Last May we committed to an aspirational waste and resource use policy which sets out the principles we’ll apply to our management of waste and the use of it as a resource. Overall, the policy will support our management of waste throughout our business and enable us to meet our goal of sustainable waste management.
Business plans will be created to manage waste, and support investment in research and development into the use of it as a resource.
The policy is supported by a set of commitments about the way in which we will manage our wastes including commitments around compliance with legislation, moving up the waste hierarchy and reducing the carbon impacts of our waste. We support the principle of the waste hierarchy but realise that we need to balance disposal options against business risk. For instance – we wouldn’t rely on one disposal option for our largest waste streams in case that option becomes restricted. Additionally, where waste is driven by regulatory mechanisms, progress against the policy would depend on securing the appropriate funding for our regulated business.
During 2008/09 we managed over 1,338,900 tonnes of waste. 706,320 tonnes of this was wastewater treatment works sludge from our regulated business and represents the largest waste stream. 99.2% of this sludge was recycled to land applications. Our second largest waste stream is excavated material from holes we dig in the ground to improve and maintain underground pipes and cables and on our construction sites. This accounted for 542,456 tonnes, of which 89% was recycled. Other construction waste from our regulated business contributed 11,474 tonnes to the total with 40% being taken to recycling.
Waste from our regulated and electricity offices where we are the principal occupant amounted to 1,084 tonnes which we managed to send 64% to recycling. Whilst our electricity oil reprocessing depot managed to process over 1.3 million litres of oil providing 100% of our oil needs.