Investigation into the Efficiency of the Current Municipal Waste Incineration

Tender description

Investigation into the Efficiency of the Current Municipal Waste Incineration The UK is a signatory of the UN Stockholm Convention for Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)2 and has regulations in place to meet our obligations under the Convention. The EU Regulation 2019/1021 applies directly in Northern Ireland and has been retained in Great Britain as amended by the POPs Regulations 20203.The Stockholm Convention controls and restricts the global production, use and emissions of substances listed under the Convention as POPs. It also requires that all parties destroy or irreversibly transform all waste containing POPs present above specified thresholds. New POPs are continually being added to the Convention, and very often these substances have been used for many years prior to their restriction coming into force. Depending on the use of these substances it can mean that they are present in consumer items and these items are not easily identifiable as containing POPs. Consequently, identification of contaminated items when they become waste is extremely difficult, meaning the destruction of whole items and/or all items of a certain type. Consequently, this can lead to increased volume of waste needing to be incinerated (the most widely available destruction technique for some POPs) as opposed to being sent to landfill. This research project aims to establish the POP destruction efficiency of municipal waste incinerators.This is relevant given Defra’s current position, based on the Basel Convention technical guidelines1, that municipal waste incinerators (MWIs) are an appropriate disposal route for waste containing brominated flame retardants (BFRs), and that there are no significant adverse impacts on the environment from this disposal route (either via emissions to air or the residues produced). The project will determine levels of brominated dioxins and furans in the emissions to air and levels of brominated dioxins and furans, bromine, and residual BFRs in the residues (bottom ash and Air Pollution Control (APC) residues) from MWIs which are actively taking either domestic seating waste and/or brominated WEEE plastics from density separation plants at the time of monitoring. These levels will be compared with those levels from MWIs not actively taking either of these waste streams. Once sampled and analysed the levels will be detailed within a report. Destruction efficiency will be determined. In addition to these brominated substances, analysis on Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), namely Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and Perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS) is also requested. The analysis of these POP PFAS is required to assess whether the current and any future POP waste limits for these substances are being met within this waste stream. Therefore, results will be compared to the current and proposed waste limits. An outline draft project plan, including the proposed approach to each of the work packages and an outline timetable, must be submitted in the tender. This should include numbers of samples and proposed analytical methods for the target substances. The Authority suggests that the collection of samples should be carried out in conjunction with current monitoring contractors at the relevant sites. The Authority has suggested a list of target substances, this list will be confirmed with the Tenderer within the first Work Package, but capabilities to measure these substances should be detailed within the methodology. Tenderers must submit a proposed project delivery plan including interim deliverables and milestone dates. The proposed project delivery plan should identify the costs for delivery of each work package Payment will be in accordance with project milestones agreed with the successful Tenderer following the award of the contract.