MoreThanWaste.com - CD&E wastes - Survey indicates 88.6m tonnes of English CD & E waste arose in 2005 (27/02/2007)

A report on the arisings and use of construction, demolition and excavation waste in England, has been produced on behalf of the Department of Communities and Local Governement (DCLG). An attempt has been made by the authors, to split this difficult statistical project down to regional level as an aid to Regional Aggregate Working Parties (RAWPs).

"The central estimate for total arisings of CDEW for 2005 is 88.63 million tonnes ± 9% at a confidence level of 90%. This is slightly lower than the equivalent estimate for 2003, but the difference between the estimates for the two years is not statistically significant"

The objective of the survey of operators of crushers and screens, licensed landfill sites and Paragraph 9 and 19 registered exempt sites was to establish estimates for the arisings and use as aggregate of construction and demolition and excavation waste in England in 2005, and for each region and sub-region covered by the RAWPS.

Results show that approximately 88.6m tonnes of construction and demolition waste arose in 2005 from which around 42.1m tonnes (approx 47.5%) was recycled into aggregates.

Paragraph 9 and 19 registered exempt sites refers to paragraphs in Schedule 3 of the Waste Management Licensing Regulations 1994 (as amended) which deals with activities that are exempt from waste licensing.

The information is to be used for the monitoring of the national and regional guidelines for aggregates provision (published in June 2003), which provides a target for the use of secondary and recycled aggregates.

Executive Summary

1.1 Two surveys were carried out during the spring and early summer of 2006, backed up by a programme of other data analysis, to establish estimates for the arisings and use as aggregate of construction and demolition waste (CDEW) in England in 2005. The work was carried out for the Planning Resources and Environment Policy Division of the Communities and Local Government. It was carried out by Capita Symonds Ltd, with the support of WRc plc on issues of statistical design and analysis. Directly comparable surveys were carried out by the same research team two and four years previously.

1.2 The surveys covered operators of crushers and screens, and of licensed landfills. Data on Paragraph 9A&19A registered exempt sites were also analysed. The objective was to generate estimates for recycled aggregate and soil, CDEW used and disposed of at licensed landfills, and CDEW spread on registered exempt sites. The surveys made a clear distinction between ‘hard’ Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste and excavation waste in order to identify not just the current rate of aggregate recycling, but also the future potential rate. As in the previous surveys, very little evidence was found of hard C&D waste which could be recycled into aggregate being landfilled as waste, and only very modest tonnages were identified being used within landfills in an unprocessed form (and then it was mainly for site engineering).

Estimates

1.3 The central estimate for total arisings of CDEW for 2005 is 88.63 million tonnes ± 9% at a confidence level of 90%. This is slightly lower than the equivalent estimate for 2003, but the difference between the estimates for the two years is not statistically significant.

1.4 The central estimate for production of recycled aggregate has risen from 39.60 million tonnes ± 13% in 2003 to 42.07 million tonnes ± 15% in 2005. However, this change is not statistically significant. Evidence from the surveys suggests that the population of recycling crushers has continued to grow, but that the annual throughput of the average crusher has fallen since 2003, pointing to greater competition between recyclers.

1.5 The survey also confirms a conclusion from a previous survey, namely that the recyclers who are most successful at ‘pushing’ recycled aggregate up the value chain tend to be those operators who mix working on demolition sites with having access to a fixed recycling site of their own.

1.6 The small apparent falls in the tonnages of CDEW sent to landfills and registered exempt sites are not statistically significant. The estimates for CDEW sent to licensed landfills and registered exempt sites also need to be viewed against a background of regulatory and administrative changes between 2003 and 2005 which mean that the data collection methods had to be changed. Landfills are now classified and authorised in a different way, and operators of registered exempt sites now have to pay a fee as well as going through a much more formal application procedure than was previously the case.

Robustness of estimates

1.7 Although the national estimates appear reasonably robust, this is less true of the regional estimates, and progressively less true the more local the focus becomes, because the response rates are not high enough. Future voluntary surveys are considered unlikely to overcome this challenge. As far as the 2005 sub-regional estimates are concerned the report warns that they should not to be relied on as anything other than a reasonable indication of arisings and recycling of CDEW, and should only be used with caution by Mineral Planning Authorities (and others) to provide contextual background in the undertaking of functions such as development control.

1.8 Looking to the future, the report recommends that Communities and Local Government should look into the practicality of drawing information from other sources. In the case of licensed landfills this means looking to the quarterly site returns which are submitted by all licence holders to the Environment Agency (EA). In the case of operators of recycling crushers and screens the most realistic alternative appears to be to request the necessary information when operators are renewing their Part B authorisations. Running local voluntary surveys of recycling crushers will always run into issues associated with out-of area working, as well as requiring the organisers to achieve considerably higher response rates than can be obtained from national surveys (as a consequence of the local population of recycling crushers inevitably being so much smaller).

1.9 This recommendation (to find alternative ways of obtaining the data) is given additional force by the adverse impacts (which are more acute at the local level) which changing recycling technologies are having on the reliability of the existing method of grossing up.

1.10 If further voluntary national surveys are to be commissioned in future, the report
recommends that they should be initiated at a time that allows survey forms to be
circulated soon after the end of the year for which data are being sought.

Further information

Further information and a copy of the report, "Survey of Arisings and Use of Alternatives
to Primary Aggregates in England, 2005" by the Capita Symonds Group supported by Wrc, can be found on the DCLG website.


	CD&E wastes - Survey indicates 88.6m tonnes of English CD & E waste arose in 2005 (27/02/2007) A report on the arisings and use of construction, demolition and excavation waste in England, has been produced on behalf of the Department of Communities and Local Governement (DCLG). An attempt has been made by the authors, to split this difficult statistical project down to regional level as an aid to Regional Aggregate Working Parties (RAWPs). "The central estimate for total arisings of CDEW for 2005 is 88.63 million tonnes ± 9% at a confidence level of 90%. This is slightly lower than the equivalent estimate for 2003, but the difference between the estimates for the two years is not statistically significant" The objective of the survey of operators of crushers and screens, licensed landfill sites and Paragraph 9 and 19 registered exempt sites was to establish estimates for the arisings and use as aggregate of construction and demolition and excavation waste in England in 2005, and for each region and sub-region covered by the RAWPS. Results show that approximately 88.6m tonnes of construction and demolition waste arose in 2005 from which around 42.1m tonnes (approx 47.5%) was recycled into aggregates. Paragraph 9 and 19 registered exempt sites refers to paragraphs in Schedule 3 of the Waste Management Licensing Regulations 1994 (as amended) which deals with activities that are exempt from waste licensing. The information is to be used for the monitoring of the national and regional guidelines for aggregates provision (published in June 2003), which provides a target for the use of secondary and recycled aggregates. Executive Summary 1.1 Two surveys were carried out during the spring and early summer of 2006, backed up by a programme of other data analysis, to establish estimates for the arisings and use as aggregate of construction and demolition waste (CDEW) in England in 2005. The work was carried out for the Planning Resources and Environment Policy Division of the Communities and Local Government. It was carried out by Capita Symonds Ltd, with the support of WRc plc on issues of statistical design and analysis. Directly comparable surveys were carried out by the same research team two and four years previously. 1.2 The surveys covered operators of crushers and screens, and of licensed landfills. Data on Paragraph 9A&19A registered exempt sites were also analysed. The objective was to generate estimates for recycled aggregate and soil, CDEW used and disposed of at licensed landfills, and CDEW spread on registered exempt sites. The surveys made a clear distinction between ‘hard’ Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste and excavation waste in order to identify not just the current rate of aggregate recycling, but also the future potential rate. As in the previous surveys, very little evidence was found of hard C&D waste which could be recycled into aggregate being landfilled as waste, and only very modest tonnages were identified being used within landfills in an unprocessed form (and then it was mainly for site engineering). Estimates 1.3 The central estimate for total arisings of CDEW for 2005 is 88.63 million tonnes ± 9% at a confidence level of 90%. This is slightly lower than the equivalent estimate for 2003, but the difference between the estimates for the two years is not statistically significant. 1.4 The central estimate for production of recycled aggregate has risen from 39.60 million tonnes ± 13% in 2003 to 42.07 million tonnes ± 15% in 2005. However, this change is not statistically significant. Evidence from the surveys suggests that the population of recycling crushers has continued to grow, but that the annual throughput of the average crusher has fallen since 2003, pointing to greater competition between recyclers. 1.5 The survey also confirms a conclusion from a previous survey, namely that the recyclers who are most successful at ‘pushing’ recycled aggregate up the value chain tend to be those operators who mix working on demolition sites with having access to a fixed recycling site of their own. 1.6 The small apparent falls in the tonnages of CDEW sent to landfills and registered exempt sites are not statistically significant. The estimates for CDEW sent to licensed landfills and registered exempt sites also need to be viewed against a background of regulatory and administrative changes between 2003 and 2005 which mean that the data collection methods had to be changed. Landfills are now classified and authorised in a different way, and operators of registered exempt sites now have to pay a fee as well as going through a much more formal application procedure than was previously the case. Robustness of estimates 1.7 Although the national estimates appear reasonably robust, this is less true of the regional estimates, and progressively less true the more local the focus becomes, because the response rates are not high enough. Future voluntary surveys are considered unlikely to overcome this challenge. As far as the 2005 sub-regional estimates are concerned the report warns that they should not to be relied on as anything other than a reasonable indication of arisings and recycling of CDEW, and should only be used with caution by Mineral Planning Authorities (and others) to provide contextual background in the undertaking of functions such as development control. 1.8 Looking to the future, the report recommends that Communities and Local Government should look into the practicality of drawing information from other sources. In the case of licensed landfills this means looking to the quarterly site returns which are submitted by all licence holders to the Environment Agency (EA). In the case of operators of recycling crushers and screens the most realistic alternative appears to be to request the necessary information when operators are renewing their Part B authorisations. Running local voluntary surveys of recycling crushers will always run into issues associated with out-of area working, as well as requiring the organisers to achieve considerably higher response rates than can be obtained from national surveys (as a consequence of the local population of recycling crushers inevitably being so much smaller). 1.9 This recommendation (to find alternative ways of obtaining the data) is given additional force by the adverse impacts (which are more acute at the local level) which changing recycling technologies are having on the reliability of the existing method of grossing up. 1.10 If further voluntary national surveys are to be commissioned in future, the report recommends that they should be initiated at a time that allows survey forms to be circulated soon after the end of the year for which data are being sought. Further information Further information and a copy of the report, "Survey of Arisings and Use of Alternatives to Primary Aggregates in England, 2005" by the Capita Symonds Group supported by Wrc, can be found on the DCLG website. [Source: DCLG website, report title as above. Parts of this article are Crown © 2007]