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| Landfill |  | |
| Approximately half of the household waste in Warwickshire is sent to landfill. In 2008/09 the amount of household waste landfilled was 137,008 tonnes. Government targets and increased legislation surrounding landfill means we are now looking at alternative disposal methods, visit the Warwickshire Waste Partnership webpages to find out more. | |  |
| What is the problem with landfill? Landfilling waste, particularly biodegradable waste such as card, paper, wood, garden and food waste produces methane. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes significantly to climate change. When biodegradable waste is broken down in the presence of air, carbon dioxide is produced, when it breaks down in the absence of air (which is what occurs in landfill sites), methane gas is produced. Weight for weight, methane is 21 times more powerful than carbon dioxide as a green house gas. Landfill tax As well as being a convenient method of waste disposal landfill has also been very cheap compared to other forms of waste treatment and disposal. In 1996 landfill tax regulations were introduced to encourage a shift in disposal away from landfill. The current rate of tax (2009) is £40.00 per tonne; the tax will continue to rise by £8 every year until 2013. The payment of tax is in addition to the gate fee paid per tonne to dispose of waste. Landfill diversion targets As well as reducing capacity and increasing costs, we have been set challenging targets by the EU and UK to reduce the amount of waste, particularly biodegradable municipal waste that we can dispose of to landfill. The targets have been set in the EU Landfill Directive in an attempt to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases from landfill. In the year 2008/09, 95,107 tonnes of Warwickshire’s biodegradable municipal waste was landfilled, which is 34,258 tonnes less than our original allocated allowance of 129,365 tonnes of MBW for the year. Where are the landfills in Warwickshire located? Warwickshire County Council are aware of the following local landfill sites:
For a complete picture contact the environment agency or visit the historic and active landfill map on the environment agency website. How do I contact a specific landfill site? Landfill sites are operated by private companies. If you know the name of the company operating the landfill you may find their contact details in the yellow pages. If wish to contact a specific landfill, but do not know who operates the site contact the environment agency or waste management for advice. | ||
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