Organic waste study is welcome

ADBA PRESS RELEASE

ADBA, the trade association for anaerobic digestion, has welcomed today’s announcement of a market study by the Office of Fair Trading, supported by Ofwat, looking at the market for treatment of organic waste.

The study will look at:

• Whether price regulation of sewage-sludge treatment, recycling and disposal services remains appropriate, what scope there is to encourage greater competition, and what implications this may have for economic regulation
• Whether there are any barriers specific to efficient investment in and use of ‘co-treatment’ where waste from a variety of different sources is treated at a single facility
• What might be done to encourage efficient investment in advanced treatment techniques across the economy more widely

A final report is expected in July 2011. Commenting, ADBA Chief Executive Charlotte Morton said:

This is an important study and ADBA welcomes its wide remit – especially the broad focus on incentives and encouraging investment in anaerobic digestion, both inside and outside the water industry.

 

We need to make the most of organic waste, to reduce waste to landfill, counter climate change, generate renewable energy and preserve resources. As WRAP’s independent study has already shown, AD is the technology which makes the most of these organic arisings.

 

Defra’s ongoing Framework Document process should decide a strategy for the industry which maximises its contribution to the government’s climate change, renewable energy and resource preservation targets.

 

This study could contribute to the next step: ensuring incentives and investment are in place to support this strategy and meet the government’s commitment to a

“huge increase” in AD.