Waste sector offers great potential to reduce emissions
7th December 2018 | Recycling
Research conducted by Veolia and Imperial College has projected that the UK waste and resource sector could save over 200 million tonnes of carbon emissions between the years 2023-2032. But, according to Veolia, the UK won’t fulfil its carbon reduction commitments at current rates of emissions mitigation.
Veolia said around 2,000 council homes and businesses will be connected to the ERF in Leeds. The company explains that waste and resource sector is “powering ahead” with a variety of energy saving solutions to redress this imbalance.
The report identifies a number of opportunities for the waste and resources sector to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These solutions include replacing a proportion of UK energy use for heating purposes with the heating generated by energy recovery facilities (ERFs). If ERFs utilise their ability to deliver district heating to local business and residents “it could generate 530 MW of heat: cutting carbon emissions by 570,000 tonnes,” Veolia says.
Reduce emissions
Also, by recycling 500,000 tonnes of plastic waste, including pots tubs and trays. Veolia says better design in manufacturing combined with upgrading recycling facilities will help save over 1 million tonnes of CO2 emissions. And, if 50% of all diesel trucks, vans and cards in the sector to be replaced by electric. Making this change “will improve air quality as well as contribute to long term climate goals,” Veolia notes, “saving 400,000 tonnes of CO2 in emissions.”
Richard Kirkman, chief technology and innovation officer at Veolia, said, “Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is essential to controlling climate change. Our research suggests the waste and resource sector will save an additional 23 million tonnes of XO2 by 2032 – a significant portion of the carbon budget shortfall.”
Veolia has taken the opportunity to highlight its “green innovation”, which includes the company’s plastics facilities in London. The facility processes 300,000,000 bottles (HDPE) and turns them into high quality food grade pellets for manufacturing.
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