Clinical waste company SRCL has announced it is aiming to meet a zero waste to landfill target by the end of the year.

SRCL also revealed that 60% of the waste which is processed through its alternative technology is being used as RDF fuel.

http://www.edie.net/news/5/Clinical-waste-firm-aims-for-zero-waste-to-landfill-/

That figure would be higher, and spread more evenly across other clinical waste treatment companies, if The Environment Agency hand not been so obstructive in its approach to disposal of clinical waste ATT treatment residues. Most can go to W2E or materials recovery but the restrictions placed on disposal options by EA limit this for all but the larger operators and actually encourage landfill disposal, which remains the preferred end for much low grade sanitary/offensive waste that would be far better processed elsewhere, to recover energy by AD, perhaps with an initial recovery of paper fibre. The technologies exist but EA are still belligerently obstructing their commercial development.

Interestingly, SRCL is noted in this report to claim that the company claims to be the largest clinical waste business in the UK, collecting material from around 70% of NHS trusts and has more than 20 energy recovery facilities sites throughout the country. That 70% is one hell of a slice of the action.

Good luck to them, but what was all that nonsense several years ago about the need for competition in this industry, and the provision of choice for the NHS, that was the focus of much attention by The Competition Commission?

Many if not all of the rulings were effectively circumvented, and the whole thing seemed to be a glorious waste of public money.

In the meantime, zero waste is an admirable goal, for SRCL and for everyone else. Let’s hope that they succeed, and support other operators by sharing information on best approaches in order to deliver widespread improvement in waste and resource management.