The Key to Achieving UK and EU Waste Data Targets

Trash Targets

Managing waste effectively is incredibly expensive and there is currently a strong imperative for local and municipal government in the UK to meet high recycling and recovery targets set by the European Union.

The EU target for the UK is to recycle at least 50% of household waste by 2020.

According to DEFRA, Waste from Households (WfH) Recycling Rates 2018:

UK: 45%

England: 44.7%

Scotland 42.8%

Wales 54.1%

Northern Ireland 47.7%

Download DEFRA Waste Statistics here

Rubbish Data 

In order for UK councils responsible for waste disposal, to adhere to UK and EU recycling and recovery targets, the availability of insight into waste disposal data, facilitates their ability to predict and improve their waste operations while meeting these targets. Though the need to collect accurate data for reporting and analysis purposes is important, there are also several other benefits to collecting accurate waste data including; allowing waste disposal authorities to measure performance of their efforts to ascertain if waste objectives are being met and if not, identify how to streamline the waste management process to minimise the waste that ends up in landfill.  

Where data is not accurate it is easy to make mistakes on charges or make incorrect decisions causing operational disruption. Ineffective monitoring and collection of waste data reduces regulators ability to analyse it and increases the amount of waste in landfill - thus negatively impacting recycling and recovery targets as set out by the EU. A central store of clean, valid data in a standard format from which accurate reports and billing can be processed is key to achieving UK and EU waste targets.  

Furthermore, there are many stakeholders involved in waste management strategies, who need to have access to high-quality data that is easy to interpret, to deliver on local government reporting requirements. Without premium quality data, key stakeholders are not adequately informed to make decisions that could drive new strategies and deliver positive outcomes. As legislation continues to evolve, waste regulators are being faced with more complex reporting obligations to assess the success of waste management. 

Pivotally, the more that authorities know about waste, the better so that high recycling and recovery targets can be achieved, supporting a more sustainable and smarter waste strategy.  

A Trash V Treasure Waste Strategy 

Every business function responsible for executing a strategy in an organisation, can only do so with the right team and tools.  An effective waste management strategy must be supported by a waste monitoring system that is secure, central, with real-time data and has an accessible repository for historic and predictive data to enable waste teams to efficiently collect, validate, process, & report on the waste they are responsible for.   

So, what are the characteristics of the tool to support a waste strategy? 

Such a system saves significant numbers of days in administration every month as it streamlines the administration processes that plague waste staff and integrates with financial and ICT infrastructure.  

And the proof is in the pudding as they say. The UK authorities driving strong & effective waste management strategies and supporting the achievement of UK and EU targets, are doing so with the support of an integrated waste data management solution (iWDMS) which delivers the complex data they need.  Councils and waste authorities such as Norfolk County Council, Essex County Council, Leicestershire County Council, West London Waste Authority are driving their waste strategies through the support of an integrated waste data management platform and most recently, Derbyshire County Council have started their waste transformation journey.   

We look forward to assessing the impacts these organisations are having on the UK and EU waste targets in 2021!