Committee Reports > List of Committees > Joint > 1979 > Committee on the Secondary Legislation of the European Communities > Report No. 40 - Recycling of Urban and Industrial Waste

REPORT

Proposal Examined

1. The Joint Committee has examined the Commission’s proposal for a Council Decision adopting a multiannual research and development programme of the EEC on the recycling of urban and industrial waste (secondary raw materials) (indirect action) (1979-1982) [R/2388/78 (Rech 55)].

Nature of Proposal

2. The proposal deals with a research and development programme on the recycling of urban, industrial and agricultural waste. It follows the programmes on “Primary Raw Materials”, “Exploration and abstraction of uranium” and “Recycling of papers and board” adopted by the Council in March/April, 1978.

3. The objective of the programme is to develop and improve methods of recovering useful products from wastes in order:

(i)to exploit alternative sources of raw materials, thus effecting savings in natural resources and energy and improving the possibility of self-supply, and

(ii)to reduce the quantities of wastes that have to be disposed of, thus contributing to the protectiton of the environment

Research Areas

4. The Commission’s proposal is to implement in each of the undermentioned areas a co-ordination of publicly-funded work in hand in the Member States and to supplement it by research projects to be partly funded by the Community, on specific topics, to be determined by the Commission in consultation with an advisory Committee of national officials. The research areas proposed are:

(i)recovery of materials and energy from urban refuse,

(ii)thermal treatment of waste,

(iii)fermentation and hydrolysis of organic waste of agricultural, industrial and household origin, and

(iv)recovery of waste rubber.

5. It is proposed that up to 50 per cent of research costs will be met from Community funds, the balance being provided by those organisations to whom contracts are awarded. The Community expenditure proposed by the Commission for the full programme is 13 million EUA (£8.8 million).

Irish Participation

6. The Joint Committee is advised that Ireland (via the Institute for Industrial Research and Standards) was the pilot country assisting the Commission in development of the research area mentioned at (Hi) of paragraph 4 of this report and that it is largely as a result of Irish pressure that this section has been given a prominent part in the proposed programme. It understands that, if the programme is approved, Ireland will submit specific proposals for research in relation to:

(a)the development of a process for energy production from carbon wastes,

(b)the production of a slow release fertiliser from human sewage and animal slurries,

(c)the commercial utilisation of cellulosic materials and wastes,

(d)the development of economically viable processes for the enzymatic utilisation of agricultural wastes of high cellulosic content,

(e)the development of a process for the economic recycling of bovine ruminal contents as an animal feedstuff, and

(f)the bioconversion of waste cellulosic materials such as sawdust to useful products.

The cost of these research proposals is estimated at £800,000.

Views of the Joint Committee

7. The Joint Committee believes that it would be a wholly worthwhile undertaking to investigate the technical possibilities of recycling waste to obtain raw materials and energy and it is particularly pleased that Ireland is prepared to play a significant part in the proposed programme. In the Committee’s view the programme is one that is particularly suitable for undertaking on a Community basis and it recommends that the Commission’s initiative should be strongly supported.

8. Adequate financing for a programme of the type envisaged is absolutely essential and in the Joint Committee’s view the Community expenditure proposed by the Commission seems rather modest The Committee is advised that any reduction in the budget proposed would seriously jeopardise that part of the programme in which Ireland is particularly interested. Accordingly, it urges that any attempt to reduce that budget be strongly resisted.

9. If the programme is carried out the Joint Committee would confidently expect that new technology would be developed to maximise the re-use and reduce the amount of waste. It has, however, been brought to the Committee’s notice that the recycling of at least some household waste can be profitably undertaken with existing technology and that this is already being done in other countries. It occurs to the Committee, therefore, that the appropriate national and local authorities might themselves investigate the possibilities of initiating suitable recycling schemes in this country without waiting for the results of the Community programme.

(Signed) MARK CLINTON,

Chairman of the Joint Committee.

7th March, 1979.