Consultation on modernising environmental permitting for industry
Alternative thermal treatment
Emerging technologies have the potential to both convert currently non-recyclable materials, particularly plastics, into raw materials for new products as part of the circular economy, and to recover a broad range of materials from residual waste to create low or recycled-carbon fuels and support the decarbonisation of otherwise difficult to decarbonise sectors.
Other than incineration, the thermal treatment of waste to undertake non-mechanical recycling or create waste-derived low or recycled carbon fuels is not clearly defined in the EPRs. Technologies to produce or refine fuels and chemical outputs are only accounted for in the regulations for their application to fossil materials, and not residual waste.
This is no longer adequate as there are carbonaceous fuels now derived from biomass or waste. Currently, the regulator has to either permit these processes under waste incineration regulations or define residual waste as a “carbonaceous material”. The existing regime hasn’t kept up to date with changing practices and risks inconsistency and uncertainty for developers.
We are minded to consult on amending the EPRs to clarify what thermal treatment is and where these technologies are accounted for in the regulations. The aim of this amendment is to provide regulatory clarity and certainty for businesses on permitting arrangements. This proposal supports cross-government work on alternative thermal treatments of waste.