The nature of waste management and its associated infrastructure has changed markedly since the days before the Public Health Acts and subsequent environmental legislation. Originally there was an unmanaged disposal route that meant waste was left lying in close proximity to people's houses, which led to a concern for public health. The next step was that specific areas for dumping waste were defined on land away from towns and cities to remedy the problems experienced in the mid and latter parts of the 19th century.
In the UK, landfill has been the mainstay of the waste management industry. This is a consequence of living in a country rich in minerals that were mined or extracted for aggregate, building or industry which left holes in the ground that needed infilling. Landfill has traditionally been an acceptable route to restore quarry sites. Despite extensive engineering for environmental protection the cost of landfill remained relatively low. The UK has also used incinerators to deal with a significant amount of its waste. The first destructor (as they were originally known) was commissioned in Nottingham as early as 1874. However, there have been fluctuations in the popularity and use of this treatment option because of public perception and changing legislation.
With the rise of consumerism and individual wealth our possessions became increasingly disposable. In simple terms, everyone began to dispose of more and more waste. This has had major implications for the waste management industry and local authorities. However, the cost and acceptability of the traditional disposal routes coupled with increasing public awareness of the environmental implications of the 'throw away' society has led to a shift in waste treatment techniques. The waste management industry has responded to this by developing a range of new facilities to recover more value from the waste and respond to legislative drivers.
The pressure and need to recycle has gained increasing momentum in the past few years. Since the late 20th century, industry has evolved to move away from the traditional landfill approaches.
The push to change our approach has been reinforced by fiscal measures coupled to specifically more targeted 'green' legislation, for example the landfill tax and the landfill allowance trading scheme (LATS).
Climate change is something we must all address. The development of waste facilities should be seen as a potential opportunity to reduce carbon emissions and authorities' carbon footprint. New technologies incorporating combined heat and power are becoming more prevalent, as authorities explore solutions for reducing carbon emissions when addressing waste and tapping its potential as a resource. To assist in this, the Environment Agency has developed WRATE (Waste and Resources Assessment Tool for the Environment) to model technical assumptions so that the impact of a proposed facility in terms of carbon can be modelled prior to technology selection and become an integral part of facility design prior to construction.
Landfill will continue to be used for the disposal of treatment residues and some types of residual waste that cannot be dealt with in other ways, or waste that has no intrinsic value, such as certain types of inert waste. Existing landfill sites and mineral voids should also be viewed as an important long-term resource to be used sparingly and for a small range of waste types only.
The design of waste facilities has previously been dominated by engineering and practical solutions. Clearly a facility has to work and be able to carry out its function, but now the process of design has a much broader remit.
We are moving to a point where all sectors, including waste management, have to demonstrate the way in which the design process has positively influenced new development proposals. New facilities should not only be as attractive and/or unobtrusive as possible but should exemplify a deeper understanding of sustainable design issues in the round.
The increasing importance of good design is most evident when it comes to large scale thermal treatment plants. The design of energy from waste facilities, for example, has gradually evolved from relatively functional buildings lacking in design inspiration to more distinctive design statements.