By Marco Muia, aka "Enviroman!"
It is about time I thanked Mark Attwood and the team at The Skip for letting me have a monthly waffle about all things waste. Seriously though, the issues I have covered so far are not fictitious ‘frequently asked questions’ which feature on many web sites but relate to problems faced by a great many waste operators on a daily basis. Yes you skip chicks and hunks out there! I shall continue to give my slant on the waste business from a consultant’s, operator’s and ex-regulator’s viewpoint as long as the questions continue to be asked, so keep them coming.
But asking questions in isolation is not the best way to tackle a problem and the recent interest in the creation of a National Skip Hire Association could signal a change in the way individual companies in the skip industry work for mutual benefit in the UK. Instead of complaining bitterly about how the Environment Agency “pick on us and let him down the road off easy” why not take your gripe to national level, after all the Agency and other regulators have a duty to be consistent. In fact many senior people and officers on the ground in those bodies express concern about the lack of harmonisation in regulation despite the hundreds of trees that are sacrificed to produce regulatory guidance, most of which is not widely read.
The time for harmonisation has never been more pressing. The increase in the number of recycling sites since the landfill tax came in almost 10 years ago has been impressive and the existing and emerging recycling markets it has driven are astounding. The range of recycled materials very often causes problems because their existence was not always envisaged when the laws were drafted. But laws and guidance are not set in stone and are often varied by consultation outcomes or legal precedent in the courts. We do need more coherent thinking on waste but should not complain about new legislation unless we have expressed our concerns during the consultation period or taken the issue to the Agency’s Process Section for a response, for example. That doesn’t mean that having a voice is all about politics but more notice will be taken of the views of 1,000s of skip firms than one stroppy chap tucked away in the back of an industrial site.
I echo Mark Attwood’s comments last month about the benefits of National Skip Hire Association which could promote a national brand which sets standards for a quality, local service. However, the standard of service will still be affected by the way your recycling sites are regulated and consistency of regulation is a must have. The media concentrates on kerbside collection and recycling rates for household waste and generally turns its attention to the skip industry when something bad happens. It is your industry and no-one else will promote it.
How many of you out there are interested in running a skip association? Surely such a large industry could fund at least one full time equivalent post to push the boat out on environmental and other matters, even if that person only responds to consultations and promotes good practice in the industry. The skip industry may be considered to be a thorn in their side by many regulatory officers but the support for change and effective regulation which encourages recycling is widespread amongst both gamekeepers and the poachers. Your call!
Enough of the serious stuff. If an association is formed what should we call it? Can anyone come up with an amusing acronym for a National Skip Hire Association , such as
Skip Hire Industry Training Service (work it out)
The Recycling And Skip Hire Association (TRASHA)
I know mine are rubbish so I’m offering a bottle of malt at the show for the best suggestion, the sillier the better. Come to our stand at the RWM Exhibition at the NEC in September with your suggestions and fill out a questionnaire to state your concerns, hopes and aims for the future of the industry and you could end up merry! The questions raised will hopefully form the backbone of this column for the next 12 months.
Recycling and Waste Management Exhibition - 12 to 14 September 2006 - NEC, Birmingham
If you’re attending this years show to look at the latest kit take time out to visit The Skip (stand 116) and Oaktree Environmental (stand 1008) to catch up on the latest issues affecting the industry. I have complied a list below of some of the many issues I discuss every day and will be offering free advice on them and many more at the RWM Show. Many operators out there do not have the time or inclination to wade through the mass of guidance so I would again ask you to tell us what you want to know about before I run out of ideas and start writing utter nonsense.
1. EP OPRA scores. Bring along your EP OPRA score and current subsistence fee bill and have it checked for free. You could be paying the Agency too much. No offence intended Mr. Agency but that thousand pounds they save could be spent on site improvements!
2. Pick up a free briefing note on exemptions which can greatly benefit waste transfer and treatment site operators.
3. Landfill tax is often misunderstood - find out the truth at the show.
4. Fixed licences - are they worth having? Have you applied for one yet and how quickly have they been issued?
5. The definition of waste. Which waste streams would you like to see designated as product?
6. In issue 6 I reviewed the duty of care and advised on the content of transfer notes. Bring along a copy of your transfer notes and I will give them a free health check to see if they are compliant or not!
7. Agricultural waste - what are the benefits to the skip industry?
8. Soil recycling - when is it not waste? What problems have you had when selling recycled soils?
9. The aggregates protocol - how much sampling should you do to comply?
10. COTC Training - The North West Regional Assessment Centre is sharing stand 1008 and will be on hand to answer your questions.
Marco Muia BSc (Hons) MSc MCIWM specialises in all aspects of waste regulation consultancy and is a WAMITAB accredited assessor for the COTCs in waste transfer, treatment and inert landfill. He also holds the level 4 COTCs for Hazardous Waste Treatment and Transfer. You can contact Marco via The Skip
