Our landfill site UK resource list which follows is for everyone who wants information on how to find UK landfill sites of different types and for various purposes.
For Landfill Sites UK where waste may be disposed, we mean Authorised Landfill sites. These are facilities that local authorities and industry take waste to be disposed of in the ground, and that are currently authorised by the Environment Agency under Environmental Permitting Regulations.
How many landfill sites are in the UK?
In the UK, there were around 500 landfill sites in 2016 which is the most up to date figure available (May 2019).
Landfill has been the conventional method of waste disposal in the UK for decades, but due to efforts to develop more sustainable and environmentally conscious methods of using our waste, landfill demand has declined in more recent years (Jones and Tansey, 2015). Since the 1990s the number of active landfill sites in Britain has dropped to under 250 from 1,500 (De Castella, 2011).
The Landfill Site Decline
In 2006, over 75% of Britain’s waste was directed to landfill in comparison to under half in 2016 (Environmental Services Association, 2016). Britain’s landfills have been closing due to lack of financial viability and a lack of space for additional waste.
Waste disposed of at landfills declined by 1 million tonnes in 2016/17 in comparison to the previous financial year, taking it down to 4.1 million tonnes (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, 2017).
The key driver for landfill decline was the introduction of the Landfill Tax in 1996, which incentivised waste companies to reduce the waste sent to landfill as they would be taxed at a given rate per tonnage of waste sent there (Elliot, 2016). via groundsure.com
Landfill Locations
The locations of landfills in the United Kingdom are available online. For landfills in England and Wales use the Public Registers tool at the EA website here.
For landfills in Scotland see the Waste infrastructure maps section of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency website.
Data for landfills in Northern Ireland are held as lists in the Public Registers section of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency website. via en.wikipedia.org
To find landfills you can also refer to our lists here.
Old landfill sites in the UK and a list of historic landfill sites UK
Historic Landfill dataset has been created at data.gov.uk, to supply information on the risks posed by landfill sites for development within 250m.
The data is, according to the UK.gov website, the most comprehensive and consistent national historic landfill dataset. It defines the location of, and provides specific attributes for, known historic (closed) landfill sites, i.e. sites where there is no PPC permit or waste management licence currently in force.
The data is available in ESRI shape file format, with the boundaries digitised from a base scale of 1:10,000 and an associated attribute table comprising 34 fields.
The polygons and attributes describe where the Landfill Site UK sites were located, when they were used, who used them and what was deposited.
Hazardous landfill site UK
The EA/ UKGov system is currently being updated (June 2019) to be replaced with the Integrated Regulation (IR) system which will replace both Regis and PAS (Permit Administration System). The current system allows the Environment Agency to extract data on landfill sites. Therefore there are some records in the Historic Landfill dataset that are Public Register for a short period of time. via data.gov.uk
Asbestos landfill sites UK
What happens if it becomes necessary to remove an Asbestos containing product?
This may be due to potential disturbance, hazard or refurbishment. Where does the waste go? With larger projects, where it is possible to use an asbestos skip, the process is fairly straightforward.
Follow the approved codes of practice and place double bagged Asbestos containing waste in a lockable skip for transportation directly to a landfill site for disposal.
So, what happens with minor amounts of Asbestos containing waste, where the use of a skip is simply not practical or cost effective?
If, for example,you are a plumber stuck with an asbestos containing toilet cistern, where do you take it for safe and secure disposal?
If the item has come from a private domestic dwelling, it is sometimes possible for the householder to take the item to the local authority (LA) recycling and waste disposal site. But only if they accept private asbestos waste.
However, if the householder is unable to dispose of the item themselves and they pay for the waste to be taken away, the disposal becomes disposal of commercial waste and is therefore not permitted at a Local Authority Landfill Site UK. via www.asbestos.ltd
Landfill gas utilization sites UK
By extracting and managing landfill gas, fulfills an important role in helping councils and waste management companies meet their environmental obligations.
Collecting and utilising potentially harmful landfill gas, not only generates electricity but also reduces its adverse environmental impact. via www.mreuk.com
Landfill gas is produced by the decomposition of wastes within landfill sites, and contains methane which is both a potent greenhouse gas and a valuable source of energy. via www.viridor.co.uk
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