The Regional Assembly is promoting a step-change in waste management over the next 20 years through maximising recycling and recovery and minimising landfill. The adopted alterations to the current regional planning guidance (RPG9) are on GOSE's website. Further waste management research and background material is available in the publications and research section.

The Regional Assembly is a partner in the Interreg 3C project "European Waste Management" (www.waste3c.org). Our work has focused on recycling, in particular assessing the amounts of certain materials collected (paper and card, plastics, glass, wood), where these materials are reprocessed and used in manufacture of new products (their market).

We also reviewed how much is exported overseas from South East England, what drives such movements, and whether more could be captured within the South East region or country of origin (for economic and environmental benefit). The project ended in November 2007 and some of the main outputs from our work are available to download below.

Hazardous waste and low level radioactive waste

Scott Wilson Limited undertook a study into the arisings and management of hazardous waste and low level radioactive waste in the region on behalf of the Regional Assembly and SERTAB, co-funded by GOSE, between 2007 and 2009. The study was overseen by the Hazardous Waste Steering Group, comprising representatives from the Environment Agency, the Regional Assembly, the Government Office of the South East and the Waste Planning Authorities.
Study into the Arisings and Management of Hazardous Waste in the South East Region - 2.4 MB
Supplementary Report - Low Level Radioactive Waste - 654 KB

Waste Management Capacity

The Regional Assembly (now the South East England Partnership Board) and SERTAB commissioned ERM consultants to develop a model and monitoring tool to assess waste management capacity against forecast needs. Data on capacity of different types of waste treatment technologies has recently been updated, drawing on information from the Environment Agency and the region's Waste Planning Authorities (WPAs). This model is an update of earlier versions and uses data for end of 2008.

The model data is being continuously updated and kept under review. Data updates will be requested from WPAs via SERTAB to feed into the Partnership Board's annual Regional Monitoring Report (RMR) timetable. Data will be requested to meet the next RMR data submission deadline date of 31 October 2009. This will be followed by a data update request for April 30 2010 as part of continuous 6 months data review cycle.

The model enables monitoring of existing and planned waste management capacity at sub-regional (WPA) level, which then is summed to provide an overall picture at the regional level. It is designed to enable regular updating by WPAs to keep the data 'live' and for use in their Annual Monitoring Reports, and in turn the Regional Monitoring Report. The model will also be used by to inform the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS). The model generates 3 Scenarios. The Assembly has adopted Scenario 1 for monitoring purposes.
Summary Document - 464 KB
Scenario 1 (May 2009) - 2.9 MB
Scenario 2 (May 2009) - 2.9 MB
Scenario 3 (May 2009) - 2.8 MB
User Guide - 421 KB

EWM Review of Recycling Capacity and Markets in selected EU States and Regions

Final Report (October 2008) - 2 MB

Life cycle assessment of exporting materials for recycling

Carbon footprinting report - 461 KB
Scoping report - 234 KB

2006 Report

Summary - 116 KB
Report (Part 1) - 1.00 MB
Report (Part 2) - 820 KB

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