Southwark Waste Disposal Flashcards
Where is Southwark?
In south bank, next to Thames (the Shard is within its boundary)
What is the population and ethnicity of Southwark?
254,000
63% white, 16% black African
How deprived is Southwark?
12th most deprived borough in London
What is the aim for Waste Disposal at Southwark?
To recycle and incinerate 50% of municipal solid waste (MSW) instead of sending to landfill by 2020
What type of waste is put into the green bin at Southwark?
- Mixed refuse
* Non-recyclable refuse
What type of waste is put into the brown bin at Southwark?
- Garden waste
* Food
What type of waste is put into the blue bin at Southwark?
- Mixed recycling
* Food
What type of centres are being used at Southwark and what are they used for?
- Material recovery facility (MRF)
- sorts recycled materials - Mechanical biological treatment plant (MBT)
- uses biological waste and produces a solid fuel (energy recovery) - Public household waste reuse and recycling centre
- residents bring refuse to the site in their vehicles - Recycle discovery centre
- schools and community groups can visit
What forms of urban waste disposal are being used at Southwark?
- Recycling
- Incineration
- Landfill
- Global trade of waste
How much waste is incinerated at Southwark each year?
87,000 tonnes are reprocessed each year
Where is Waste for Incineration managed?
MBT sorts non-recyclable and recyclables to be incinerated
The waste stream of Incineration at Southwark
- Green bin waste collected by refuse lorry
- At MBT, moisture removed from waste to make solid fuel blocks
- At SELCHP, solid fuel blocks burnt and turned into electricity for National Grid
How much waste is recycled each year at Southwark?
85,000 recyclables are sorted each year
Southwark aims 50% waste to be recycled
Where are recyclables recycled at Southwark?
Material recovery facility (MRF)
• Sorts the widest range of household materials in the country
The waste stream of recyclables at Southwark
- Blue bin waste collected by refuse lorry which transports to tipping hall at MRF
- Waste enters trummels (rotating drum)
- Trummels remove plastic and metals
- Unrecyclable waste to container paper cabins and taken out by hand
- Recyclable materials are compressed into bales
- Bales taken to the reprocessing plants in other counties to be made into new items
How much waste is sent to Landfill at Southwark?
Waste is taken to disused quarries e.g. rainham in Essex.
18% MSW to Landfill
Global trade of Waste in Southwark
Some waste is sent to China (LIC)
Is Southwark sustainable overall?
Sustainable cities provide:
- employment and a high standard of living (YES Southwark employs people to work in recycling centres, increasing standard of living)
- A clean, healthy environment (PARTLY Southwark uses mostly Incineration which is safe disposal of hazardous waste, but can create harmful particulates, and recycling plants can create litter and noise pollution but reduces Landfill. Also only 18% sent to Landfill = less vermin and atmospheric pollution)
- Good governance (YEA good control of Waste Disposal = different plants)
Is Southwark environmentally sustainable?
+ 18% to Landfill = can be sealed and landscaped when full
- 18% Landfill = creates methane
+ Recycling = reduces Landfill and organic waste can be composted enriching soil
- Recycling plants = produce litter and noise pollution
Is Southwark socially sustainable?
+ Recycle discovery centre = schools and community groups can visit (education = feature of liveability)
+ brown bin contents can be used by residents as progrow compost and sold to horticultural suppliers (that grow plants) or parks
- Landfill = attracts vermin which can cause disease
- Landfill = NIMBYism
Is Southwark economically sustainable?
+ Brown bin compost sold to residents and horticultural suppliers
+ Landfill cheap and easy
+ Waste sold to China
- Recycling facilities need expensive safe operation to avoid hazardous leakage
- recycling = high costs to store and dismantle hazardous waste
