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Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton Minerals and Waste
Local Plan: |
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Waste Arisings
6.15 Waste is classified by SERPLAN as Category A, B or C according to its pollution potential:
Category A waste consists of those materials which are mainly inert in nature and therefore non-polluting. It is comprised mainly of the cleaner components of construction and demolition waste (clean excavated material, brick and concrete rubble).
Category B waste includes materials which may decompose slowly but which, in their deposited form, are only slightly soluble. It is comprised mainly of commercial and industrial waste and includes a great diversity of materials such as paper, plastic, timber and metal.
Category C waste comprises the more putrescible materials. It is predominantly collected household and commercial waste and amenity waste, with other putrescible commercial and industrial waste.
6.16 Categories B and C wastes together comprise the potentially polluting fraction of the total waste stream. Since they raise very similar planning issues, they are generally considered together in this Plan. There are, in addition, what are known as difficult and special wastes. Special and difficult wastes include a wide range of wastes which by their nature can pose significant pollution and health risks. Included in the difficult waste category is scrap metal, clinical waste and wastewater (sewage) and sewage sludge. Difficult and Special wastes are generally classed as Category D wastes and are covered at paragraphs 6.78 to 6.101.
6.17 Over the years 1986/87 to 1994/95 an average of approximately 2.8 million tonnes of waste was disposed of in Hampshire each year. The bulk of this - about 65 per cent - comprised Category A waste, with Category C waste accounting for about 23 per cent and Category B waste only 12 per cent.
6.18 Historically, waste has been disposed of in Hampshire predominantly by landfilling. However, up to November 1996, because of the scarcity of landfill sites suitable for putrescible waste, approximately 0.25 million tonnes of household waste were burnt annually at the County's five incinerators at Chineham (Basingstoke), Marchwood, Otterbourne, Portsmouth and Havant. Nevertheless, about 30 per cent of waste input (by weight) remained after incineration and required disposal by landfilling. The Portsmouth incinerator ceased operation in 1991 and the other four incinerators closed at the end of November 1996. All Category C waste requiring disposal is currently (December 1998) landfilled. Category B waste is currently nearly all disposed of by landfilling, as is all Category A waste that is not recycled. Existing waste disposal facilities in Hampshire are listed in Appendix 6.
