News
December 12, 2011
Less wood waste to landfill but biomass concerns persist
The volume of wood waste going to landfill is decreasing, but TRADA is concerned to ensure that financial incentives by government for virgin wood to be used for fuel should not affect the market for timber as a constructional material in the future. It has therefore recently updated its Construction briefings on this important area as the future is by no means clear-cut.
The briefing Wood Waste for Biomass Fuel aims to provide background information for potential investors in wood burning equipment, or for companies wishing to supply wood waste into the market. It explains that the use of wood waste as a biomass fuel for the generation of energy, either electricity or heat, offers two important benefits:
- The energy generated has less of an impact in terms of greenhouse gas emission (GHG) compared with energy generated by using fossil fuels.
- The burden on landfill is reduced.
Estimates of wood waste arisings have been revised down in recent years. In 2009 WRAP issued a new report, which suggested that the level had fallen to about 4.5 million tonnes, and a recent revision suggests a further drop to 4.1 million tonnes per year. As a result, the emerging biomass sector will consume increasing volumes of virgin material, much of it sourced from abroad - and this is of concern, said TRADA Marketing Manager Rupert Scott.
Initiatives which reduce the volume of wood waste going to landfill, therefore, are to be welcomed - and the minimisation of wood entering landfill is likely to offer additional benefits for the timber industry as a whole. Where Life Cycle Assessment studies are used to compare timber with competitive materials for construction, a positive application as a fuel for low carbon energy generation will enhance timber's already high credentials.
An important move towards a reduction on the volume of waste to landfill is the announcement by Defra within the Government Review of Waste Policy in England 2011 that it plans to terminate the Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme (LATS) after the year 2012-2013. The scheme was introduced as part of the Waste and Emissions Trading Act, to help the UK achieve its Landfill Directive targets.
Landfill restrictions for wood waste are already enforced in several countries and both Wales and Scotland expressed interest in becoming zero waste nations before England, although the launch of the above Review suggests that England is also committed to becoming a zero waste economy. Towards that end, the government has proposed to consult in 2012 on whether to introduce restrictions to landfill. The notion of a landfill restriction or ban for wood has received long-term support from the Wood Recyclers' Association. This rapid change in thinking from Defra may be influenced by evidence from countries that operate such bans which suggests that landfill tax alone will not be sufficient to provide the investment needed to develop landfill alternatives.
Another area being explored to maximise the potential for wood waste is a Wood Waste Protocol. This is an initiative between the Environment Agency (EA) and the Waste Resources and Action Programme (WRAP) which aims to determine the point at which a waste can be excluded from the waste stream and thus from the associated waste management regulations under the EU Waste Framework Directive. In theory the material then becomes free both from the stigma of being identified as a waste - and what can become a network of complex legislation - to be considered to be a product with a potential application, rather than a liability for disposal.
Wood Waste for Biomass Fuel, A Summary of the Incentives and Challenges is third in a series investigating the use of wood as a biomass fuel - members only click here to read the briefing in full. It follows:
- Wood as a biomass fuel: The main issues to consider - April 2009 (updated August 2011)
- Encouraging the growth of wood fuel: A review of government policies and financial incentives - June 2009 (updated August 2011).
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