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Waste Management

Waste is an issue for all organisations and jurisdictions and SLR advises waste producers, the waste management industry and its regulators.

In addition, SLR supports governmental bodies, at national, regional and local levels, with regard to devising and implementing practicable strategies to manage waste in a more sustainable fashion.

Strategic Planning

SLR is actively involved in developing waste strategies for local authorities as well as regional and national governmental bodies.  This involves identifying waste streams and using detailed analysis (including strategic environment assessment and sustainability and financial appraisals) to determine the preferred approach.

Such strategic assessments inevitably identify the need for additional, non-landfill, waste management infrastructure such as thermal, mechanical or biological treatment plants, transfer and materials recycling facilities and composting facilities.

SLR’s planning and permitting teams are experienced at preparing planning and permit applications for such facilities, supported, where necessary, by environmental impact assessments.  SLR has the in-house expertise, including a wide range of environmental specialists as well as design and process engineers, to complete such projects on a turnkey basis.

Landfill Engineering

For the foreseeable future, it is clear that this method of waste management will be important, not least for the management of residues from waste treatment facilities.

SLR is at the forefront of landfill design, engineering and permitting and SLR staff have authored key guidance documents in this field.  SLR has designed, and managed the construction of over 100 landfills for municipal, commercial and industrial wastes as well as specialised landfills for hazardous wastes.

Waste Treatment and Technology

Waste treatment and management techniques are becoming increasingly more important in order to divert biodegradable waste from landfills and as landfill void space becomes more expensive to engineer and permit.

SLR’s process engineers have wide ranging and practical experience in waste treatment techniques including thermal treatment (combustion or gasification/pyrolysis), anaerobic digestion, mechanical and biological treatment and composting.

Where practicable, SLR encourages the use of waste as a resource from which energy or materials can be recovered.

Landfill Gas

Landfill gas is a potent greenhouse gas and there are strong drivers to ensure that it is collected and either flared (to reduce its greenhouse gas potential in line with the Clean Development Mechanism) or preferably used to generate electricity.

SLR has broad experience of designing landfill gas collection schemes, remediation schemes to prevent gas migration and of the planning and permitting of landfill gas utilisation facilities.

Waste Contract Support

Tenders for large waste management contracts require careful preparation and consideration.  SLR supports waste management companies through the tender process and can provide a range of services, including:

• Waste capacity and mass balance modelling
• Advice on treatment technology
• Contract documentation preparation
• Cost estimation and environmental assessments of potential treatment options
• Environmental due diligence in relation to assets that may be transferred.

In addition, SLR is skilled at working with local authorities in their procurement process for waste management contracts.

Leachate Treatment and Disposal

SLR provides assistance in all aspects of leachate treatment and disposal, from investigation, data collection, process design and equipment specification to construction project management.  In addition, SLR provides training, operational support, and assistance in the maintenance and remote monitoring of treatment facilities.