Resources for the Public Sector
Through our work, Resource Futures has accumulated a significant body of in-depth research. The reports and papers listed below are particularly relevant to those involved in tackling the challenges posed by waste. If you would like any further advice or guidance please do not hesitate to contact us.
The National Assessment of Civic Amenity Sites
The National Assessment of Civic Amenity Sites, NACAS, was the largest research project to have been carried out into Civic Amenity (CA) sites in the UK. The main focus of the research was the investigation of factors that affect CA site recycling rates. The report and toolkit offers best practice guidance on increasing recycling rates at CA sites and is widely regarded as the definitive guide to good CA site management practice. The project entailed detailed assessments of 130 CA sites and statistical analysis of factors affecting recycling rates and operational efficiency. The project was the overall winner of the Biffaward Awards in 2004 and an impact assessment for the project indicates that it has been responsible for the additional recycling of 1% of UK household waste (300,000 tonnes pa, base year 2004), due to CA site improvements implemented by local authorities and contractors through following the NACAS guidance. The National Assessment of Civic Amenity Sites (NACAS) Final Report
The Trade Waste Inputs to Civic Amenity Sites
This ground breaking and important 18 month project, funded by Biffaward through the Landfill Tax Credits scheme, was run as a partnership between Future West and Network Recycling (now Resource Futures). The study found that approximately 13% of Civic Amenity site waste is brought in by traders under the guise of household waste (2001 figures by weight). Some sites are hit worse than others, with the most affected site in the study experiencing up to 17% of its waste from trade origin. Traders using CA sites were found to be mainly manual traders (builders, house clearance, gardeners, for example) from small sized businesses. We therefore researched the legal disposal options for these particular types of traders, in order to investigate why some traders are choosing to avoid the legal option. The main problem was found to be price & minimum charge. The report’s recommendations include the developing of ‘trade recycling centres’ by councils and/or private contractors. The Trade Waste Inputs to Civic Amenity Sites (TWICAS) Final Report
Research into reuse of household items through online portals
In 2011, Resource Futures carried out WRAP funded research into how household items are reused through online portals such as eBay, Freegle and Gumtree. The research included a detailed survey on internet user habits regarding online exchange and sought to understand the reasons for not using such sites. This research aligns with WRAPs wider goals of improving waste reuse in the UK and was part of a suite of projects relating to reuse all aimed at estimating the environmental benefit of existing reuse and how the volume of reuse can be increased.
Monitoring online exchange is notoriously difficult due to both the volume of offerings and the lack of information relating to exchanges and Resource Futures were responsible for developing a number of innovative techniques and processes as well as finding difficulties the application of the perceived definitions of reuse versus, for example, second hand.
Under the revised waste framework directive, reuse is given much greater prominence and importance in the waste management hierarchy and given the accessibility of online exchange forums, reuse through web based mechanisms should be encouraged. As highlighted through the survey however, offline alternatives include charitable donations, particularly for clothing and therefore any effort to increase online exchange should aim to not to impact on valuable offline processes.
As well as providing evidence for the volume of online exchange, the research concluded that unless there is some homogeneity applied to online exchange systems, the long term monitoring of exchanges will remain a grey area. Not least since one site lists over 3 million items for reuse every year. The research report formed part of WRAP’s annual review in December 2011 and is available for download from WRAP at http://www.wrap.org.uk/reuse/