Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the amount of air pollution control residues that will be disposed of by an alternative route in 2015-16 in the event that the Government proceeds with the removal of the derogation in the Waste Framework Directive that allows air pollution control residues to be disposed to hazardous landfill.

No information has been collected to inform an estimate of waste producers’ plans for managing their air pollution control residues (APCr) in future.

The Environment Agency consulted on proposals to remove derogations from landfill site permits that allow disposal of APCr which do not meet waste acceptance criteria at landfill sites for hazardous waste. This consultation also sought information on available and planned recovery and disposal capacity.

Current capacity for treating/disposing of APCr is estimated at around 400,000 tonnes. Of this capacity, 47% was for disposal in landfill for hazardous waste.

Based upon the consultation responses, capacity for treating/disposing of APCr is estimated to rise to more than 700,000 tonnes by the end of 2016, 38% of which would be for disposal in landfills for hazardous waste.