By the end of last month every business in Swindon and Wiltshire had to have a system in place for treating their non-hazardous waste before disposal to landfill, says sustainable business expert Envirowise.

The new regulations will affect the 5.7 million tonnes of waste that is managed in this region alone.

While there were already regulations in place compelling firms to separate and treat hazardous waste, from October 30 businesses have also needed to consider treatment options for all their non-hazardous waste destined for landfill - which could include anything from bricks, wood and soil to food waste, paper and plastic.

The regulations represent the next step in the Europe-wide Landfill Directive and are likely to change the way businesses think about and handle waste on a daily basis.

Paul Gilbert, Envirowise regional manager for the South West, said: "The main objective is to encourage companies to consider options for minimisation, segregation, recycling and reuse, before automatically sending something to landfill.

"The treatment can be as simple as separating different components at source, some of which could then be recycled.

"Other treatment options include physical treatment, such as breaking down waste brick into aggregate, thermal treatment such as incineration or mechanical biological treatment which involves processes such as composting or anaerobic digestion.

"Crucially, many of these approaches offer opportunities for extracting energy - and therefore commercial value - from the waste.

"Firms needed to have a system in place by the end of October. Anyone with problems should get in touch with us now."

It will be the responsibility of landfill operators in England and Wales to ensure that non-hazardous waste has been treated before accepting it for disposal.

Paul added: "In the longer term we are hoping these new rules will encourage people not just to focus on the treatment stage, but to consider whether their waste needs to be generated at all.

"The more South West businesses can do to reduce the use of raw materials at the outset - the more resource efficient and cost-efficient their operations will be."

  • For more information on how to save money through the efficient use of resources and advice on management of all waste types, businesses can call the Envirowise Advice Line on 0800 585 794 or visit www.envirowise.gov.uk/waste.
  • Further guidance on the treatment of non-hazardous wastes for landfill can be found on the Environment Agency website at www.environment-agency.gov.uk.