10 Top Tips on Best Practice in Using Wheelie Bins for Waste Disposal:

By sticking to a few common sense rules when managing wheelie bins on your premises will aid you in keeping your waste disposal legal, efficient and will allow you to better avoid water, air or soil pollution. Following basic protocols will enable you to determine if your waste is municipal solid waste from everyday consumption or if it requires any special treatment.

1. Decide if your waste is municipal solid waste or of a hazardous nature.

Incorrect disposal of hazardous wastes is illegal and can result in harm to the environment. To make sure that you know what constitutes hazardous waste they are some examples at the end of this blog. If you are in any doubt at all then please use the Environment Agency guideline: What is a Hazardous Waste, as a guide.  

2. Wastes from Commercial or Industrial Sites.

If your waste is free of hazardous materials then the Duty of Care (a law which states that you must take responsible action to ensure waste safety) requires any transfer of waste to be affixed with a written description. For example; "General non-hazardous waste from electrical engineering comprising of food waste, paper, metal, cardboard, plastic packaging and floor sweepings."  

3. Disposing of Used Oil

Engine oils and absorbents sopping with engine oils should be disposed of as a Special Waste or via your Local Oil Bank, some of which are located at supermarkets around the country. Oil Banks are strictly for the disposal of waste engine oils are not cooking oils or any other chemical. For further information see Pollution Prevention Guidelines Safe Storage and Disposal of Used Oils: PPG8.  

    4. Line your Wheelie Bin

This is a very simple but effective measure for keeping your wheelie bin clean. Wheelie Bin Liners minimise the contamination of the bin and using a biodegradable bin liner reduces the impact on the environment.    

 5. Contaminated Consumables

Everyday items that become contaminated such as wipes, disposable nappies, or food waste should be secured within biodegradable bags and placed into the bin.    

 6. Ensure the Lid Remains Closed

If vandalism is a frequent and persistent problem in your area, or if your wheelie bin is regularly filled with food waste, then the bin should be locked. Wheelie bins can be purchased with a fitted lock or they can be    retrospectively fitted.  

7. WRAP Compliant Recycle Stickers for Wheelie Bins

WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme) polypropylene stickers are an efficient way identifying the type of the waste in the bin. The stickers can help ensure compliance with the EU Landfill Directive.    

 8. Cleaning Wheelie Bins

Wheelie bins used for general waste can become malodorous, attract flies and other insects and generally be unhygienic if not regularly cleaned. These problems can be eradicated by following some basic principles in cleaning your wheelie bins. Wheelie Bins should be cleaned frequently following guidelines as set out by the Environment Agency. a.     Ensure that the bin is completely empty Before cleaning remove any lingering waste from the bin and place into a biodegradable bag and seal. b.    Use the required amount of water Only use the minimum quantity of water when cleaning your bin. 1 litre of water should be sufficient for most standard sized 2 wheeled bins. c.     Use biodegradable detergent or disinfectants. Biodegradable products are environmentally friendly and will not cause harm to water bodies or the animals within them. Again, only use the required amount. d.    Safely store detergents and disinfectants. Safe storage will help prevent spillage. e.    Contaminated waste water. Contaminated waste water should not enter any drainage system. Your local water company will advise of the nearest location for disposal. A licence is required and a charge may levied.

 9. Professional Mobile Wheelie Bin Cleaning Services

If you are unable for whatever reason to comply with the above guidelines then professional wheelie bin cleaning services are available. Mobile cleaning vehicles carry a supply of water and recycle the wash water   into a foul sewer at an approved site.  

10. Drainage Systems

However you clean your wheelie bin you must take extra care not to cause pollution of a watercourse. Road gullies and drains are designed to carry surface water directly to the nearest river or stream, so any contaminated water or non-biodegradable detergent released into them will result in pollution. If convicted, this can carry a maximum penalty of a £50,000 fine or twelve months imprisonment in a Magistrates Court. If convicted in a Crown Court the fine can be unlimited and the offender can be given a custodial sentence of up to five years. Examples of Hazardous Waste: Nearly all businesses will produce hazardous waste of some type. Such examples include: •    Asbestos •    Chemicals, e.g. brake fluid and printer toner •    Electrical equipment with potentially harmful components such as cathode ray tubes, e.g. computer monitors and televisions •    Fluorescent light tubes and energy saving light bulbs •    Vehicle and other lead-acid batteries •    Oils (except edible oils) e.g. engine oil •    Refrigerators containing ozone-depleting substances •    Solvents, e.g. aerosols •    Pesticides www.yellowshield.co.uk
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Arctic Council Signs Legally Binding Spill Response Accord

On 15th May, the eight members of the Arctic Council, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the US, signed a new legally binding oil spill response accord, Marine Oil Pollution Preparedness and Response agreement, that will attempt to codify spill response between the 8 circumpolar countries. The Council released a statement proposing that the accord will "substantially improve procedures for combating oil spills in the Arctic." The agreement will provide the framework for a more integrated approach to dealing with the prevention and containment of oil spills and will "encourage future national, bi-national and multinational contingency plans, training and exercises, to develop effective response measures." The Council also announced the establishment of a task force that will develop an action plan on pollution prevention in the Arctic to be presented at the next ministerial meeting in 2015. Vague on the detail So far there has been little detail about how countries will cooperate in the event of a spill, a point that was made back in February when Greenpeace obtained a draft copy of the agreement which they described as "vague at best." Further exploratory drilling in the Arctic also faces opposition from indigenous groups who have signed a joint statement rejecting such drilling for fear of the effect that industrialisation will have on their territories, and joining Greenpeace in calling for a moratorium on Arctic drilling. A Vision of the Arctic future The Arctic Council has also announced that 6 new countries, including China and India, have been granted observer status on the council. It is believed that with the Arctic rapidly thawing new seaways will open up and provide much quicker trade links between the West and Asia for oil and liquefied natural gas. In addition, with the chairmanship of the council passing to Canada for the next two years, their focus on "creating economic development" will see oil extraction move apace in the Arctic. It seems apparent now that with the legally binding agreement in place and a drive towards greater spill prevention and spill containment, that a new era of oil extraction has been ushered in.  Swedish minister Carl Bildt made it clear that this agreement "sends an important message to the world" and more tellingly, to the major oil conglomerates who will now begin to make greater headway into the estimated 90 million barrels of oil untapped oil that lay beneath the Arctic Ocean. www.yellowshield.co.uk
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10 Key Factors in Effective Spill Control

Spills of oils, fuels, chemicals and many other industrial fluids are an inevitable occurrence across warehouses and workplaces in the UK. However, the long-term effects of any spill will be largely determined by the preparedness of the first responders to the spill. Here are 10 key points to consider when assessing your companies spill procedure. 1. Have you done a Site Assessment for Spill Risks? A site assessment for spill risks is the most important part of any effective spill control and must be the starting point. Even if your site only has a few simple liquids such as fuels, lubricants or cleaning fluids then regardless of the volume stored, an experienced member of your staff or a specialist spill risk assessor must carry out an assessment. Most suppliers of spill control equipment will conduct a site assessment free of charge. 2. Do you know your sites drainage plan? Knowing your sites drainage plan will enable you to identify any potential routes for the escape of liquids away from the site and potentially, into the water course. Failure to prevent hazardous liquids entering the water course can result in criminal prosecution and a fine. For a comprehensive spill prevention plan your site assessment will require; •    A plan of the surface water drains (legally marked blue) •    A plan of the foul water drains (legally marked red) •    Knowledge of the storage and movement of liquids on your site For a complete guide to dealing with hazardous liquids near water see the Environment Agency's Pollution Prevention Guidelines 3, 4, 5, 13, 22 and 21. 3. Have you conducted a full review of spill prevention practices before providing suitable clean up facilities? Before finalising plans for the suitable clean up of a spill it is critical to assess the key factors involved in spill risk. These are namely the transporting, handling and storage of hazardous liquids. Ensuring that your site has done everything to minimise the risk of a spill will not only limit the potential for a spill but will allow for more effective spill control. •    Management procedures, supervision and detailed planning of liquid movements should be antecedent to the deployment of Spill Kits. •    Ensuring that your liquid stores are adequately bunded is a legal requirement under the remit of the Oil Storage Regulations (2001) and can be a costly enterprise. A thorough investigation of your sites liquid storage is therefore essential before planning and implementing any spill clean-up measures. 4. What are the key factors in determining spill response measures?    Even though a site spill assessment is important, with all the best laid plans and spill prevention measures in place accidental spills and leaks will still occur. Therefore the first questions that need to be addressed are; •    Where: Where are spillages most frequent and of the most serious consequences, and to where would it drain? •    What: What types of liquid are being spilled? •    How much: Estimate the likely volume of a spill. 5. What should be included in spill response measures? The primary aim is to prevent pollutants from reaching the water course so in the event of a spill your first emergency response procedure should be to protect the drainage system. •    This can be achieved from various methods by either; installing Penstock rings to restrict the flow of liquid, using reusable or moulded drain covers or by fitting inflatable drain sealing systems permanently in the main drains. •    If you are using drain covers then these need to be located near to vulnerable drains or included as part of a spill kit. Common practices should be reviewed at regular intervals to ensure that your site is compliant with the Environment Agencies guidelines. For instance, past Environment Agency reports have highlighted how vehicle washing in many industrial estates contravened EA guidelines. EA Pollution Prevention Guidelines 3 and 13 should be consulted to ensure strict adherence to the law. 6. Which spill kit is right for your site? Spill kits are supplied in a variety of formats, General Purpose, Oil Only, Chemical and Specialist and range in size from 10 litres up to 1200 litres. The spill kit that will be right for your site will vary depending on the type and volume of the liquid stored on site. In many cases a strategically placed spill kit will result in faster and more effective response so consider in your spill response measures: •    Where is a spill most likely to occur on site? •    Is there a suitable kit in place or can it be moved there quickly? For instance, if you are transporting oil drums in a warehouse with forklift trucks then you would want to strategically place Oil only wheeled spill kits at various points throughout the warehouse so that they can be quickly moved into position in the event of a spill. 7. Do your operators appreciate the risks and consequences of a spill? As part of a spill site risk assessment it is important to factor in how your staff would deal with such an event. In these events it is imperative that everyone who has a role to play is aware of what that role consists of and how best to undertake that role. Senior managers responsible for Health and Safety and Environmental issues are vital in conveying this message to staff and ensuring that detailed planning will result in effective action. 8. What spill response training should be offered to site operators? Having the right products in the right place is only one part of the solution but carrying out professional spill training could make all the difference. Accredited spill training is provided by many spill control companies and provides a pro-active and efficient approach to spill prevention and control. 9. Do you audit your spill kits? Regularly auditing spill kits is fundamental to having a thorough spill response plan and making sure that they are complete in the event of an emergency. In some cases audit covers will have a tamper proof tape seal that when broken, will alert auditors that the kit has been used and that some of the absorbents inside might need checking and replacing. To limit the potential for people using spill kits in non-emergency situations have a good supply of other absorbents ready for normal daily consumption and reserve spill kit use for emergencies only. 10. How can I find out more? You can learn more on effective spill prevention and control by downloading and reading the relevant Environment Agency PPG's or by calling or emailing us at Yellow Shield.
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