A proactive approach to waste management

We're placing increasing emphasis on waste management to help reduce our environmental impact focusing on reducing the volume of waste produced, reusing materials wherever we can and correctly segregating waste to minimise contamination of recyclable waste items.

The waste produced both from our operational and non-operational activities is varied, ranging from waste from power station processes, such as used lubricating oils, to general maintenance waste from our network activities, and office waste such as paper and redundant IT equipment. Large volumes of waste are also produced when power stations and other assets are demolished after decomissioning. We aim to recycle as much of our waste as possible within the constraints of the available recycling facilities.

Hazardous Waste (kilotonnes)

	2004	2005	2006	2007
Disposed	17	15	22	17
Recycled	22	2	1	2

Include all wastes from operational and non-operational sources excluding power station ash and gypsum which are classed as by-products

Non-hazardous Waste (kilotonnes)

	2004	2005	2006	2007
Disposed	121	123	184	155
Recycled	14	39	103	16

Include all wastes from operational and non-operational sources excluding power station ash and gypsum which are classed as by-products.

Waste Recycling Rates(%)

	2004	2005	2006	2007
Hazardous Waste Recycled	56	12	4	11
Non-Hazardous Waste Recycled	10	24	36	9

Include all wastes from operational and non-operational sources excluding power station ash and gypsum which are classed as by-products

In 2007, we generated less waste as a business than in the previous year. This is partially down to the types of waste produced varying year on year and partially as a result of increased focus on reducing the volume of wastes produced. Our recycling rates overall have improved in some areas but remain relatively low overall. By increasing our focus on reducing, reusing and recycling we aim to increase recycling rates across all areas.

Office waste reduction through recycling

We're glad to be continually reducing the amount of waste our offices produce through better management of resources and an increase in recycling.

As a result of a proactive campaign to make all employees aware of the importance of waste management, we increased the amount we recycled during 2007 by 14.7% (compared with 2006). This equates to a reduction in the amount of waste we sent to landfill of 12% per employee. This has been achieved largely as a result of introducing segregation of waste at our main office sites and rolling out companywide recycling for plastics, cardboard and paper. We also encouraged greater use of our electronic ordering system and last year, 90% of the 21,424 orders we placed went to suppliers electronically. This equated to a saving of just under 20,000 envelopes, sheets of paper and associated stamps. We're encouraging more people to use our online systems and last year saw the successful introduction of SAP, one of the world's leading finance and procurement systems, to bring an increased efficiency to our purchasing processes.

IT waste

We have a policy of recycling our redundant IT equipment in association with external supplier Tier 1. Tier1 is an organisation that collects all redundant IT kit from E.ON UK to dispose these in a way that is consistent with the WEEE Directive. All redundant kit is screened and sorted into 3 categories: 1) any unusable kit is stripped and sent to landfill ; 2) the top most grade is refurbished and sold on the Tier1 site; 3) the second grade usable kit is refurbished and donated to developing countries through a charity. During 2007, less than 1% was treated as waste, while we sold on 2,660 computers, recycled 1,527 and donated 1,855 to developing countries.

Packaging and WEEE

We have legal responsibilities under the Packaging Regulations and Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations to register with the Environment Agency the amount of packaging and electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) we produce and distribute. We do this through our compliance scheme managers Valpak. Payments for our obligated packaging and EEE are then pooled with other producers and suppliers to pay for the recycling facilities for these products when they reach the end of their useful life. Most of the packaging and EEE for which we're obligated comes from our energy efficiency activities and includes items such as PowerDowns, Electrisaves, low energy light bulbs and carbon monoxide alarms.

Operational waste (distribution)

Our distribution business reached an important milestone during 2007, when it sent more items for recycling than for disposal. We continue to work with the Environment Agency to manage the registration of any of our equipment that has the potential to contain polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). We've never bought any equipment containing PCBs, but we do know that a small number of our transformers could contain trace levels because of contamination during manufacture. All transformers that are removed from the network are tested for PCBs and any found to contain levels above 50 parts per million (ppm) are disposed of as hazardous waste.

Power station wastes and by products

In power generation, the main by-product is ash from burning coal. This is used in the construction industry either as a filler or landscaping agent, or as the main constituent of lightweight bricks. The sale of ash is driven by the construction industry's needs and we make every effort to produce ash of a quality that is suitable as a substitute raw material. We've invested heavily in technology that ensures our ash quality is consistent, and classified for use in different markets.

Pulverised Fuel Ash (PFA) and Furnace Bottom Ash (FBA) are produced in our coal-fired power stations at Kingsnorth, Ratcliffe-on-Soar and Ironbridge. FBA is also produced at our Kemsley CHP site.

Ash that is not sold is sent to landfill with a view to reclaiming it if opportunities arise to sell it for reuse.

Ash by-products (kilotonnes)

	2004	2005	2006	2007
FBA disposed	16	5	0	0
FBA recycled	151	169	93	160
PFA disposed	189	268	327	262
PFA recycled	725	681	724	610

FBA = Furnace bottom ash
PFA = Pulverised fuel ash
Excludes furnace bottom ash from Kemsley

Ash Recycling Rate (%)

	2004	2005	2006	2007
FBA recycles as % of total FBA	90	97	100	100
PFA recycles as % of total PFA	79	72	69	70

FBA = Furnace bottom ash
PFA = Pulverised fuel ash
Excludes furnace bottom ash from Kemsley

The graph above shows the percentage of our ash sold for use in the construction industry. The volume of sales depends mainly on the market requirements and ash sold in any given year may have been produced in that year or previously. The recycling rate is calculated as ash recycled as a percentage of total ash recycled and disposed.  

Gypsum    

Gypsum is another by-product of coal-fired electricity generation when flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) technology is used. Gypsum is produced during the FGD process using limestone, the primary aim of which is to reduce emissions of sulphur dioxide (SO2).      

Gypsum is used in large quantities by the construction industry and demand is therefore dictated by its needs.

FGD Gypsum

	2004	2005	2006	2007
Total gypsum produced	350	235	206	253
Total gypsum disposed	0	0	0	0
Total gypsum recycled	350	235	206	253

100% of the gypsum we produce is solid as useful product to the construction industry
FGD = flue gas desulphurisation

Ratcliffe-On-Soar is our only power station with flue gas desulphurisation technology fitted. Ratcliffe produced more electricity in 2007 than the previous year so production of FGD gypsum increased too.