Waste markets study: full report

Study regarding treatment options for Scottish biodegradable municipal waste.


Appendix 2: England Landfill Analysis

Eunomia carried out an analysis of the availability of landfill in England to meet potential additional demand from Scotland following the landfill ban.

Landfill site return data was obtained through a Freedom of Information request to the Environment Agency in October 2018. Data on the remaining volume of landfill capacity at the end of 2017 was also obtained.

Only landfill sites in the North West and North East regions of England were considered logistically feasible disposal routes for Scottish waste – although sites closer to the border are likely to be more attractive from the point of view of haulage costs. Landfill sites for which no data had been received within the last three years and/or with no remaining void space were assumed to be non-operational. Inert and hazardous landfill sites were removed as these sites are unlikely to be suitable disposal routes for residual waste.

Figure 12 shows a total of 30 landfill sites identified as meeting the criteria listed above. Using the Environment Agency's assumed bulk density for non-hazardous waste of 0.83t/m3[17], the volume of remaining landfill capacity volume was converted into a tonnage capacity estimate. This suggests a total remaining landfill capacity of 22.5 million tonnes in Northern England at the start of 2019.

The 'tonnes removed' figure was deducted from 'tonnes received' to derive assumptions regarding the quantity of waste currently being landfilled at each site. Table 14 shows the total amount landfilled across the sites was 2.9 million tonnes in 2015, decreasing to 2.2 million tonnes in 2016. This then increased to 3.9 million tonnes in 2017.

A detailed analysis of likely future demand for landfill for English waste would be very challenging. However, with limited thermal treatment capacity development under construction in this region, it is prudent to assume that for the time being this will remain relatively constant at an average of ~3 million tonnes based on 2015-17 site return figures.

Table 15 and Table 16 show the timescales within which the remaining capacity of Northern England landfill will be exceeded should Scotland utilise this disposal route within each modelled scenario. This suggests that:

  • In scenario 1, where Scotland meets its waste reduction and recycling targets, landfill capacity in Northern England will be exceeded in late 2025.
  • In scenario 2, capacity will likely be exceeded in late 2024.

Whist it is unlikely that English landfill will be a logistically and economically viable solution for all Scottish residual waste, there is clearly some capacity to provide an interim solution for waste arising close to the border. However, unless further landfill capacity is developed, this is unlikely to be a viable medium- to long-term solution for Scotland.

Table 14: N. England Landfill Sites

Operator Site Name Region Assumed Landfilled 2015 (tonnes) Assumed Landfilled 2016 (tonnes) Assumed Landfilled 2017 (tonnes) Remaining Capacity (m3) Remaining Capacity (tonnes)
SITA (Lancashire) Limited Clifton Marsh Landfill Site Cumbria and Lancashire 78,224 140,494 2,148 1,869,346 1,551,557
SITA (Lancashire) Limited Whinney Hill (Phase 2) Landfill Site Cumbria and Lancashire 280,819 348,385 455,762 3,561,998 2,956,458
SITA (Lancashire) Limited Jameson Road (Phase 2) Landfill Site Cumbria and Lancashire 131,122 139,113 133,492 1,043,664 866,241
Lakeland Waste Management Flusco Pike Landfill Site Cumbria and Lancashire 57,604 45,649 49,640 884,621 734,235
Cumbria Waste Management Ltd Hespin Wood Landfill Site Cumbria and Lancashire 62,528 41,995 61,321 1,314,978 1,091,432
FCC Waste Services (UK) Limited Bennett Bank Landfill Cumbria and Lancashire 50,435 32,135 28,849 132,479 109,958
Keadby Generations Ltd Fiddlers Ferry Ash Lagoons Gtr Mancs Mersey and Ches -18,263 -202,500 -229,322 1,911,645 1,586,665
3C Waste Limited Maw Green Landfill Site Gtr Mancs Mersey and Ches 99,711 105,813 133,005 224,902 186,669
Viridor Waste Management Ltd Pilsworth South Landfill Gtr Mancs Mersey and Ches 528,014 355,452 265,665 4,991,549 4,142,986
Biffa Waste Services Ltd Houghton-Le-Spring Landfill Northumberland Durham and Tees 254,310 312,254 345,392 341,431 283,388
Quercia Ltd CLAYTON HALL LANDFILL SITE Cumbria and Lancashire 26,922 19,204 57,574 659,956 547,763
Augean North Limited Port Clarence Non-Hazardous Landfill Site Northumberland Durham and Tees 85,975 176,995 203,432 632,950 525,349
3C Waste Limited GOWY LANDFILL SITE Gtr Mancs Mersey and Ches 180,360 208,949 365,902 1,017,108 844,200
Biffa Waste Services Ltd RISLEY LANDFILL SITE Gtr Mancs Mersey and Ches 110,855 39,340 40,865 0 0
Booth Ventures Limited HARWOOD QUARRY LANDFILL SITE Gtr Mancs Mersey and Ches 222,603 167,362 355,111 1,701,292 1,412,072
Augean North Limited MARKS QUARRY LANDFILL SITE Northumberland Durham and Tees 0 0 9,796 0 0
Cory Environmental (Central) Ltd Lyme and Wood Pits Landfill Gtr Mancs Mersey and Ches 261,426 -17 325,385 0 0
SITA UK Limited Ellington Road Landfill Site Northumberland Durham and Tees 1,497 -11,648 304,715 1,023,357 849,386
Alab Environmental Services Ltd SEATON MEADOWS Northumberland Durham and Tees 74,360 6,419 7,634 1,000,000 830,000
FCC Recycling (UK) Limited Lillyhall Stage 3 Landfill Site Cumbria and Lancashire 15,788 13,073 5,090 891,053 739,574
British Salt Ltd Hilltop Farm Brinefields Gtr Mancs Mersey and Ches 6,152 6,972 7,245 627,446 520,780
Churchill Enviro Ltd Fletcher Bank Landfill Site Gtr Mancs Mersey and Ches 0 0 148,997 3,000,000 2,490,000
Thompsons Of Prudhoe Limited Springwell Quarry Northumberland Durham and Tees 1,424 3,044 1,125 18,000 14,940
Woods Waste Limited Westby Landfill Site Cumbria and Lancashire 1,132 904 135 354,700 294,401
WRG Waste Services Ltd Deerplay Landfill Cumbria and Lancashire 0 0 48,658 1,490,898 1,237,445
Durham County Council Joint Stocks Landfill Phase 2 Northumberland Durham and Tees 9,031 -3,279 288,596 1,700,000 1,411,000
Elementis Uk Ltd Coatham Stob Quarry (Area 6) Northumberland Durham and Tees 34 0 41 164,115 136,215
Highfield Environmental Limited Cowpen Bewley Landfill Site Northumberland Durham and Tees 0 0 145,299 1,374,099 1,140,502
Highfield Environmental Ltd ICI No 2 Teesport Northumberland Durham and Tees 0 -866 125,763 818,089 679,014
Octagon Green Solutions Limited Blaydon Quarry Landfill Site Northumberland Durham and Tees 446,685 329,459 241,094 1,788,700 1,484,621
TOTAL 2,968,746 2,274,700 3,928,409 34,538,376 28,666,852

Table 15: Northern England Landfill Capacity - Scenario 1

  2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027
Available Capacity (t) 28,666,852 25,609,567 22,552,282 19,494,997 16,437,712 12,408,222 8,537,538 4,826,533 1,217,337 -2,253,283 -5,695,642
Assumed English Landfill(t) 3,057,285 3,057,285 3,057,285 3,057,285 3,057,285 3,057,285 3,057,285 3,057,285 3,057,285 3,057,285 3,057,285
Assumed Scottish Landfill(t)   972,204 813,399 653,720 551,911 413,335 385,073 356,650
Remaining (t) 25,609,567 22,552,282 19,494,997 16,437,712 12,408,222 8,537,538 4,826,533 1,217,337 -2,253,283 -5,695,642 -9,109,577
2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 2034 2035
Available Capacity (t) -9,109,577 -12,494,951 -15,851,575 -19,179,246 -22,475,203 -25,739,294 -28,971,402 -32,171,410
Assumed English Landfill(t) 3,057,285 3,057,285 3,057,285 3,057,285 3,057,285 3,057,285 3,057,285 3,057,285
Assumed Scottish Landfill(t) 328,090 299,339 270,386 238,672 206,806 174,823 142,723 110,543
Remaining (t) -12,494,951 -15,851,575 -19,179,246 -22,475,203 -25,739,294 -28,971,402 -32,171,410 -35,339,238

Table 16: Northern England Landfill Capacity - Scenario 2

2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027
Available Capacity (t) 28,666,852 25,609,567 22,552,282 19,494,997 16,437,712 12,125,433 7,857,572 3,633,649 -597,384 -4,827,018 -9,064,708
Assumed English Landfill(t) 3,057,285 3,057,285 3,057,285 3,057,285 3,057,285 3,057,285 3,057,285 3,057,285 3,057,285 3,057,285 3,057,285
Assumed Scottish Landfill(t)   1,254,994 1,210,575 1,166,639 1,173,747 1,172,349 1,180,404 1,188,499
Remaining (t) 25,609,567 22,552,282 19,494,997 16,437,712 12,125,433 7,857,572 3,633,649 -597,384 -4,827,018 -9,064,708 -13,310,492
2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 2034 2035
Available Capacity (t) -13,310,492 -17,564,411 -21,826,505 -26,096,817 -30,372,738 -34,654,362 -38,941,785 -43,235,103
Assumed English Landfill(t) 3,057,285 3,057,285 3,057,285 3,057,285 3,057,285 3,057,285 3,057,285 3,057,285
Assumed Scottish Landfill(t) 1,196,634 1,204,810 1,213,027 1,218,635 1,224,339 1,230,138 1,236,033 1,242,023
Remaining (t) -17,564,411 -21,826,505 -26,096,817 -30,372,738 -34,654,362 -38,941,785 -43,235,103 -47,534,411

Figure 12: N. England Treatment Facilities

Figure 12: N. England Treatment Facilities

Contact

Email: eqce.cezw@gov.scot

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