Landfill Directive
The Landfill Directive became law on 16 July 1999 after a protracted drafting process. It had to be transcribed into UK law by 16 July 2001.
The aim of the Directive is
"by way of stringent operational and technical requirements on the waste and landfills, to provide for measures, procedures and guidance to prevent, or reduce as far as possible, negative effects on the environment, in particular the pollution of surface water, groundwater, soil and air, and on the global environment, including the greenhouse effect, as well as any resulting risk to human health, from landfilling of waste, during the whole life-cycle of the landfill."
The Directive requires (Article 4) that all landfills are classed as one of the following:
- landfill for hazardous waste
- landfill for non-hazardous waste
- landfill for inert waste.
- Also, that certain wastes are not accepted in a landfill such as
1. liquid waste
2. waste which is explosive, corrosive, oxidising, highly flammable or flammable
3. hospital and other clinical wastes and other infectious wastes
4. whole used tyres (from 2003) & shredded used tyres (from 2006) (tyres used as engineering material, bicycle tyres & tyres over 1.4 m diameter are excluded)
5. any other type of waste, which does not fulfil acceptance criteria determined in accordance with the Directive's Annex II.
Only waste which has been treated to reduce the quantity or its effect on the environment can be landfilled (inert wastes excepted). Additionally, the dilution or mixture of waste solely to meet the waste acceptance criteria is prohibited.
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