times more potent as a green house gas than carbon dioxide.
  • In the UK approximately 2.4 million tonnes of methane is release each year. Emissions from municipal solid waste landfill sites account for 27% of the national total.
  • Methane is recovered from landfill operations, but the collection rate at best is only 10%. This has to be compared to residual waste treatment plants where the collection rates are between 40-60%.

Landfill has historically been the chosen method to deal with waste. This cannot continue and a solution has to be found.

  • A third of all the food we buy ends up being thrown away.
  • In Wales we throw away 330 000 tonnes of food waste each year.
  • Organic waste, such as fruit, vegetables and tea bags make up to 38% of the contents of the average dustbin.
  • An estimated 6.7 million tonnes of household food waste is produced each year in the UK, most of which could be eaten.

Each of the local authorities in Prosiect Gwyrdd are committed to divert as much food waste as possible for composting and plans are underway to implement new schemes.

  • Every year in the UK, we throw away 28 million tonnes of rubbish from households. This weighs the same as three and a half million double decker buses.
  • Every day 80 million food and drink cans end up in landfill.
  • In the UK, we fill about 300 million square metres of land with rubbish each year.
  • We produce 20 times more plastic in the UK than we did 50 years ago.

Each of the local authorities in Prosiect Gwyrdd is committed to recycling and composting as much waste as practically possible. Residents have a duty to reduce and reuse as much waste as possible so that we can all improve the environment. Waste is everyone's problem.

Wyddech chi?

  • Mae gwastraff sy'n dadelfennu heb aer yn cynhyrchu methan. Fel moleciwl, mae methan yn gallu cynhyrchu 23 gwaith yn fwy o nwyon ty gwydr nag yw carbon deuocsid.
  • Yn y DU, rhyddheir oddeutu 2.4 miliwn o dunelli o fethan bob blwyddyn. Mae allyriadau o wastraff dinesig solid mewn safleoedd tirlenwi yn 27% o'r cyfanswm cenedlaethol.
  • Cesglir methan o weithredoedd tirlenwi, ond 10% ar y mwyaf yw'r gyfradd gasglu. Rhaid cymharu hwn â gwaith trin gwastraff gweddilliol lle mae'r cyfraddau casglu'n llawer uwch (gweler y tudalen dewisiadau).

Tirlenwi yw'r modd traddodiadol o ddelio â gwastraff. Ni all hyn barhau ac mae'n rhaid cael hyd i ateb arall.

  • Mae un rhain o dair o'r bwyd a brynwn yn cael ei daflu yn y pen draw.
  • Yng Nghymru, rydym yn taflu 330,000 tunnell o wastraff bwyd bob blwyddyn.
  • Gwastraff organig, megis ffrwythau, llysiau a bagiau te, yw hyd at 38% o gynnwys bin arferol.
  • Cynhyrchir oddeutu 6.7 miliwn o dunelli o wastraff bwyd cartref yn flynyddol yn y DU, a gellir bod wedi bwyta'r rhan fwyaf ohono.

Mae pob un o'r awdurdodau lleol sy'n rhan o Broject Gwyrdd wedi ymrwymo at ddargyfeirio cymaint o wastraff bwyd â phosibl i gael ei gompostio. Mae cyllid wedi'i glustnodi gan Lywodraeth y Cynulliad ar gyfer pob awdurdod.

  • Rydym yn taflu 28 miliwn o dunelli o sbwriel o gartrefi bob blwyddyn yn y DU. Mae hyn yn pwyso'r un faint â thua tair miliwn a hanner o fysus deulawr.
  • Mae 80 miliwn o dunelli o ganiau bwyd a diod yn mynd i safleoedd tirlenwi bob dydd.
  • Yn y DU rydym yn llenwi tua 300 miliwn o fetrau sgwâr o dir gyda sbwriel bob blwyddyn.
  • Rydym yn cynhyrchu 20 gwaith mwy o blastig yn y DU nag oeddem yn ei wneud hanner canrif yn ôl.

Mae pob un o'r awdurdodau lleol sy'n rhan o Project Gwyrdd wedi ymrwymo at ailgylchu a chompostio gymaint o wastraff ag sy'n bosibl. Mae dyletswydd ar breswylwyr i leihau ac ailddefnyddio gymaint o wastraff â phosibl er mwyn i ni gyd wella'r amgylchedd. Mae gwastraff yn broblem i bawb.

Manylion Cyswllt

Prosiect Gwyrdd
Lamby Way Depot
Lamby Way
Rumney
Cardiff
CF3 2HP

Ffôn: (029) 2071 7523
E-bost: GwybodaethProsiectGwyrdd@caerdydd.gov.uk

Do you want to contact us?

Prosiect Gwyrdd
Lamby Way Depot
Lamby Way
Rumney
Cardiff
CF3 2HP

Tel: (029) 2071 7523
E-mail: InfoProsiectGwyrdd@cardiff.gov.uk

What is the Welsh Government stance on Energy from Waste (EFW)?

The Welsh Assembly Government is satisfied that treatment of residual waste by high efficiency EFW facilities (where practical producing electricity and/or heat through associated Combined Heat & Power ("CHP") or heat only systems), is the best option for Wales in terms of its sustainable development obligations and reducing the impact of waste management activities on climate change.
Read more here

 

What does the Chartered Institute for Waste Management say about residual waste treatment?

“The UK’s capacity to recover valuable energy from its waste is under-developed. Rapid planning and commissioning of appropriate plants and technologies is needed to support three vital policy areas: meeting tough landfill diversion targets, combating climate change and meeting energy demand though secure and sustainable supply. The Chartered Institute for Waste Management (CIWM) is urging government to recognise the important contribution of energy from waste in addressing these issues and to take urgent practical steps to support its expansion.” (CIWM (2006) CIWM Position statement Energy recovery from waste, February 2006).

 

What is the Environment Agency’s stance on residual waste treatment?

The Agency believes we need to minimise the amount of waste produced. Recycling, composting and residual waste treatment are all management options that society will need to consider using in order to create sustainable waste management strategies to manage the mountain of waste we are creating.

 

What does the UK Trade and Investment say about Energy from Waste?

Energy from waste is an important suite of technologies, with the ability to provide both renewable energy and a solution to the growing problems of waste management. (UKTI Publications: Energy from waste, a guide to opportunities in the UK)

 

Is residual waste treatment used else where?

Many UK authorities are addressing the problem of residual waste. Energy from Waste and other energy recovery processes have been used extensively in Europe and Scandinavia for some time. Denmark, the Netherlands, France and Sweden treat at least 25% of waste through energy from waste schemes. Mechanical Biological Treatment is also used extensively in Europe, with plants in Germany, Italy and Austria and the technology is becoming more popular in the UK.

 

Won’t having a residual waste treatment facility stop people recycling?

No, each authority is committed to recycling and composting as much waste as possible. There has been massive investment by each authority to develop kerbside collection schemes and to make recycling and composting as accessible as possible to all. Prosiect Gwyrdd is looking at a solution to residual waste, after recycling and composting has been maximised in each area.

 

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