Biffa Inside Track

Collection DivisionTrade Waste Wheeled ContainerFront End Loader ContainerRear End Loader ContainerMultibucket/Bulk Carrier ExchangeCompaction EquipmentRecycling ServicesTransfer StationsBiffpackTransform

Municipal DivisionCivic Amenity SitesDomestic Door to Door CollectionsStreet CleansingRecycling and RecoveryWaste to Energy Services

Special Waste DivisionChemical TreatmentOn Site ServicesOff Site ServicesForecourt ServicesOrganic Waste Water TreatmentHazardous Waste Transfer StationsAnalytical LaboratoriesTanker and Tipper Haulage“Backtrack” Recovery and Recycling ServiceClinical WasteHazpakWaste-Safe ServicesEnvironmental ServicesDrain and Sewer CleaningAir ConveyancingWater JettingPumping Station MaintenanceEmergency Response ServicesCCTVWinching and Power BoringEnvironmental TechnologyLeachate Treatment SystemsLandfill Gas SystemsMaintenance ServicesLandfill Site Survey Services

Landfill DivisionCompostingDirect DeliveryReclaimed ResourcesConstruction and Demolition WastesHazardous and Difficult Wastes

A member of the Severn Trent Group

Biffa Waste ServicesHead OfficeCoronation RoadCressexHigh WycombeBucks HP12 3TZ

T : +44 (0) 1494 521221F : +44 (0) 1494 463368E : [email protected] : www.biffa.co.uk

This publication is printed on Greencoat Plus Velvet paper by Howard Smith, which contains 80% recycled fibre and 20% virgin pulp (totally chlorine free).

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About this reportSince 1998 we have produced a report on our environmental management andperformance every two years. This year we have gone further, setting aside morespace for our people and our interaction with local communities. It’s a report aboutour people, for our people. Set against a background of corporate responsibility, it aims to inform all employees where the company is going and what it means for them, highlighting the contributions that individuals have already made andhow they can help to drive Biffa forward. Whilst written primarily for an internal audience, we hope that others will find the report readable, informative and interesting.

To keep the report to a manageable length we have published additional informationon our website including figures demonstrating our progress against environmentalperformance indicators established by the Green Alliance. The contents of thisdocument, and the data on the website, have been subject to independent scrutinyand review, the results of which can be found on page 34. This report covers theperiod of 1st April 2002 to 31st March 2004.

More information can be found on our website www.biffa.co.uk

This includes:n The Biffa Code of Business Principles and Conduct;n Our Biodiversity Action Plans;n Detailed set of performance indicators.

Corporate Responsibility at Biffa

To maintain a successful business, all of us at Biffa must earn the trust andconfidence of the people we deal with every day; our colleagues, customers,regulators and anyone else with an interest in our organisation. We all have aresponsibility to safeguard and contribute positively to our people, the environmentand the communities around us.

In response, the Board has endorsed the ‘Biffa Code of Business Principles andConduct’, which sets out the standards that are expected from every employee of the company. They cover the fair treatment of colleagues, our relationships withcustomers, local communities, suppliers and the environment, business ethics, ourapproach to competition and our commitment to legal compliance. The principles arepresented on the company’s website.

Our Corporate Responsibility Policy 02

Biffa: The BusinessBiffa’s Operations 04What We Do 05

People: Our OwnOur People 08People Values 09Communicating with Each Other 10Training and Development 11Keeping People Safe, Keeping People Healthy 12

People: Our CommunitiesCommunity Relations 14Being a Good Neighbour 15Local Engagement and Education 17Restoring Landfill Sites and Aftercare 17Biffaward 18

Place: Our EnvironmentEnvironmental Management 20Environmental Regulation 21Climate Change 22Emissions from Landfill 22Emissions from Transport 24Resource Use 25Biodiversity 27

Place: A Future Market PlaceWhat’s in the Bin? 28What Lies Ahead? 28Future Planning Permission 29Which Direction? 30

Environmental Timetable 32/33

Verification 34

Action Plan 2005/06

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TrainingIncrease training days to 12,000 per year by April 2006.

Staff surveyIncrease response rate to the Impressions surveyto 40% over the next two years.

Health and SafetyObtain OHSAS18001accreditation for the Fleet Workshops byDecember 2004.

Reduce the annual RIDDORincidence rate by 15% foreach of the years endingApril 2005 and April 2006.

Achieve a minimum of threestars of the British SafetyCouncil’s Five Star Award, atfive locations by April 2005.

BenefitImprove employeeknowledge and awareness.

BenefitEnable Biffa to understandand address employeeissues.

BenefitRaise awareness andreduce risks to ourworkforce and people with whom we come into contact.

BenefitHelp fund research into and raise awareness ofenvironmental and sustainability issues.

BenefitIncrease communityknowledge on wastemanagement issues toencourage informeddebate.

BenefitIncrease communityknowledge on wastemanagement issues toencourage informeddebate.

BenefitIdentifying business risks.

Encourage othercompanies to improveenvironmental and socialawareness.

BenefitReduce depletion of non-renewable resources,the emission of“greenhouse” gases andour potential impact onneighbours.

Reduce reliance on fossilfuel derived energy.

BenefitReduce depletion of non-renewable resourcesand the emission of“greenhouse” gases.

BenefitIncrease biodiversity at oursites to improve thesustainability of our landbank, whilst conserving andenhancing ecosystems.

BenefitReduce depletion of non-renewable resoursesand raise awareness ofsustainability issues.

BiffawardTo support projects thatare of lasting environmentalbenefit, improve quality of life and foster ‘Vibrant Communities’.

EducationTo provide educationalmaterial for schools.

To encourage school visitsat Biffa locations.

Site LiaisonContinue to maintainstrong relationships withcommunities through siteliasion committees.

Produce communitynewsletters and continue tooperate visitor centres atstrategic landfill locations.

EnvironmentalManagementUndertake a preliminarystudy of potential climatechange impacts upon ouroperations by December2005.

Investigate the purchasingof ethical goods from oursuppliers.

Landfill

Increase energy generationcapacity from landfill gas to100MW by April 2005.

Improve the efficiency oflandfill gas collectionsystems to 80% by April2008.

EnergyInvestigate alternativerenewable energytechnologies by December 2006.

Transport

Use biodiesel in 50% of fleetvehicles by April 2006.

Continue the programme to reduce fuel consumptioncompared to businessactivity.

Strive to limit the need todrive/fly by encouragingelectronic communicationand teleconferencing.

Reduce the average CO2emissions form companycars to 185g/km by April 2006.

Biodiversity

Complete all Phase onehabitat surveys byDecember 2005.

Recycling

Continue to developstrategic partnerships forthe end use of recoveredmaterials.

Increase the rate of wastehandled for recycling to10% by April 2005.

2 Biffa Corporate Responsibility

IntroductionBiffa is a leading integrated waste managementcompany with operations in the UK and Belgium, andis a part of the Severn Trent Group. We acknowledgeour responsibility to safeguard and positivelycontribute to the environment and communities withinwhich we operate.

Our PrinciplesEveryone is responsible for their impacts upon ourenvironment. We believe in employee empowerment,the prevention of pollution and compliance withrelevant legislation and approved codes of practice.We will abide by our Code of Business Principles andConduct. We will seek to ensure that all our activitiesare operated safely and in line with our separateHealth and Safety Policy.

Our approach is based on the following values:

n We will operate to the highest ethical andprofessional standards through fostering a style ofmanagement based on honesty, trust and integrity;

n Respecting our employees whilst fostering aworking environment that will encourageemployees to operate to their full potential;

n We have a responsibility to safeguard thecommunities and environment that come intocontact with our operations;

n We adopt approved codes of conduct to protectthe environment within which we operate;

n We regularly monitor, audit and review our ownperformance to ensure continuous improvement;

n We involve our employees on environmental issuesand raise awareness of their responsibilities underthe law and this policy;

n We require our contractors and suppliers tocomply with the law and encourage them to adoptstandards that are at least as good as ours; and

n We will target our efforts to reduce our significantnegative environmental aspects by operatingcomprehensive Environmental and ComplianceManagement Systems.

To ensure this policy is achieved, Biffa has anEnvironmental, Quality, Health and Safety (EQHS)Directorate that is headed by a Board Director, withthe necessary responsibility, authority and resourcesto implement the EQHS Management System.

Our ContributionWe seek to minimise the impact of our operations andsociety’s waste through the way we conduct ourbusiness, by promoting sustainable wastemanagement practices and by integrating the conceptof sustainable development into our business activities.

Reducing our Impacts

We recognise that our large fleet of vehicles and thedistances they travel have a significant impact uponthe environment. We therefore seek to use cleanerfuel and to minimise our consumption of the fuel weuse to carry out our business, by:

n Continuing our use of low sulphur diesel for our trucks;

n Reviewing the suitability of alternate fuels, such asbiodiesel and switching to them as they becomecommercially available;

n Improving the scheduling of our waste collectionvehicles;

n Offering more fuel efficient cars to our staff; andn Maintaining regular servicing of fleet vehicles and

use of euro-standard vehicles.

A by-product of the disposal to landfill of society’swaste is the generation of methane and carbondioxide, which are recognised greenhouse gases. Our contribution to mitigating the effects of GlobalWarming will be to increase the proportion of landfillgas captured and thereby reduce greenhouse gasemissions by;

n Timely capping of landfill sites;n Optimising existing landfill gas collection systems;n Installation of new landfill gas collection systems at

the earliest opportunity; andn Measure and monitor landfill gas and its collection

to rectify leakage.

Protecting

We believe staff awareness and robust managementsystems are key to our protection of the environment.We will:

n Make this policy available to all employees and allinterested stakeholders via our website andcompany intranet;

n Raise the environmental awareness of ouremployees by encouraging involvement at alllevels and educating through training,communication and constant reappraisal ofworking methods;

n Operate a comprehensive EQHS managementsystem;

n Adopt the principles of ISO14001 and EMASseeking accreditation where appropriate;

n Regularly monitor, audit and review our ownenvironmental performance to ensure continualimprovement;

n Share and promote Best Practice and BestAvailable Techniques between business units; and

n Publish details of our performance in our biennialCorporate Report.

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This report has been produced for everyone in Biffa. Its aim is to provide an ‘Inside Track’on how you make a contribution to our environmental performance. With this in mind, thisreport is now much more than an environmental report, and so it is appropriate that ‘InsideTrack’ becomes Biffa’s first Corporate Responsibility Report.

In the last four years we have had much to contend with. Firstly in September 2000, weacquired UK Waste and since we last reported in 2002, we acquired Hales Waste Controland RMC Environmental Services in June 2003. The integration of these strategicacquisitions to the Biffa business has not been easy and I applaud the efforts of all thoseinvolved. Throughout the process we have worked hard to bring together the services, thesystems and the people, which now make Biffa one of the largest integrated wastemanagement businesses in the UK and Belgium.

We now employ more than 5,000 people in the UK and Belgium and we have strengthenedconsiderably our initiatives to make Biffa a safer place to work. For example, Health andSafety, where we have managed to reduce the number of reportable accidents by 29%.There is much, much more we need to do to continue improving. Many of our key healthand safety messages encourage everyone to apply the same thinking at home as well. In the last two years, our total off the job training increased to 10,000 days, through theintroduction of additional courses, specifically designed to the job requirements.

You can never do enough when it comes to communications and each year we try to lookfor ways to improve, so that we are consistently reaching everyone in the business,irrespective of the different work and shift patterns employed around the country.

I mentioned in our last report that events outside of Biffa are just as fast moving and thatis still the case today. In completing the recent acquisitions, we are positioning the companyto meet the challenges that changing legislation brings. The Landfill Directive is now beingimplemented through UK legislation and next on the horizon, are the new regulationsapplying to WEEE, Hazardous Waste and Pre-treatment, and we must not forget the RoadTransport Directive. This increasing range of legislation will affect all our customersthroughout the UK. Not only that, it will require a new learning curve for all of us, not just interms of understanding the legislation, but in providing services to our customers that areclearly seen to be better than the competition.

Inside Track is designed to give each reader a view of how our day-to-day activities in theworkplace and the communities in which we operate, impact upon our environmentalperformance. As well as the contents of this report, we have again measured ourperformance against the Green Alliance environmental indicators for our industry – theseand much more can be found on our web site at www.biffa.co.uk.

Martin BettingtonManaging Director

3Our Corporate Responsibility Policy

Enhancing

We recognise that to be a truly responsible organisation,Biffa must contribute positively to society and theenvironment within which we operate, by:

n Improving biodiversity at our business units by theprovision of suitable habitats;

n Incorporating the protection and enhancement ofbiodiversity in site planning and operations;

n Continuing to improve and promote biodiversity;n Encouraging local management involvement within

the communities in which we operate; andn Utilising landfill gas to produce renewable energy,

off-setting society’s reliance upon fossil fuelderived electricity.

Empowerment

A positively motivated work force is essential todeliver our business goals; working in line with ourpolicy on People Values we will:

n Provide a fair and just working environmentensuring that we don’t discriminate in terms ofbackgrounds or beliefs, or tolerate any racial,sexual, mental, or physical harassment;

n Facilitate the ability of employees to balance familycommitments and working responsibilities;

n Encourage active dialogue and feedback withemployees both individually and collectively at alllevels; and

n Provide training and support to facilitateempowerment.

Working with OthersWe recognise that to achieve our objectives and tomake a positive contribution, we must work closelywith those who contribute to, are affected by, or whoinfluence our own and society’s activities.

Stakeholders

Government Policy influences both society’s and thewaste industry’s response to waste management. We believe it is therefore important to promoteunderstanding and stimulate debate at the highestlevels by:

n Commissioning and undertaking studies tounderstand and contribute to sustainable wastemanagement in the UK;

n Providing speakers to national fora;n Being an active member of relevant trade bodies,

professional institutes and NGO’s; andn Participating in active dialogue with regulators and

responsible organisations sharing a key interest insustainable development.

Communities

We believe that openness and dialogue helps topromote understanding and mutual respect betweenourselves and the communities in which we operate.In order to promote this we will:

n Liaise with external groups and organisations;n Encourage educational visits to our sites, produce

and provide educational materials;n Assist communities affected by our operations by

sponsorship and grants; andn Encourage communities around our sites to

understand waste issues.

Our Supply Chain

We acknowledge that our responsibility for ourbusiness activities extends through our supply chain,those from which we purchase goods and servicesand to our customers. We will therefore seek toencourage commercial relationships withorganisations that have standards compatible withour own and strive to influence our customers’behaviour, by:

n Assessing and auditing key suppliers for theirenvironmental performance;

n Assisting suppliers and customers to achievehigher environmental standards where required;

n Producing innovative solutions to their wastemanagement activities; and

n Making available recycling and complianceschemes.

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In June 2003, we acquired Hales Waste Control andRMC Environmental Services. These operations had agood fit with our business giving us facilities in EastAnglia and London, both areas of the country in whichwe previously had limited coverage.

The integration of Hales had a major impact on thecompany, bringing with it nearly 1,000 new staff, butalso a programme of rationalisation. As of the end ofMarch 2004, Biffa had 5,441 employees with 4,909working in the UK and 532 in Belgium. Our turnoverexceeded £633m in the year ended 31st March 2004and we recorded a profit before interest, tax andamortisation of £79.2m.


Key Achievements for 2002/04

ISO 14001 for the whole of the Landfill Division

Two composting sites registered to the quality standard BSI PAS 100

Awards for fleet management in the UK and Belgium

Boosted capacity to generate power from landfill gas to over 90 megawatts in the UK

Extended contracts with local authorities working towards achieving theirrecycling, recovery and landfill diversion targets

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Biffa’s OperationsBiffa is the largest integrated waste management company in the UK and also asignificant player in the Belgian waste market. Since 1991, we have been part ofSevern Trent plc and have flourished through organic growth complemented recentlyby two major acquisitions. We contributed 30% of the Severn Trent turnover and our employees represent approximately a third of the Group’s total in the year ending31st March 2004.

5Biffa: The Business

Key Facts – Municipal Contracts

We currently work with 20 county, unitary, boroughand district councils in the UK, travelling 10.5 millionmiles per year and collecting waste from 1.8 millionpeople. Our work with them includes:

n 15 refuse contracts – collecting refuse from715,000 households;

n 14 recycling contracts – including fortnightlycollection of recyclables from 460,000 households;

n 6 street cleaning contracts – cleaning 4,400streets per week;

n 3 toilet cleaning contracts;n 5 civic amenity site contracts covering 21 sites;n 2 integrated contracts covering collection,

treatment and disposal of waste from a further182,000 households;

n 1 million tonnes of waste handled each year.

What We Do

CollectionThe collection division employs over 3,000 staff whoare currently responsible for handling 5.5 milliontonnes of waste. The Division works with around90,000 industrial and commercial customers from abase of 102 sites across the UK. This part of thebusiness also includes our pre-treatment andmunicipal divisions which operate almost 50 localauthority contracts. Underpinning all of theseoperations is our fleet ranging from refuse trucks andcontainer delivery vehicles to workshop service vans.In all, some 1,650 vehicles which travelled 52 millionkilometres during 2003/04.

During 2003/04, Biffa continued to build presence in the public sector; we extended our contract inStratford-on-Avon with a five-year organic wasterecycling scheme and developed the infrastructure in Leicester as part of the recently awarded 25 yearcontract for the city’s waste. We also extended orwon new contracts in West Berkshire, Tandridge,Woking and the Forest of Dean.

Our pre-treatment operations comprise 21 facilitiesacross the UK for the sorting, recycling, bulking and transfer of waste. Strategic partnerships areextremely important in this part of the business: in July 2003, we entered into an arrangement withKappa Paper Recycling. We continue to work withSCA on recycling and European Metals Recycling(EMR) on the disposal of electrical appliances.

Biffpack

Biffpack is the country’s third largest PackagingCompliance Scheme with over 500 members. The regulations* require companies to calculate howmuch packaging material they pass on to customersand purchase evidence of recycling and recovery.Biffpack has consistently provided its members withlow cost compliance whilst helping them to improvetheir environmental performance.

Transform

Pre-empting the introduction of the EU WEEE Directiverelating to waste electonic and electrical equipment,*we have joined forces with EMR to set up Transform.Transform is currently working with companies likelyto be affected by the new laws, bringing togetherproducer responsibility,* experience and provenexpertise to help them plan to meet the futuretargets. We are developing our collection, recyclingand data management systems ready for when theDirective is finally transposed into UK law.

Waste Collection Vehicle

Local Authority Services

Card and Paper Recycling

*Refer to environmental timetable on pages 32 and 33

Special WasteOur Special Waste Division operates from 13 sites in the UK and provides a range of services andtechnologies for the treatment of special andhazardous waste, both liquid and solid. This strengthens our position in identifying theopportunities offered by the Landfill Directive* andHazardous Waste Regulations*.

Through the Waste-Safe, Backtrack and Hazpakservices, we collect and manage containers ofhazardous materials that can be recovered andrecycled; for example, fluorescent tubes. We alsooperate a Secure Waste and Recycling Facility for thede-packaging and recycling of sensitive waste suchas confidential materials or commercially valuableproducts no longer suitable for retail.

Processing of bulk liquid wastes such ascontaminated waters or acid/alkaline solutions is acore speciality for which we offer some of the mostadvanced treatment systems available. In additionto the work at our treatment plants, we are also ableto collect or transport wastes for treatment acrossthe UK. Our fleet of specialist tankers now totals90 vehicles.

Our Environmental Services teams operate from 3bases and cover the whole of the UK. The specialtiescover two main areas : the cleaning andmaintenance of sewers, drains, pumping stations andpipe networks, and industrial cleaning including, airconveyancing, water jetting, factory shut downs, tankcleaning and descaling. The team also has contracts*associated with confined space entry and catalystremoval in the petro-chemical sectors.

In 2003/04, Environmental Technology (BETech)boosted our capacity to generate power from landfillgas to around 90 MW in the UK and is a key featureof the Special Waste Division.

From within this division, we also manage IntegratedWaste Management contracts for around a dozenprivate sector clients. First established in 1993, thisapproach involves the management of multiple wastestreams, both special and general waste, often withstaff based on the customers’ sites. This enables usto consider the whole of the waste managementprocess helping the customer with minimisation,recycling and recovery, rather than just final disposal.

Case study: Integrated WasteManagement Contract PSA Peugeot Citroën

Biffa has been appointed by vehicle manufacturerPSA Peugeot Citroën to reduce costs througheffective waste management at its three Coventrysites. Under the three-year deal, we will recycle 85%of the recoverable waste generated at the firm’sRyton based car assembly plant. We are providingon-site management for the collection of dry, wet andhazardous waste alongside recycling services for paper,cardboard, plastics, wood, glass and scrap metal.

LandfillThe Landfill Division comprises 36 operational sitesin the UK which total around 75 million cubic metresof void space and our composting operations. In total these sites accept some eight million tonnesof waste per year. Landfill is a primary disposal routeand to meet the ongoing need, Biffa haveunder development over 30 million cubic metresof void space.

During 2003/04, we were awarded the ISO14001environmental management standard for all of our UK operational landfill sites. In preparation for theLandfill Directive*, new permits have continued to beobtained under the Integrated Pollution Preventionand Control regime.

Six of our sites accept around 75,000 tonnes ofgreen waste each year, turning it into 44,000 tonnesof compost. Two of these sites, Etwall in Derbyshireand Poplars in Staffordshire, were certified to BSI PAS100, a quality standard for the production of compost– making Biffa the only compost producer in the UKto have gained this certification at two separate sites.

In addition our operations on the Isle of Wight areworking towards the achievement of the BSI PAS 100standard later in 2004.


Special Waste Transfer Station

Monitoring of groundwater

Green Waste Composting


BelgiumBiffa moved into Belgium in 1988 and has becomeone of the country’s leading waste managementcompanies employing 532 staff. Our 11 facilitiesoperate across all three regions of Belgium,comprising depots for industrial, commercial andmunicipal services, a special waste treatment centreand two landfill sites.

Belgium’s recycling culture is far in advance of that in the UK. For example, there is much moreresponsibility placed on the householder for theseparation of waste at home. Separate collectionsare provided for:

n Special waste such as paint, batteries, aerosolsand solvents;

n Green and other organic waste;n Packaging waste such as plastic bottles and

metal cans;n Paper including newspapers and magazines.

Householders pay for waste collection by purchasingcoloured bags from the local authority. For each typeof waste, there is a different cost and a separatecoloured bag.

At six sites across the country, we collect andseparate industrial and commercial waste whichis then sent on to the reprocessors for recycling.We recover wood, metal, plastics, special waste andother valuable materials through both manual andmechanical means.

Our special waste treatment facility in Antwerpoperates a state-of-the-art cryogenic separator –a freezing technology that separates metal packagingfrom viscous wastes, for example, paint tins,allowing the metal to be recycled and the residueto be treated.

We also have a wastewater treatment plant for liquidindustrial wastes.

Personal Responsibility to Good CausesIn 2004, Biffa Belgium employees took part in theBekkevoort Truck show, an annual event to raisefunds for ill and handicapped children. Seven driversand their trucks took part in the weekend long eventwhich raised €27,000.

7Biffa: The Business

Recycling site in Belgium

Integrated Waste Management PSA Peugeot Citroën

“ My job is to help segregate andrecycle as many parts as possibleso we can maximise the value for the customer.”Barry Hancocks, Recycling Operative

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At the end of March 2004, we employed 5,441 staff;4,909 in the UK and 532 in Belgium. Our workforcewas boosted in June 2003 by the addition of theteam from Hales. Since then, we have rationalisedseveral areas, with the loss of approximately 10% ofjobs and have worked hard to harmonise terms andconditions as far as possible. We liaised with anumber of Trades Unions during this process.

Fleet Engineer of the Year

In July 2003, Sid Sadique, Director – Pre treatmentand Fleet Division, was recognised as Fleet Engineer ofthe Year at the prestigious Motor Transport Awards.

The awards acknowledge excellence in motortransport and are highly respected within the industry.The judges commended the work of Sid and his teamin restructuring the fleet engineering function toimprove management information and enable aprogramme of continuous improvement.

Speaking after the event, Sid was quick toacknowledge the support of his immediate team andthe division as a whole: “The award is not about me,it’s about the people I work with. I am there to guidethe process. All we are looking for is continuousimprovement and efficiency”.

Transport & Logistics Awards 2004

During 2004, Biffa Belgium was recognised for itsapproach to Transport Safety, with a second placeaward in the category of Transport Safety at the 11thTransport and Logistics Awards held in Anderlecht.

The judges were particularly impressed by our use ofexperienced mentors (similar to the UK drivertrainers), the thorough way in which incidents areinvestigated and some novel approaches to raisingawareness with our staff.

All drivers are required to make a commitment tohealth and safety by signing a ‘Safety Charter’ and no-claims bonuses are offered to drivers who havemaintained a clean driving record during the year.



In the last two years, our total off-the-job training rose from just over 7,600 to nearly 10,000 days.

In the last two years, some 40 Certificates of Technical Competence have beenawarded to Biffa managers, supervisors and other nominated personnel.

By the end of 2003/04, we succeeded in reducing the number ofreportable accidents by 29%.

Our PeopleThe success of any company depends on its people. All of us are essential toproviding the quality of service and the degree of innovation that makes this businesssuccessful. Put simply, our employees are the public face of our operations and cancreate a positive impression of Biffa within a community. Being a good employer is,therefore, not just one of our main social responsibilities, it makes very goodbusiness sense too.

People ValuesBiffa aims to be a good employer and takes seriously the responsibility to provide an excellentworking environment.

At the highest level within Biffa, we work to a set of‘People Values’. These cover a wide range of topicsfrom recruitment to communication and from healthto work-life balance, helping staff understand whatthey can expect from their employment with Biffa andwhat Biffa expects of them as employees.

Underpinning these Values, we have developed anumber of policies covering all aspects of anindividual’s relationship with the company. Althoughsome of these exist to protect the company, manyestablish the individual’s rights to fair treatment in asafe and professional workplace.

Equal opportunities

All decisions on recruitment, promotion, training,benefits, terms and conditions and dismissal arebased only on merit and not on any other grounds.

Whistle-blowing

We provide mechanisms and safeguards foremployees wishing to raise concerns regardingissues such as fraud, criminal offences or health andsafety. Anyone wishing to discuss a matter of ethicsor impropriety can follow the procedure availableinternally or can seek free and confidentialindependent advice from ‘Public Concern at Work’, a charitable organisation who specialise in this area.In the last two years, our own internal procedureshave allowed us to uncover and resolve severalinstances of unacceptable behaviour.

Bullying and harassment

All employees have the right to dignity and respect,regardless of race, religion, gender, disability orsexual orientation. Our policy sets out formal andinformal ways for employees to raise and deal withcomplaints and issues.

Stress at work

The policy highlights our commitment to protectingthe health, safety and welfare of employees.It recognises that workplace stress is a health andsafety issue and acknowledges the importance ofidentifying and controlling it in the workplace.

Employee representation

Biffa formally recognises a number of unions andhonours a number of collective bargainingagreements.

Pensions

All new employees in landfill, collection, fleet,recycling and special waste are eligible to join aSevern Trent Pension Scheme to which the companycontributes. However, for historic reasons, some ofour municipal team have access to a Stakeholderscheme only. This is being addressed and all newlocal authority contracts will include a pensionarrangement to which the company will contribute.

Lifestyle/flexible benefits

During 2003/04, we piloted a flexible benefitsscheme. This allows some staff employees to choosefrom a menu the benefits that best suit their lifestyle,whether it is health insurance, dental care, additionalholiday or vouchers for childcare. This will be rolledout across all staff employees during 2004/05.

9People: Our Own

People Values, Biffa Leicester

“ My job is to educate the public in all aspects of recycling and informthem of any changes on-site andkeep up to date on recyclingpercentages each week.”Lee Leigh, Community Recycling Centre Operative

Sid Sadique, Fleet Engineer of the Year

Communicating with Each Other

Speaking Clearly…With staff spread across more than 150 locations,a critical part of people management is sharinginformation – letting everyone know what’s happeningin the company and what it means for them.

We were quick to use a company intranet: a purpose-built internal website accessible only to our staff.Called BiffaNet, employees can access the latestnews and information, but also quickly find referencematerials that they need to do their job: procedures,working instructions, key policies and legal updates.This resource is widely used by staff with access tocomputers.

BiffaNet is supplemented by a number of moretraditional written communications. Each month,employees receive the magazine BiffaBuzz. This isdelivered to their home address so that everyonegets a copy regardless of working patterns.

It provides news and updates on changes to thebusiness, new contracts, staff news and other itemsand our employee opinion survey confirmed that 65%of employees value this method of communication.Staff can also exchange information within their owndivisional structures, such as Best Practice Groups,the BAT (Best Available Techniques) Group and the‘Landfill Forum’.

BiffaNet and Staff Payment:Faster, fairer and right first timeOur intranet also gives managers authorised accessto pay data for hourly paid staff. The data available todepots enables site managers to complete forecastsfor accounting purposes. Holiday records, overtimeand absence records are available for depots andsites to use.

BiffaNet provides a method of sharing information.This is particularly true for those joining Biffa when weacquire a new contract or business and who bringwith them existing terms and conditions. To simplifythe process, representatives from our payroll teammeet with these individuals, answer their questionsand help set them up on the system. As BerylDarlington, our payroll manager, says “the last thingwe want is for staff not to be paid”.

…and Listening HardCommunication is a two-way process and providinginformation to staff is only one half of the picture.There are a number of opportunities for staff toprovide feedback and for managers to understandtheir views on a variety of issues.

During the integration of the Hales and RMCEnvironmental Services business, BiffaNet expandedto include a dedicated section called Ask Ernest foremployees to publicly post questions for a promptanswer. The personal touch was strengthenedthrough a series of briefings, giving staff the chanceto question managers in an open forum and air theirown concerns.

We supplement this communications process withan annual survey of staff opinions, Impressions,conducted on our behalf by a third-party researchagency. This questionnaire-based process givesdetailed information and comprehensive data that canbe compared to previous years and anonymousresults from other company surveys. Its successdepends entirely on the level of response fromemployees – the more responses, the better theissues are understood resulting in more that can bedone to make improvements.

In Impressions 2003, we received a total of 1,300responses from staff giving a response rate of 30%.The results are compared to previous years’responses, as well as major national companies andcompanies, like Biffa, going through a period ofchange.

How does it work?n Questionnaires are mailed to home addresses,

to ensure everyone gets a copy and has theopportunity to take part.

n They are completed by employees and returned to an independent research company.

n Analysis is undertaken by the independent research company.

n The results are presented back to Biffa.n The Board and senior management then meet to

discuss the results.n Individual site based reports are sent to Managers.n The results are posted on BiffaNet and covered

in BiffaBuzz.n Actions are taken and communicated.

Impressions – Strengths

The work itself

Responses suggested that Biffa employees careabout what they do, and feel that they and thecompany fulfil an important role.

Management empathy

Feedback on management quality was good, albeittempered by concerns over supervision and theorganisation of work.

Communications

Employees recognised the efforts being made tocommunicate during a period of transition.

Induction training

Our induction training was highly rated.

Environmental focus

Responses confirmed that Biffa staff understand theimportance of environmental issues to the businessand appreciate the company’s focus in this area.


Internal communications – BiffaNet

BiffaBuzz – Our employee publication

Impressions – Areas for Development

Supervision/customer focus

A number of issues were raised in areas such asgreater customer focus and quality of service,together with supervision, teamwork, co-operationand workload. Each of these areas are beingaddressed.

Clothing

Staff asked for an improvement in the quality ofcompany workwear. In response, a new range wasintroduced in the summer of 2004.

Training and Development

Developing our PotentialStaff training not only benefits the company but alsothe individuals themselves: therefore, Biffa has acomprehensive training programme in place.Nearly all staff positions in the business are includedin a training matrix, which shows for each role thecourses that are mandatory, the preferred coursesand those which are optional. In the last two years,our total off-the-job training rose from just over 7,600to nearly 10,000 days, an average of 1.8 days per person.

Training extends across the entire workforce withstaff employees working towards a Certificate ofProfessional and Technical Competence (CoTC).In the last two years, some 40 CoTC certificates havebeen awarded to Biffa managers, supervisors andother nominated personnel.

Overall, we have good availability of appropriatelyskilled staff, although there is a general shortage ofdrivers. We have responded with a programme ofdriver training courses publicly advertised on ourvehicles, under which aspiring drivers undergotraining at Biffa’s expense provided that, in return,they then come and work for the company.

Through Aston University, one of the UK’s leadingbusiness schools, we are continuing to run the BiffaBusiness School offering both a certificate anddiploma in management. The courses ensure thatmanagers have access to best practice in all areas ofbusiness and are able to develop in their role whilegaining a recognised management qualification.

Targeting TrainingEvery staff member has access to training coursesdepending on their role, but we also develop andtarget specific training where there is a need.This might be identified in our annual performancereview programme, employee survey or throughanother route and will typically lead to a tailoredprogramme focused on a particular issue.

One recent example is a driver training programme,based on a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ).This was developed to improve efficiency and safety,and has been promoted to drivers depending on theiraccident records. Seven instructors trained 131depot-based driver trainers, who have now passedtheir learning on to other drivers.

In response to concerns over the quality of localsupervision in the employee survey, a supervisorytraining scheme has been developed.

This programme run by the Institute of Leadershipand Management is aimed at front-line supervisorsand those who aim to become a supervisor in thenear future. Typical candidates will include foremen,senior operators and office-based team leaders whohave received no previous supervisory training ordevelopment.

All our candidates are asked to complete feedbackforms in response to their courses. One of the mostpositive responses we have received was;

“At first, I was not sure what it was all about but onceit was explained and we got started, it was fun to do.I am very pleased that I was selected and now lookat the way I do my job very closely. It’s hard work forthe assessors but worth doing.”

11People: Our Own

Driver training

New workwear

Keeping People Safe,Keeping People HealthyThe waste industry has traditionally had a poor safetyrecord with the risk of injury four times greater thanfor ‘general industry’ and a fatal accident rate tentimes higher. This is unacceptable and as a significantemployer in the industry, we consider it a priority aswell as a responsibility to improve both our ownrecord and contribute to improvements across thesector.

In our previous report, Biffæcology, we outlined ourcommitment to improving our Health and Safetyrecord. At that time, we had launched a new policy,set up best practice groups in our divisions andintroduced BARS (Biffa Accident Reporting System),all aimed at meeting the vision of members of theExecutive Board.

The Executive Board’s Vision for Health and Safetyn We want Biffa to be the Health and Safety leader

in the industry.n We want everyone to look out for each other.n We want everyone to be actively involved in the

Health and Safety culture process.n We want everyone to live Health and Safety 24/7.n If we can’t manage the risk, we don’t do it.

In 2002, we embarked on a three year, rolling Healthand Safety Plan, a key element of which was theculture change programme described in more detailoverleaf. At the same time, we set a short-term targetto implement some immediate improvements: toreduce by 20% the RIDDOR incidence rate (accidentsreported to the Health and Safety Executive under theReporting of Injuries, Diseases and DangerousOccurrences Regulations). In the year 2003/04, wehad managed to reduce the number of reportableaccidents by 29% – a good start but there’s still workto be done.

We have also decided to implement the occupationalhealth and safety management standard (OHSAS18001). This will help us to control our risks andimprove performance, providing a common standardacross the business. We expect the first of our siteswill be certified in December 2004 and each quarterit is intended that additional business units will be added.

In the spirit of sharing responsibility, accidents areinvestigated by managers and supervisors who thenfeed back to a special committee. Meetings takeplace regularly to ensure that where appropriate,improvements to working practice can be made toreduce the risk of accidents and to safeguard thewellbeing of all Biffa employees. Additionally, thishighlights where positive action has been taken forthe overall safety of all Biffa employees.

We have undertaken a large number of specificinitiatives in the area of health and safety includingthe following:

Equipment

The provision of new uniforms and personalprotective equipment, fitting reversing aid camerasto our collection vehicles, auto sheeters for bulkcarriers, in-cab front view mirrors, non-slip materialson front-end loader roofs and establishing dailyvehicle checklists.

Training

Biffa Provide IOSH (the Institute of OccupationalSafety and Health) training for senior managers withinthe Collection Division, a manual handling trainingprogramme across the whole organisation plus,regular in-house Health and Safety training modulesaddressing subjects such as risk assessment,chemical safety, confined space training andmachinery safety.

Health

We have widened the scope of employees eligible fora confidential health screening programme, managedby external health care providers.

Road Risk Protocol

High mileage drivers are sent on an advanced drivercourse. This includes a personal assessment of theirdriving skills and teaches key defensive drivingtechniques.

Health and Safety Weeks

Every October, we dedicate a week to Health andSafety to raise awareness around a particular themesuch as chemical safety or working at heights.We cover all of our sites with articles in BiffaBuzz,notice boards and on BiffaNet. Toolbox Talks (specifictraining sessions for small groups) are accompaniedby poster campaigns and site visits by Directors.

Health and Safety Conference 2004In February 2004, employees from all parts of thecompany gathered for our biennial Health and Safetyconference. In total, 150 people attended, includingBiffa’s directors, site managers and trade unionrepresentatives. Managing Director Martin Bettingtonaddressed the conference, with presentations fromexternal speakers. The afternoon session includedsome group exercises and ended with a paneldiscussion, giving delegates an opportunity to putquestions to the Board.


Success Story: Checking ContainersWith the increased collection of dry recyclables inlarge bins, one particular health and safety problemhas become more widespread: we are finding morepeople sleeping in bins, with the very real risk ofbeing tipped into the back of a mobile compactionvehicle and unthinkable consequences.

We have identified high risk locations to ourcustomers, asking that they make their bins assecure as possible. We have also provided training toour drivers, through our series of Toolbox Talks and ahigh profile poster campaign. They now check everybin before tipping it into their truck and record anynear misses in BARS.

Consequently, thanks to the efforts and diligence ofour drivers, during 2003/04 we removed astaggering 47 members of the public from bins priorto emptying, very probably saving 47 lives.

Corporate Culture Change ProgrammeIf we are to make effective improvements to the waywe manage health and safety, we need to provide theappropriate systems, but also ensure that thesesystems are used and that Health and Safety isingrained into our corporate culture.

In 2002, we embarked on a cross-divisional CultureChange Programme, first focusing on staff in ourSouth Wales operations, followed by those in theNorth West. We started off by carrying out a ‘Healthand Safety Climate Survey’ to assess attitudes andprovide us with a benchmark against which we canmeasure progress. Then, in workshops of eight totwenty people, including at least one director, andcovering all our different business functions, weexplained and discussed the importance of health andsafety to our business.

This covered issues such as forward planning, notwalking past a hazard, looking out for one anotherand stressed that “if we can’t do it safely we don’t doit at all”.

The programme has made an impact in those regionsalready covered and will continue to be rolled outacross the business, with the Midlands next to betargeted in September 2004.

To quote Angela Coulton, Depot Manager at ourBromborough location in the Wirral, “I have to admitthat I was sceptical about the programme when I firstheard about it but undoubtedly, now that managersand work team members have attended theworkshops, there has been a demonstrable change inthe way we do things – not least, it has identifiedsome potentially dangerous practices and importantlythese have been actioned by introducing improvedcontrol measures. The challenge is to maintain theheightened level of awareness”.

Manual HandlingEvery day, each member of our municipal collectionteam walks eight miles and lifts ten tonnes of rubbish.It is perhaps hardly surprising that a third of our losttime accidents come from injuries arising frommanual handling.

Since 2002, we have been working with formerOlympic Weightlifter and World Record Holder DaveSnowdon through his company Pristine Condition.Pristine Condition visits ten locations each quarter,teaching our staff how to lift and carry reducing thechances of injury. The approach is very much “handson” which is appreciated by our workforce. This is notjust limited to our collection teams but to all staff whoare encouraged to use what they have learned athome as well as at work. As part of the package, atraining CD has been produced that addresses themanual handling issues as they relate to Biffa.

13People: Our Own

Lifting and carrying seminars

Manual Handling Training CD

Checking Containers

“ Part of my job as a driver is to checkour containers to ensure no-one hasclimbed in the bin before it’s emptiedby the vehicle.”Barry Jones, Collection vehicle driver

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How do we affect communities?It is easy to overlook our single biggest communityimpact: we take away and deal with rubbish,something that is often taken for granted. In so doing,we provide jobs for more than 5,000 people, many ofwhom live in the towns and villages we serve, directlyputting money into those local economies.

Implicit in our business are potential issues ofnuisance and disturbance from our operations and wehave implemented a series of measures to mitigatethese as far as possible. The best solutions to theseproblems can often be found by co-operating with thelocal people affected and we work closely with thecommunities around our sites. Through site liaisoncommittees, open days and school visits, we listento our neighbours and act on their concerns.

How do communities affect us?We rely on the community for our employees sincea significant proportion of our people are recruiteddirectly to a local site (such as a landfill, a transferstation or a collection depot). It is therefore importantthat we are well regarded in the area if we are toensure a steady stream of good applicants with apositive attitude about working for Biffa.

Success story – More Jobs for Penwith

At Biffa, we place heavy emphasis on materialsseparation and on recycling, on energy recovery vialandfill gas, and on composting.

These techniques lead to environmental benefits,described elsewhere in this Report, but they also tendto be more labour-intensive, resulting in higher levelsof employment than conventional waste managementstrategies such as incineration or landfill.

A good example is provided by our long-standingcontract to manage waste in Penwith, Cornwall. Whenwe first took on the contract in 1983, waste wascollected in black bags once a week and was all sentto landfill. Now general waste is collected in wheeledbins with a weekly collection of recyclables includingglass, paper, textiles and cans. We are also in theprocess of trialling green waste collection and therecycling rate now stands at 15%.

This type of contract is good for the environment,and good for us since it also provides more jobs withthe number of staff growing from 22 when we startedto 34 today – an extra contribution to the Cornisheconomy of approximately £200,000.

What local people think has a big impact: Biffa’snational reputation is at stake. We’re proud of whatwe do and how we perform, which is why we workclosely with local authorities and community groupsfrom the word go. Every new site that we open issubject to planning approval and this includesconsultation with local people. It is clear to see thatthe behaviour of our people, the way we manage oursites and the opinions of those living around ourlocations have a real impact on what we do and onour future success.



We have site Liaison Committees in place at 29 of our operational landfill sites and four of our closed landfill sites.

Our staff visited some 20 schools last year, including class visits, assemblies and personalised waste audits at the school’s request.

In 2003/04, Biffaward gave more than £7 million in grants to projects across the UK.

Community RelationsWithout question, communities and the people who live within them are some of ourbiggest customers. At Biffa, we need to collect and efficiently manage a huge volumeof waste, finding ways to deal with it that are as unobtrusive and considerate aspossible. We recognise that we have an effect on the communities around us andthey too have an effect on us.

Being a Good NeighbourWho wants to live next to a landfill site? This is one ofthe questions that we ask schoolchildren during ourvisits programme. As you might expect, they areoften very direct in their replies! Although some thingsare outside our control, for each point they raise, weare able to explain what we do to manage andmitigate the issue.

Odour

Under normal conditions, there is no reason why anyodour from a well-managed landfill should undulyaffect its neighbours. Each day’s intake of waste iscarefully compacted and then covered. The systemsthat we use to capture landfill gas pull gases andodour downwards into the landfill and into thecollection system, where the gas can be usefullycombusted to provide energy. Under certaincircumstances, perhaps following particular weatherconditions, odour at some sites may occasionallymigrate beyond the boundary of a site. If thishappens,we respond rapidly to rectify the problem as soonas possible.

Leachate

Leachate is contaminated water that has come intocontact with waste. To prevent its escape into thesurrounding water table or local rivers, all modernlandfills are lined with impervious material. We alsouse drainage and pumping systems to direct run-offinto settlement tanks and into leachate treatmentplants.

15People: Our Communities

Treatment of leachate

Landfill gas collection system

Odour Control, Brookurst Wood Landfill Site

“ Feedback has always beencomplimentary and I believe the opendays demonstrated to people thatwe are a professional organisationwith a lot of enthusiasm to do the jobto the highest possible standard.”Michael Thair, Regional Operations Manager

Litter

We surround sites with a tall mesh ‘litter fence’ tocatch lighter items such as newspapers and plasticbags that the wind picks up from the surface of thelandfill. Seeing the litter stuck to the fence (despitethe fact that we regularly clear it away) may not lookattractive, but it is an effective method of preventingmaterial leaving the site. We also collect litter fromareas outside the fence; some of this is not ours butit is another way of showing consideration for ourneighbours and building good will.

Birds and vermin

The traditional view is that landfills attract scavengingbirds – mainly crows and seagulls – which can causelocal problems. We employ a novel and naturalmethod of pest control on some sites: large specially-bred hawks, flown by handlers on a regular basis.These birds are very effective at deterring anddiscouraging gulls and corvids (crows, rooks, etc.)from feeding on landfills.

Vehicle movements

Modern landfills, wherever possible, are developednext to major transport routes to reduce the localimpact of heavy vehicle movements. Good economicpractice dictates that we minimise our wastemovements, avoiding the unnecessary use of partlyempty vehicles and keeping the number of trips to a minimum.

Road mud/dust

Vehicles leaving the site go through wheel washesand over rumble bars to reduce the amount of mudthat is carried onto the roadway to become dust. We also use road sweepers to reduce dust created in and around our sites.

Site LiaisonTo build strong relationships with the communitieslocated adjacent to our operations, we have siteLiaison Committees in place at 29 of our operationalsites and four of our closed landfill sites. The principalexceptions being those where there are few or nonear neighbours affected directly by the operations.Meetings normally take place two or four times ayear although in some instances where a site isnearing the end of its life and no major issues arearising meetings can take place annually.

Through these committees, we hold around 70meetings each year: each attended by the SiteManager, Regional Manager and experts from ourestates and technical teams. They give us an idealopportunity to explain to local people any works thatwe have undertaken or are proposing for the future,to answer their questions before they becomeconcerns or complaints and to better inform themof waste management in general.

The meetings have helped us to build a greaterunderstanding of the issues surrounding operationsand the community, building rapport and trust.At Elvaston, in Derbyshire, where serious flooding ofour landfill site caused odour nuisance for some ofour neighbours, regular meetings helped build a goodlevel of understanding and gave confidence to thelocal community that we were doing all that we couldto resolve the situation.

We believe that it is important for the public to knowwhat goes on at a landfill site. For many, a clearerunderstanding of what happens to their rubbish andan appreciation of the sheer scale of the operationhighlights the important environmental messages andunderlines the dangers of a site. By visiting a Biffasite, they also get to see first-hand theprofessionalism with which we approach our workand the commitment of our staff.

At our Brookhurst Wood landfill site in Sussex, we have held open days every year since 2001.These included presentations from the regionalmanager, a tour of the site and the opportunity todrive a 45 tonne compactor.


Local Engagement and EducationIn response to a steady flow of invitations to speak tolocal schools, we have developed a structuredprogramme, which we offer to schools in theneighbourhood of Biffa sites.

Two Promises

Whenever we meet with school children, we alwaysask them to make two promises…

1. That they never, ever, enter a Biffa site withoutbeing accompanied by someone from Biffa.

2. That the next time they go shopping with theirparents, they don’t use a plastic bag for theirbananas, which are perfectly protected alreadyby their tough natural skins.

These two very different promises reinforce twoimportant messages: the first relating to healthand safety, and the second to waste minimisation.

Our staff visited around 20 schools last year including:

n Class visits: Biffa’s representative leads a classdiscussion on waste issues, centred on asking thechildren to talk about what’s wrong with landfillsites.

n Assemblies: Similar content can be incorporatedinto a shorter presentation for school assemblies.

n Waste Audits: At the request of the school, we canhelp the pupils go through the school’s own waste,performing a simple audit. This forms an excellentplatform for discussions on recycling and reuse,and makes the children think before they simplythrow things away.

In all cases, the children learn about recycling,reusing and reducing waste. Interaction is key, andchildren can make simple instruments from discardedmaterials to reinforce the message that what mightbe considered waste has a life beyond its disposal.The school visits may involve a trip to the local landfillfor the students to experience some of the issues atfirst hand. These visits are supplemented with othereducational material such as our guide to recycling.This introduces the basics, shows what can berecycled and provides contacts for furtherinformation. Pens, pencils and rulers made fromrecycled products are presented to the children assouvenirs.

Restoring Landfill Sites and AftercareThe closed phase of a landfill’s life is often thelargest part of its life under our management.Typically, planning can take up to four years,engineering two years, 10–15 years receiving waste,a further two years in restoration and 30 yearsaftercare when the site is then used for agriculture orleisure use. During this time, the site will have beenrestored through landscaping and planting, and oftenprovides a valuable habitat. There can be real publicdemand for access which we try to accommodate asfar as possible, working with local authorities todefine or restore rights of way and footpaths acrossthe sites.

Public access, however, must be balanced againstpublic safety. Landfill sites are extremely dangerousplaces for untrained individuals – we have to considercarefully how we control access, and the overallmessages that we convey to the public. In somecases, the closed and restored area is only one partof a larger landfill, which may still be in active use.At our active sites, we are constantly reviewingaccess controls, strengthening fences and tighteningsecurity for the safety of the public, particularly withchildren and young people in mind.

Case Study: Howden Clough

The former landfill site at Howden Clough on the edgeof Leeds has been restored to enhance the wildlifevalue of the site, create an area of high visual amenityand encourage public access.

A herb-rich grassland habitat has been createdcontaining a wide range of species such as Cowslip,Rough Hawkbit and Yellow Rattle. The scrub marginwill be particularly valuable for many grasslandbutterflies as scrub provides important shelter fromthe wind and helps maintain a warm microclimate.The value of a watercourse diverted around theboundary of the site has also been maximised toprovide a variety of water habitats. A circular walk hasbeen created around the site to enable access.

The site is routinely monitored to ensure compliancewith Biffa’s 30-year aftercare scheme and themanagement plan is reviewed on a regular basis.Although a closed site, renewable energy is still beinggenerated through the capture of landfill gas.


School visit to Pebsham landfill site –Hastings

Restored landfill site, Howden Clough– Leeds

BiffawardIn October 1996, the Landfill Tax was introduced by the Government. It is levied on every tonne of landfilled waste, raising the cost and makingalternatives such as recycling more economicallyattractive. Landfill operators collect this tax fromcustomers and then pay it to the Government.

At the same time, the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme(LTCS) was set up, enabling landfill operators to divertsome of the money that would otherwise be paid astax through an approved environmental body, to awide range of environmental and community projects.The LTCS also provided a financial incentive withoperators able to claim a tax credit against these donations.

Biffa arranged to donate its landfill tax money to theRoyal Society of Wildlife Trusts (RSWT) to administerunder the fund name Biffaward. Biffaward,established in January 1998, split funding betweensustainable waste management and communityprojects and in 2002/03, it gave more than £15million in grants to projects across the UK.

Following a review in April 2003, the LTCS wassignificantly changed. The cap on donations wasreduced and funding of certain projects, includingthose on sustainable waste management, wasabolished. Therefore, in December 2002, we divertednearly all funding to complete waste managementprojects that had already started. By the end of theyear, £3.2 million had been awarded to this work –a total of nearly £40m since 1998.

In April 2003, we launched our new strategy forgiving to make the most of the £6 million that we nowhave available each year. We have refocused ourwork with funding going to projects that will improvethe quality of life and foster vibrant communities inthe vicinity of Biffa sites. We have made funding moreaccessible with a small grants scheme for communitygroups and introduced a flagship category for highercost projects that otherwise may never get off theground. Exciting opportunities have also opened upin a new category on biodiversity.

Awards: RSA Accreditation for BiffawardThere are over 300 environmental and sustainabilityawards open to businesses, organisations andindividuals in the UK and with such a wide variety,entrants and sponsors can be left unsure as to whichto apply for. The RSA introduced its accreditationstandard to address this problem and set abenchmark by which award schemes can beassessed. Its aim is to improve the design, operation,efficacy and transparency of awards and recognisethe highest quality schemes.

In October 2003, Biffaward became only the secondaward scheme to receive accreditation from the RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts,Manufacturers and Commerce). The annual BiffawardAwards were established to recognise and reward theenvironmental achievements of projects funded, orpart funded, by Biffaward, with the winners of eachcategory providing a model for others to follow.

Biffaward Awards 2003 Overall WinnerOrganisation: Amelia Methodist Trust

Project: Construction of a Polytunnel for Useby Adults with Learning Difficulties

Third Party: Innovate Trust

The Amelia Trust Farm is run by a combination ofvolunteers and trainees with learning disabilities.It offers a range of facilities and activities, includingnature trails, play areas, an arboretum and alsoproduces organic plants and flowers.

The project used a Biffaward grant for theconstruction of a new, larger polytunnel at the farmused for horticultural training and as a shelter forvolunteers and trainees. This allowed more people tobenefit from access to the garden, and increased theamount of organically grown plants, herbs andflowers being produced and sold on their stall at theCardiff Farmers Market.

Biffawards Awards 2002 Overall WinnerOrganisation: National Urban Forestry Unit

Project: Urban Forests

Third Parties: Biffa Waste Services Ltd,Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council

NUFU established three new English urban forestryinitiatives as part of a national programme called‘Urban Forests’. These were in West Yorkshire(White Rose Forest), East Lancashire (Elwood) andthe Thames Gateway (Dagenham), enabling morethan 70 hectares of new planting in urban and urbanfringe locations. Improvements in access to anadditional 80 hectares of wooded open spaces werealso achieved.

The initiatives have established strong partnershipsand steering groups, provided employment andproduced strategies for the future. Communityinvolvement has been extensive, through consultationand hands-on input, and the work has had a realimpact on urban environments.


Amelia Trust (polytunnel)

National Urban Forestry

Biffaward’s Work on WasteFollowing changes to the landfill tax credit scheme,Biffaward is no longer able to donate money toprojects on sustainable waste management.The figures below show our significant contributionto this area between 1997 and 2003.

Data Collection/Mass Balance Studies

Total Contribution £8,775,707

AIMS:

To improve information about resource flows throughthe UK economy.

To stimulate improvements in the way that resourcesare managed and enable policies to be formulated toreduce their lifecycle environmental impacts.

To provide baseline data from which to evaluate andmeasure the achievement of waste minimisationtargets.

Research and Development


AIMS:

To improve resource management efficiencyat design, manufacturing and commercial activitystages.

To find cost-effective, innovative solutions to minimiseor reprocess waste.

To stimulate innovative research into the logistics andtechnical aspects of managing waste and operatinglandfill sites.

Awareness Raising/Education


AIMS:

To promote efficient resource use, wasteminimisation, recycling and reuse through raisingawareness and education.

Recycling


AIMS:

To encourage practical activities that take end-of-liferesources out of the waste stream and reuse,recycle, or reprocess them.


Data Collection/Mass Balance StudiesMass balance UK dedicated website

Research and DevelopmentBC Environmental

Awareness Raising/EducationBedzed Exhibition Centre

RecyclingPublic Volunteers Constructing –The Woodshed

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This responsibility is not confined to the safecollection and disposal of waste. Our operations have an impact on local air quality and the wideratmosphere through the use of fuel by companyvehicles and our use and production of energy.

How we manage our sites influences biodiversity and affects the environment of local neighbourhoods. The suppliers that we use also have environmentalimpacts of their own.

In 1996, our landfill site at Redhill in Surrey was thefirst in Europe to be accredited to EMAS (EuropeanCommunity Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) and in 2002, Island Waste Services, a Biffasubsidiary, was the first UK waste managementcompany to achieve EMAS II. We were also the firstwaste management company in the UK to produce anenvironmental report in 1998 and were among thefirst to report against the industry agreed GreenAlliance performance indicators in 2002. In our 2003Impressions survey, more than 80% of respondentswere of the opinion that Biffa is an environmentallyresponsible company.

In 2004, the environmental management system forthe whole of our UK landfill division was awarded theISO 14001 standard. In any future expansion, we willbe able to roll out consistently high standards ofoperation across new sites.

The number of sites in UK and Belgium which arecertified to recognised environmental and qualitystandards are as follows:

EMAS IITwo certificates – Redhill Landfill Site; Island Waste Services

ISO 14001Seven certificates covering 40 locations

ISO 9000Eight certificates covering 25 locations



In our 2003 Impressions survey, over 80% of respondents were of the opinionthat Biffa is an environmentally responsible company.

In 2003/04, we generated enough electricity to power a town the size ofReading, Berkshire for a year.

Tyres are remoulded three times before they are scrapped. This saves around 400 tonnes of rubber every year.

We have exceeded, a year ahead of the target date for recycling andcomposting waste, in achieving nearly 1.1 million tonnes in 2003/04.

Environmental ManagementCare for the environment is at the very heart of our business. For many organisationsand individuals the act of throwing waste into a bin marks the end of theirenvironmental responsibility. For us, it is just the beginning. We have a far moreintimate relationship with the environment and accordingly, have a duty of care for itsprotection and enhancement.

Environmental RegulationBiffa works in an environmentally sensitive industryand is in constant dialogue with its regulators such asthe Environment Agency. When things go wrong, ashappens on occasions, putting things right as quicklyas possible is of paramount importance to us.

Our management system helps us to control andminimise these lapses; consequently, we are able toidentify patterns and put control measures in place toreduce their occurrence.

2002/03 2003/04

Environmental 6 4enforcement notices

Environmental prosecutions 2 0

The table above shows breaches of environmentalregulations during the last two years. Theenvironmental enforcement notices relate to non-compliance with waste management licenceconditions, such as exceeding leachate levels, forwhich the Environment Agency issued warning letters.The first prosecution in 2002/03 related to therelease of odour from a temporary leachate storageoperation. This ‘one off’ occurrence resulted from aperiod of extreme wet weather in conjunction withengineering difficulties, and the need to install atemporary leachate storage facility.

The second prosecution related to the acceptance offood waste contrary to the waste managementlicence. The food waste was part of a multiplecollection which should have been collectedseparately. Site waste inspection procedures wereimproved and further training was given to trafficcontrollers responsible for vehicle routing.

The Environment Agency is perhaps our mostsignificant regulator and one that we work closelywith. In their recent ‘Spotlight on Business’ report onenvironmental performance in 2003, they reportedthat “on the whole, the management of wastefacilities was better this year than last, identifying 36 sites owned by Biffa as being ‘particularly good’ ”.

21Place: Our Environment

Power Generation

“ Working closely with sitemanagement, we ensure the Landfill gas collection system ismaintained and run efficientlyreducing the risk of odour andmigration whilst maximising theproduction of energy.”Gary Hatcher, Landfill Gas Technician

Climate Change

What is Climate Change?It is now widely accepted that society is contributingto changes in our climate. A layer of gases form ablanket around the Earth trapping the Sun’s heat andenabling life to exist. Our continued dependence onfossil fuels (coal, oil and gas) is adding to this blanketcausing the overall temperature of the Earth to rise,what is commonly referred to as the greenhouseeffect.

Dramatic weather patterns, which could be consistentwith this rise in temperature, are already welldocumented. Seven of the ten warmest years onrecord occurred during the 1990s, and recentreports of severe flooding in both northern andsouthern Europe are thought to bear the fingerprint of climate change.

The two most significant greenhouse gases arecarbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4). At Biffa, weproduce both of these gases – carbon dioxide fromour vehicle fleet plus methane and carbon dioxidefrom our landfill operations. During 2003/04, wereleased 1.7 million tonnes of greenhouse gases, ofwhich over 90% come from our landfill operations.

The reduction in 2002/03 is partly due to a change in themethod used for calculating landfill gas emissions. We now use the Environment Agency’s recommended GASSIM model,which was published in 2002.

We work hard to reduce our emissions by improvingthe efficiency with which we collect landfill gas, flaringit when it is not being used to produce energy,investing in our renewable energy generationportfolio, improving vehicle efficiencies and reducingmileage.

Emissions from Landfill

Waste degrading in a landfill site produces a mixtureof gases of which around 40–60% is methane (seethe information opposite for more details). If this isreleased to the air, it becomes a contributor to globalwarming, being 21 times more powerful than carbondioxide, but if captured, it can be burned to producevaluable energy.

Using sophisticated modelling tools, we calculate thatif left unattended 260,000 tonnes of methane wouldbe emitted into the atmosphere from our sites eachyear. In other terms, it’s the same weight as 743jumbo jets.

Our specialist Environmental Technology team worksclosely with landfill site managers to install andmaintain equipment to capture this gas and burn it ingenerators to produce electricity. In this way, 32 UKsites that we own or manage are producingrenewable energy, cutting down on greenhouse gasemissions and reducing the UK’s reliance onelectricity produced from fossil fuel.

In 2003/04, we captured 70% of this gas.An improvement of 3% on 2001/02, and with itwe generated just over 479,000 MWh of electricity,displacing over 420,000 tonnes of carbon dioxidefrom fossil fuel sources. This is a significant amount –around 14% of the UK’s total energy production fromlandfill gas. It would provide electricity for 100,000homes – enough to power the town of Reading,Berkshire for a year – and is over 30 times moreelectricity than Biffa purchase from the national gridfor our own use.


Leachate treatment and electricitygeneration, Brookhurst Wood landfillsite – Sussex

3500

4000

3000

2500

2000

1500

1000

500

0

Total greenhouse gas emissions

1999/2000

3318

2000/2001

2877

2001/2002

3569

2002/2003

2559

2003/2004

2642

(tonn

es C

O2 e

quiv

alen

t per

£m

turn

over

)

Landfill Gas

Where does it come from?

Waste can be classed as either inorganic (metals,glass, bricks and rubble) or organic (wood, food,garden waste, paper and cardboard). In a landfill site,it is the breakdown of the organic portion that givesrise to landfill gas.

The oxygen-free conditions within a landfill site areideal for certain bacteria. These bacteria feed off theorganic material, breaking it down and in the processproducing landfill gas. It consists mainly of methaneand carbon dioxide, both of which are odourless butthere are small amounts of other gases too; thesetrace components give rise to the characteristicodour of landfill gas.

It is important that we manage landfill gas carefully –as well as the potential for odour problems it is apowerful greenhouse gas, many more times so thancarbon dioxide. Furthermore, if managed in the wrongway, it may cause fires and explosions.

At all Biffa sites, landfill gas is collected using asystem of pipework and wells constructed as the siteis filled. These extraction systems draw the gas outof the landfill site and allow it to be safely flared orused to generate energy. In this way, the risk ofexplosions is minimised and the likelihood of odourproblems is reduced with the added benefit ofminimising the impact on the climate.

How do you get energy from a landfill site?

Wherever it makes economic sense, i.e. the revenuesfrom selling energy to the national grid offset thecosts of installing the equipment, we produce energyfrom landfill gas. This gas is used as a fuel ingenerators (gensets), which in turn produce electricity.

The amount of energy that we are able to producedepends on the amount of gas being collected fromthe landfill site. In turn, this is dependent on thecomposition of the waste and the length of time in thelandfill site. The amount of gas produced reaches apeak shortly after burial, before falling away quiterapidly – sometimes giving a very limited time frameto generate electricity.

Timing is therefore essential, and we need to getgenerators in the right place at the right time. Our Environmental Technology team has pioneeredthe use of containerised gensets that can be movedaround the country. Using this plant, combined withnew approaches to landfill gas extraction, we are able to exploit increasingly small amounts of gas thatwould otherwise be wasted – at present, we have aproduction capacity of 93MW.

However, it is not just about getting the generators inthe right place at the right time when the economicsare viable. We need to obtain planning permission anda licence or permit (involving the planning authority,the local community, the Environment Agency, EnglishNature and others), meet the requirements of thelicence or permit and be given access to theNational Grid. This can often be a lengthy andfrustrating process and significant amounts of thisrenewable energy source can be wasted.


Emissions from Transport

Our other main source of greenhouse gas comesfrom our fleet. Engines burn fuel and produce carbondioxide in their exhaust gases (and other emissionssuch as sulphur and nitrogen oxides). These emissionscan be minimised through sensible driving behavioursand careful management, considering the vehicles weuse and the miles we drive in them.

As our fleet has grown, so have the distancestravelled – in 2003/04, we covered nearly 80 millionkilometres by road, up 8% on 2001/02 which is thesame as 210 trips to the moon. However, efficiencieshave improved and related emissions have gonedown by 6% during the same time period to just over92,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent. Put simply, it wouldbe the equivalent weight of 13,000 double deckerbuses.

Every litre of fuel we use represents a cost to thebusiness, so there is a real incentive to reduce ourconsumption. This we can do in two ways; firstly, wecan reduce to some extent the distance that our fleetcovers. Secondly, we can make our vehicles asefficient as possible to get more kilometres fromevery litre of fuel.

Reducing the Miles

Our refuse collection vehicles are now fitted withaccurate on-board weighing equipment which allowsus to charge customers according to the weight ofrubbish we collect. 200 vehicles currently have thisinstalled and it is now being fitted to all mobilecompaction vehicles as standard. In addition, allcollection vehicles are fitted with a small computerconnected to the Internet. As each job is completed,the driver reports back through this technology to thedepot and the date and time are recorded.Together these technologies reduce mileage: theyhelp to improve vehicle scheduling, vehicle routingand maximise the amount of waste collected in asingle trip.

Improving Efficiencies

Each year, we replace around 15% of our roadvehicles. All of our fleet runs on ultra low sulphurdiesel and all new vehicles meet the Euro III emissionsstandard. We continue to monitor driver and vehicleconsumption using a nationally networked fueldispensing system. Drivers and vehicles have theirown keys that allow the amount of fuel used to bematched to the driver and the vehicle.

Through this system, we are able to identify the mostefficient combination of engine manufacturer andchassis type for each vehicle mode. We take this intoconsideration when setting the specifications for newequipment. We are also able to identify those driverswho drive least efficiently, often due to a heavy rightfoot. Having identified who they are, we provideadditional training to encourage more efficient, andoften safer, behaviours.

“In the short term, a reduction of just a few miles perhour can make a surprising difference to fuel use,vehicle emissions and the overall wear and tear onvehicles. In the long term, when applied over thewhole company, this would have a dramatic effect.Although hard to believe, if people simply put a littlemore thought into the road ahead, their road craftskills and general route planning, this in itself wouldreduce harsh braking and acceleration, which in turnwould have a significant impact by giving a muchsafer, smoother and more economic drive – imaginethe environmental, economic and operationalrewards this has to offer”Kevin Barcroft – Regional Driver Trainer

The acquisition of Hales in June 2003 added anadditional 450 vehicles to our fleet. These tended tobe older than our existing trucks and we immediatelytook the least fuel efficient vehicles off the road, insome cases hiring others in their place.

Other initiatives have included the following:

n Smoke Emission Meters: Traditionally vehicleshave undergone annual emissions tests as part of the regular MOT process. The majority of ourworkshops have now been fitted with smokeemission meters and we are now able to testvehicles routinely, throughout the year. Anyanomalies can be identified quickly and the enginetuned improving fuel efficiency and reducingemissions.

n Biodiesel: We have undertaken trials of biodiesel– a blend of normal diesel and rapeseed oil withlower emissions than regular diesel. The trialswere successful but so far we have been unable tosecure a nationwide supply contract. We continueto look for opportunities to allow uptake acrossour fleet.

n Gas power: In Woking, we use gas poweredvehicles in our work for the local authority, whilst inBirmingham, we are running a long term trial ofsimilar technology. Currently gas vehicles do notprovide a viable alternative for the bulk of our fleetbut we are watching developments carefully.

n Leasing tractor units: Rather than buying themoutright, we now lease our tractor units, the frontend of our articulated vehicles. Consequently, theyare now replaced every three years, ensuring weuse the most efficient vehicles.


Smoke emissions testing –workshops, Birmingham

Tuning for efficiencies – workshops,Birmingham

Landfill Vehicle Renewal Programme

The vehicles we use are not restricted to the refusevehicles that you see on the road. At our landfill sites,we use compactors, bulldozers, tracked-excavatorsand loading shovels.

Traditionally, these machines would be used until thecost of repair became prohibitive after 8 or 9 years.As part of a massive renewal programme, in 2003we replaced 130 machines, some 40% of the total.We now lease these machines and our aim is toensure that all plant will be no more than three yearsold making it more fuel efficient and quieter.

Company Cars

We have also been working to reduce emissions fromour fleet of over 550 company cars, through changesto the policy and the vehicles we make available tostaff. Traditionally, the grade of car available to anemployee was largely based on its price. Now our list includes the carbon dioxide emissions and fuelefficiency of the vehicle. By taking this whole life costinto account, we have been able to provide higherspecification cars to employees who opt for moreefficient engines, encouraging them to go for a‘greener’ option. Each year, we review the list andreduce the emissions thresholds where appropriate –it now includes gas powered vehicles and anincreasing proportion of diesel alternatives. As thegraph below shows, these efforts have helped toreduce our emissions and we expect this trend to continue.

Resource Use

The Resources We Use as a BusinessAll businesses use resources in their daily operations– stationery for an office, energy for machinery, waterin washrooms or raw materials in a productionprocess – and they all produce waste. In this respect,we are no different. As with any other company, weare looking to reduce our use of resources focusingon the most significant first.

We have already discussed how we are reducing theuse of fuel in our fleet and company cars. There areother resources used by our vehicles that we are alsolooking to control. For example, in place ofconventional hydraulic oils, we have trialled the use ofvegetable based alternatives. Although we found thatthis could work satisfactorily, the high price of the‘greener’ alternative means that for the time being, itis not cost effective for the bulk of our fleet.

We have made changes to our supply of tyres.Our fleet gets through more than 23,000 tyres eachyear – weighing in at some 1,000 tonnes and costingaround £3.5 million. Our new tyre remixingprogramme means that tyres are remoulded threetimes before they are scrapped. This saves around400 tonnes of rubber every year.

The Waste We Handle as a ResourceHowever, this is only part of the picture. As a wastemanagement company, we are in the unusual positionof receiving what’s left of other people’s resourcesonce they have finished with them. As far as possible,we consider this material to be a resource, ratherthan something to be disposed of, cast aside andforgotten.

We are taking materials from the waste stream andrecycling them, offsetting the demand for pulp fromtrees, plastic from oils, metals from ores and glassfrom sand. Whilst this saves the raw materialsthemselves, it also saves energy – as recycling oftenuses less electricity than production from the rawmaterials.

In 2002, we set a target to increase the amount werecycle to over 1 million tonnes by 2005. With theacquisition of Hales and RMC Environmental Services,we have exceeded this target, recycling orcomposting nearly 1.1 million tonnes in 2003/04.The graph below shows the growth in recycling overthe last five years.


1,200,0001,079,688

822,500

560,542

730,516

441,193

1,000,000

800,000

600,000

400,000

200,000

0

Total Waste Handled and Collected for Recycling

tonn

es

1999/20002000/20012001/20022002/20032003/2004

215209

202

197

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195

190

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Average carbon dioxide emissions from Company Cars

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An important contributor to this has been the growthin waste that we have collected for composting whichalso relieves some of the pressure placed onreserves of peat. We produce different types ofcompost suitable for many applications includingagriculture, horticulture and landscaping. These include:

n A compost/soil blend – high quality topsoil used in large landscaping projects;

n A mulch – woodchip used for landscaping;n A soil conditioning compost available bagged,

loose or in bulk;n Bespoke blends to meet individual customer

requirements.

The graph below includes all material that we havecollected for composting, some of which is actuallyprocessed at non-Biffa sites.

The quantity has increased to 100,000 tonnes fromaround 44,000 tonnes in 2001/02 and 28,000tonnes in the previous year. These efforts to recyclemore waste have also preserved another resource – landfill space.

CompostingComposting has become an increasingly importantwaste management option. As much as 60% ofhousehold waste is biodegradable and it is thereforean attractive way of diverting waste from landfill. In addition, the EU Landfill Directive* restricts the amount of biodegradable material sent to landfilland alternative methods need to be found.

At six sites, we use open air windrows, essentiallylarge compost heaps, suitable for garden waste thatwe collect from civic amenity sites and kerbsidecollections or that is delivered to us by landscapegardeners and grounds maintenance contractors. We also use more sophisticated equipment – such as the enclosed plant on the Isle of Wight and theanaerobic digestion plant in Leicester. These allowthe composting of catering waste banned fromconventional windrow composting by the Animal ByProducts Regulations.

On the Isle of Wight, waste is dropped in at one endof a huge steel container approximately 40 meterslong and is moved to the other on a slow movingconveyor belt. Temperature and humidity are carefullycontrolled to optimise decomposition. Meanwhile, inLeicester, waste is liquefied, heated and broken downby bacteria within sealed anaerobic digestion tanks.Methane gas produced by the process is used togenerate electricity.

Given the key role that composting has to play in thefuture of waste management, in 2003 we appointeda Compost Development Manager to co-ordinate ouractivities and to work on addressing some of theissues that we are facing.

In the last two years, a key focus has been to certifyour sites to BSI PAS 100, the British StandardsInstitution’s Publicly Available Specification forComposted Materials, which opens up newapplications for the compost we produce. Working with the Composting Association’s CompostCertification Scheme, we were the first wastecompost producer to gain certification to PAS 100 attwo sites – the Etwall Composting Site in Derbyshireand Poplars Landfill Site in Staffordshire and we areworking towards the accreditation on the Isle of Wight.

The Resources of our SuppliersWe also have an indirect impact on the environmentthrough the behaviour of our suppliers. It is importantto us that in producing goods or providing services,our suppliers behave in a way that is consistent withour standards. With this in mind, we have developedand are implementing a process for theenvironmental evaluation of suppliers. We have sent our one hundred top suppliers a questionnairecovering environmental issues, as well as health,safety and other elements of social responsibility. The responses will be analysed and we will befollowing up with site visits. This will become anintegral part of our supplier approval process.


120,000

N/A

98,649

43,853

74,233

28,000

100,000

80,000

60,000

40,000

20,000

0

Volumes of Waste Composted

tonn

es

1999/2000 2000/2001 2001/2002 2001/2002 2003/2004

Green waste prior to composting

Temperature control during thecompost making process


BiodiversityBiodiversity is described in the Government’s UKBiodiversity Action Plan as “the variety of life formswe see around us. It encompasses the whole rangeof mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, insectsand other invertebrates, plants fungi and micro-organisms”. Man’s activities are reducing biodiversity– some species have been lost and others aredisappearing fast.

As a major landholder, we have an opportunity tocontribute to the maintenance and development ofbiodiversity in the UK. Our 36 operational sites and36 closed or unworked landfill sites in the UK cover2,600 hectares or around 6,400 football pitches, inaddition to our 130 or so vehicle depots, recyclingcentres, transfer stations and treatment plants whichalso present a wide range of habitat types.

During 2002, as an initial pilot, we assessed thebiodiversity at twenty of our landfill sites and transferstations. In 2003, we followed this up withassessment of a further 48 sites – the first part ofa three year rolling programme. Our ecologistsrecorded over 45 different habitats, 200 types ofplants and 80 species of animals and birds. Theseincluded several protected and notable speciesincluding badger, brown hare, kingfisher, skylark andmany orchids.

We have established a formal Biodiversity Action Plan(BAP) approach to manage the biodiversity of ourland holdings. We have put together action plans forspecies and habitats where we believe we can makea significant contribution to national or local diversity.For each, we are working on areas of data collection,site management, awareness raising, action planmonitoring and audit.

Brown HareThe brown hare is found throughout Britain. It is mainlynocturnal and is generally found in open grasslandhabitats with nearby woodland and hedgerows whichprovide resting places or “forms” during the day. The hare’s diet consists mainly of herbs and grassesin summer and shrubs in winter months.

Formerly considered abundant, the population isdeclining with a fall of 80% since 1900. It has beenidentified by the UK Biodiversity Steering Group as a‘Species of Conservation Concern’ and they have puttogether a plan to maintain and expand existingpopulations.

This decline is thought to have been caused by:

n The conversion of grassland to farmland;n Changes in planting and cropping regimes, such

as a move from hay to silage, and autumn plantingof cereals;

n Spread of disease;n Heavy predation by foxes on young hares (leverets);n A lack of knowledge on the animal leading to

a shortfall in management and intervention.Site surveys have shown brown hares to be present ona large number of our sites and we have put togethera BAP for them. Further, outside of the reportingperiod but prior to publication, Biffa has beenconfirmed as the UK champion for the brown hare.


Brown Hare*

Biodiversity Reports

27

*(rs/ob-images.com Photographer: Ray Kennedy)

Plac

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So, what is in the bins we collect? There are 30million tonnes of waste collected from households,including metals, plastics, food, paper and organicmaterials. On top of this there are 85 million tonnesdiscarded from industrial and commercial sites, whichwill be general waste similar to that collected fromhouseholds, or waste from industrial processes,some of it hazardous. These areas combined, total120 million tonnes and represent our target market.We handle over 10% of this: 12.4 million tonnes each year.

Deciding what to do with our waste is one of the UK’sbiggest environmental challenges. It needs thecombined forces of the European and UK Governmentand regulators, industry, local authorities and eachmember of the general public. Each has a part to playin developing and implementing a sustainable solution.

What Lies Ahead?The only certainty is that things cannot stay thesame. People have become wasteful and we continueto live in a throw-away society. Government modelsshow waste increasing steadily, with some studiesshowing household waste growing by as much as 3%per year. Modern, well-engineered landfill sites providea partial solution, but they have a limited capacity: in some parts of the country, there is already a realshortage of space. There is also an increasingrecognition that waste is a resource: it is becomingless acceptable to bury it and the waste industry issteadily moving to increase recycling and recovery.This is a priority for Biffa.

How we make this transition and how fast dependson many different factors. What should the balancebe between recycling and energy recovery? What isacceptable to the public? Is current technology up tothe job? How can we reorganise the flow of materialsin society? But perhaps the most important questionsrelate to the economic and legislative environment.


What Lies Ahead?

The only certainty is that things cannot stay the same.

The first piece of producer responsibility legislation in the UK affected 6,200companies – WEEE may well affect 100,000 and cost the UK as much as £500 million per year.

For most, the act of throwing waste into a bin marks the end of theirenvironmental responsibility: for us, it is just the beginning.

Around 3000 new facilities will be required in the next few years to recycle,recover, compost and treat an additional 26 million tonnes of waste that iscurrently sent to landfill each year.

What’s in the Bin?Waste in the UK comes from our homes, our places of work and from the manufactureof products that we use. Those of us living and working in the UK produce around434 million tonnes of waste each year: that’s just over six tonnes for every man, womanand child in the UK, or the equivilant weight of a fully grown male elephant. However,more than half of this is material that you would never find in a bin: waste from farms,sewage works and spoil from mines, quarries and dredging.

The Government ResponseThe Government published its Waste Strategy 2000to give the UK a framework for improving wastemanagement. The strategy sets out threerecommendations for action:

n Greater efforts to reduce wasten Substantial increase in re-use, recycling and

compostingn Where waste cannot be recycled, energy should

be recovered.These recommendations are too general to provideanything specific to our long-term planning. However, the Government has set targets for LocalAuthorities to recycle or compost 25% of householdwaste by 2005 and 30% by 2010. These firmertargets are beginning to have an effect – localauthorities are devising strategies for recycling andinvesting in recycling centres and kerbside collections– and increasing the demand for an integratedapproach to waste management.

This pressure to recycle is intensified by otherlegislation such as the Packaging Waste Regulations*,which make it compulsory for companies that makeor sell packaging to contribute to their recycling andrecovery. Planned new European legislation will applya similar model to those responsible for wasteelectrical and electronic equipment*. At the sametime, new legislation in the form of the LandfillDirective* is making it more difficult and costly toplace waste in landfill sites.

Future Planning PermissionPlanning legislation governs what we can build andwhere we can build it, decisions which have a realimpact on our business. It is estimated that around3,000 new facilities will be required in the next fewyears to recycle, recover, compost and treat up to26 million tonnes of the waste that is currently sent tolandfill each year.

It is becoming increasingly difficult to get planningpermission for waste facilities, with public oppositionbeing the norm, rather than the exception. Biffa is directing more and more resource into themanagement of planning issues. We are working to better integrate our planning applications withapplications for Polution, Prevention and Control(PPC) permits or waste management licences, whichalthough largely decided on technical grounds, areinfluenced by political and public opinion. In a sense,these two elements are converging, with ever moredetailed technical submissions required to winplanning consent, and increasing recognition thatopponents to new sites can use the permit or licenceapplication as a second pressure point.

29Place: A Future Market Place


Planning Office, Minworth

“ The planning system for thedevelopment of new and existingsites is a technical and politicalminefield and I have to communicatethat Biffa is part of the solution – not the problem.”Jeff Rhodes, Planning Manager

Planning Framework

The UK’s planning system is very democratic but slow– ‘too slow’ say developers, for whom planning delaysand costs have a major impact. Successivegovernments have considered reforms, but haveended up simply tinkering with the existing approach,whilst adding layers of complexity.

In 2001, the Government published a green paper on planning reform, followed by a new planning Bill.Under the Bill, the County ‘Structure plans’, whichcurrently provide the overall framework for planningdecisions will be abolished and replaced with aregional equivalent. The new system is intended to be faster and involve more community consultation, two objectives which to some extent conflict witheach other.

However the new rules work, it is safe to assume that for waste management infastructure planningapplications will become more detailed, includingmore specialised information on issues like traffic,noise and odour. Getting these technical points rightbefore the application is submitted will minimise thetime it spends ‘in the system’ and the subsequentrisk of delay. In addition, we will need betterstrategies to engage with the local community,seeking to resolve issues in advance so things gosmoothly when the final applications are made.

Planning Delays

Delays in securing planning permission and permitsor licences cost money – for example:

“Each month of delay to our current developmentportfolio for landfill gas accounts for 5,400 MWh ofwasted energy, enough energy to power a town thesize of Dover.”

Which Direction?At the present time, the Landfill Directive* has justcome into force, the regulations for waste electricaland electronic equipment (WEEE)*are being finalisedand landfill tax is set to increase by £3 each year to£35 per tonne by 2011. The WEEE directive will befollowed by others based on producer responsibility –batteries*, vehicles* and tyres*. But this move doesnot come from a shift in attitude by the UKGovernment; it comes from Europe.

Things appear to be improving but much of it is downto Government subsidies. We believe that wastemanagement needs to operate through a market-based rather than subsidy-based regime. If theGovernment doubled the rate of landfill tax andaccelerated producer responsibility, it would createmarkets for a wide range of initiatives to recycle andrecover materials. This would eliminate the need forsubsidies and would drive investment. It is themechanism by which companies like Biffa can delivermedium term solutions, particularly for commercialand industrial waste.

In any area of public policy, there are a number offactors that contribute to change. Progress isdetermined by three factors:

n Technology – a sector can be transformed byinventing or redefining a way of doing something e.g. mobile phones or the internet.

n Economics – raising taxes or lowering prices has an immediate impact on consumption e.g.petrol and diesel. This includes regulation where a product or process is banned, licensed or restricted.

n Attitude – a sector may also be influenced byattitude e.g. the use of GM crops or smoking.

In waste, technology is not the issue: we are able toseparate, compost, digest, gasify, incinerate, vitrifyand freeze it. Economics has a part to play – landfillhas dominated UK waste disposal because it hasbeen a cheap alternative – something the landfill taxis now addressing. The economics of producerresponsibility are making a difference to themanagement of packaging, encouraging companiesto use less and at the same time generating funds forinvestment. Similar laws for WEEE, vehicles andbatteries will also have an impact. The much debatedconcept of charging for household waste collectionby weight, could also drive behavioural change.

But attitude is the key factor. Sometimes this isforced (e.g. the Irish introduction of a tax on carrierbags) or it comes as a consequence of an educationcampaign. More importantly, changes in attitudefollow when facilities are put in place on the ground.Public attitude is likely to change as local authoritiesincrease recycling facilities and as people see theimpacts of producer responsibility. The WEEEDirective will make a big difference with retailershaving to take back a toaster, fridge, freezer or TVwhen they sell a new one. As this happens for othermaterials, the public will come to accept this as anormal part of everyday life.


Local Authority Waste Collection –South Staffordshire

Inspecting Waste Electrical andElectronic Equipment – Leicester


How is Biffa Placed for Change?As always, there are uncertainties and in the face ofthese, we have to make judgements based on whatwe know. In some cases, Biffa has been cautiouswhilst in other areas we have taken the initiative, forexample, establishing Transform in partnership withEMR in advance of the regulations on WEEE.

We are doing what we can to reduce theuncertainties, talking to a wide range of stakeholdersboth in the UK and Europe. Biffa is also seeking toinfluence the debate through involvement inconsultation exercises and lobbying UK Governmentand the European Commission.

One thing is clear; Biffa will lead the move from wastemanagement to resource management. This isalready happening as we establish key partnershipswith big processors. As the price of raw materialsincreases, it becomes more attractive for thesecompanies to recover and reuse materials. This began with our relationship with SCA, the paperreprocessor, back in the mid 1990s and Transform,our joint venture with EMR is looking at this withWEEE. We are also talking to glass manufacturers,cement companies and the petrochemicals industryto better understand their needs and the opportunitythis creates. In the future, it will not be the ownershipof the treatment processes that will make ussuccessful but flexibility to decide where to go. Ourcollection systems are the backbone of our businessand these will enable us to deliver material to acement kiln, a plastic recycler or an oil refinery.

We believe that we are better placed than any otherwaste management company to face change overthe next five to ten years. Biffa has a good brand, onethat provides peace of mind and certainty. We arefinancially strong and with our recent acquisitions, areable to achieve good economies of scale. However, itwon’t be easy and what will truly set us apart from thecompetition will be our people – from those lobbyingthe Commission in Europe to those collecting wasteon a wet February morning – from our mobilisationteams to our switchboard operators at head office. Ifwe are to get the best from our people, it isimportant that they are treated well – not just in termsof working conditions or health and safety but alsogiving them a sense of pride and the opportunity tocontribute to the future of Biffa.

Road Transport DirectiveIn March 2005, the operating hours of our fleetdrivers will be controlled by the Road TransportDirective. The Directive will have a major impact uponBiffa operations as one of the requirements willimpose an average 48 hour working week. For us tomaintain the same high level of service, we are likelyto have to recruit additional drivers and review thepotential of expanding our fleet to meet these newrequirements.


Biffa partnership with SCA for paper and card recycling

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ve

EU W

aste

Catalog

ue

EU A

nimal

By-P

rodu

cts R

egula

tions

Ban o

n who

le tyr

es to

land

fill

UK EL

V Reg

ulatio

ns

Agric

ultur

al Was

te Re

gulat

ions

UK W

EEE R

egula

tions

Waste

Cookin

g Oils

Pre-t

reatm

ent R

equir

ed

Waste

Acce

ptan

ce C

riter

ia

Ban o

n shr

edde

d tyr

es to

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fill

All companies handling more than 50 tonnes of packaging per year and with a turnover above £2m must register with the environmental Agencies or Compliance schemes such as Biffpack.

Producers will have to bear the costs of collection, treatment and processing of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). A national clearing house will allocate collections to producers according to their market share. Requires member states to implement WEEE Regulations by 13 August 2004, applying Producer Responsibility to electrical and electronic equipment.

The catalogue identifies approximately 850 separate codes for waste that should be used on transfer notes. It also defines hazardous wastes – including newly defined items such as batteries, TVs and oily rags – that will require separate disposal and will come under the new Hazardous Waste Regs when implemented.

Wastes from meat (and fish) products, other than catering waste, must be disposed of through rendering, incineration or composting. Derogation on cooked meats until 31 December 2005.

All waste must undergo a 3 point test prior to landfill to ensure that it has had either its weight or hazardous nature reduced where possible. Currently applied to hazardous waste, but applied to all other waste at a date to be set.

Will require producers of electrical and electronic equipment to register in early 2005 then from August 2005, to pay the cost of collection, treatment and processing.

End of Life Vehicles Regulations require de-pollution of cars before scrapping and from 2006, recycling targets to be met. Last holders must meet extra costs until 2007 when the manufacturers and importers should pay.

Applies normal commercial waste duty of care to farm waste, most of which currently gets burnt on site.

From 1 November, waste cooking oil will be banned from use in animal feed.

All waste entering a landfill site will have to undergo more rigorous assessment against EU developed criteria.

The directive is likely to require 160gms per head of all portable batteries and 80% of batteries to be collected, meaning in the UK, achieving a recycling rate of 40% by 2011. All industrial and automotive batteries would have to be collected and recycled by the producers through take back schemes.

The new regulations will require all hazardous waste producers to pre-register with the Environment Agency, which will then remove the need for pre-notification for each consignment.

All landfill sites have to be classified as hazardous, non-hazardous or inert. Hazardous waste, (including TVs, batteries and oily rags) is accepted at very few sites in England, resulting in a threefold increase in disposal costs.

Annual increment rises from £1/tonne to £3/tonne, taking the standard rate of tax to £18/tonne.

From 1 July, the European Waste Catalogue definitions of hazardous waste are applied.

The Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) Regulations require the removal of the liquid CFCs in fridges and freezers as well as the insulating foam through specialist shredding equipment. Waste fridges and freezers must have CFCs removed from the foam by specialist equipment prior to shredding.

Implemented the requirements of the EU Landfill Directive.

The timetable below illustrates the increasing range of legislation affecting UKbusinesses as discussed in this brochure. Much of this legislation emanates fromthe EU which will continue to develop new and more challenging targets to increase recycling and reduce landfill dependence.

This Environmental Timetable highlights some of the key areas that wasteproducers will have to consider in forthcoming years.


2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2007

2001

2001

2001

2001

2001

2001

2001

2001

2001

2001

2001

2001

2002

2002

2002

2002

2002

2002

2002

2002

2002

2002

2002

2002

2003

2003

2003

2003

2003

2003

2003

2003

2003

2003

2003

2003

2004

2004

2004

2004

2004

2004

2004

2004

2004

2004

2004

2004

2005

2005

2005

2005

2005

2005

2005

2005

2005

2005

2005

2005 2006

2006

2006

2006

2006

2006

2006

2006

2006

2006

2006

2006

2006

UK W

aste

Pack

aging

Reg

ulatio

ns

ODS Re

gulat

ions

UK La

ndfill

Reg

ulatio

ns

Scott

ish S

pecia

l Was

te

Regu

lation

s amen

dmen

ts

EU W

aste

Pack

aging

Dire

ctive

targ

ets to

be m

et

Ban o

n co-d

ispos

al

Land

fill Ta

x inc

reas

e £3/

yr

Hazar

dous

Was

te Re

gulat

ions

Batte

ries D

irecti

ve

EU W

EEE D

irecti

ve

EU W

aste

Catalog

ue

EU A

nimal

By-P

rodu

cts R

egula

tions

Ban o

n who

le tyr

es to

land

fill

UK EL

V Reg

ulatio

ns

Agric

ultur

al Was

te Re

gulat

ions

UK W

EEE R

egula

tions

Waste

Cookin

g Oils

Pre-t

reatm

ent R

equir

ed

Waste

Acce

ptan

ce C

riter

ia

Ban o

n shr

edde

d tyr

es to

land

fill

All companies handling more than 50 tonnes of packaging per year and with a turnover above £2m must register with the environmental Agencies or Compliance schemes such as Biffpack.

Producers will have to bear the costs of collection, treatment and processing of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). A national clearing house will allocate collections to producers according to their market share. Requires member states to implement WEEE Regulations by 13 August 2004, applying Producer Responsibility to electrical and electronic equipment.

The catalogue identifies approximately 850 separate codes for waste that should be used on transfer notes. It also defines hazardous wastes – including newly defined items such as batteries, TVs and oily rags – that will require separate disposal and will come under the new Hazardous Waste Regs when implemented.

Wastes from meat (and fish) products, other than catering waste, must be disposed of through rendering, incineration or composting. Derogation on cooked meats until 31 December 2005.

All waste must undergo a 3 point test prior to landfill to ensure that it has had either its weight or hazardous nature reduced where possible. Currently applied to hazardous waste, but applied to all other waste at a date to be set.

Will require producers of electrical and electronic equipment to register in early 2005 then from August 2005, to pay the cost of collection, treatment and processing.

End of Life Vehicles Regulations require de-pollution of cars before scrapping and from 2006, recycling targets to be met. Last holders must meet extra costs until 2007 when the manufacturers and importers should pay.

Applies normal commercial waste duty of care to farm waste, most of which currently gets burnt on site.

From 1 November, waste cooking oil will be banned from use in animal feed.

All waste entering a landfill site will have to undergo more rigorous assessment against EU developed criteria.

The directive is likely to require 160gms per head of all portable batteries and 80% of batteries to be collected, meaning in the UK, achieving a recycling rate of 40% by 2011. All industrial and automotive batteries would have to be collected and recycled by the producers through take back schemes.

The new regulations will require all hazardous waste producers to pre-register with the Environment Agency, which will then remove the need for pre-notification for each consignment.

All landfill sites have to be classified as hazardous, non-hazardous or inert. Hazardous waste, (including TVs, batteries and oily rags) is accepted at very few sites in England, resulting in a threefold increase in disposal costs.

Annual increment rises from £1/tonne to £3/tonne, taking the standard rate of tax to £18/tonne.

From 1 July, the European Waste Catalogue definitions of hazardous waste are applied.

The Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) Regulations require the removal of the liquid CFCs in fridges and freezers as well as the insulating foam through specialist shredding equipment. Waste fridges and freezers must have CFCs removed from the foam by specialist equipment prior to shredding.

Implemented the requirements of the EU Landfill Directive.

Producer Responsibility

Producer Responsibility means thechain of production and supply has totake account of the overallenvironmental impact of their productsbecoming waste rather than it beingleft to the last holder or consumer tocarry the entire cost.

The legislation seeks to ensure thatdiscarded products are treated throughrecycling and recovery rather thandisposed of to landfill.

Landfill Directive

The 1999 EU landfill directive appliedvarious requirements to site typesdepending on whether the site isexisting or new, hazardous or nonhazardous. Many of the target datesare unconfirmed. However, the listbelow shows some of the specificrequirements of the Directive lookingforward towards 2007.

General

A number of other pieces of legislation are being introduced that will affect the way waste is handled and controlled generally.


Envir

onm

enta

l Tim

etab

le

Correct at time of going to press – September 2004

ResponsivenessStratford-on-Avon District CouncilIn your experience does Biffa respond to theconcerns of stakeholders, taking into accounttheir concerns, policies and relevant standards,and is this reflected in the report?

Biffa has provided waste management services toStratford-on-Avon District Council since 1994.This includes the collection of general waste andrecycling of dry recyclables as well as the kerbsidecollection of green waste for composting.

As a contractor Biffa has demonstrated a goodunderstanding of what we want to achieve as a council.They have responded well to the increased demandsthat we have been facing – being instrumental in takingforward new initiatives for reducing the amount of wastethat we send to landfill. The team has also worked hardin helping us to achieve our targets, for example,working closely with us to introduce the new fortnightlycollection of green waste.

Biffa is able to provide us with the managementinformation that we require and normally does so in atimely manner. More importantly, they provide the peopleof Stratford with a good level of service. In our annualcustomer satisfaction survey waste managementreceived the highest score of all the council servicessurveyed with the collection teams being consideredhelpful and friendly by our residents. The small numberof complaints that we do receive Biffa handles in a veryconstructive and professional way.

This report reflects all of the issues that we as astakeholder would like to see covered. It shows a goodgrasp of the issues faced by local authorities and Biffa’sresponse to them.

MaterialityAconaDoes the report include the required informationto allow Biffa’s stakeholders to make informedjudgements, decisions and actions?

This report has been presented in a thorough andstructured manner, and combined with the supplementarydata on Biffa’s website, it covers the principle aspects of Biffa’s operations that are relevant to the sustainabilityof the business.

It is aligned with the company’s policies on corporateresponsibility and is consistent with – or in advance of –that which other companies in this sector have judged tobe material. It covers in detail the company’s approachto its employees, local communities and the environment.This is combined with information on the business itself,the market in which it operates and future developments inthe waste sector which will impact on the business.

The report has been tailored for one group ofstakeholders – the employees – and presents the issuesin a manner appropriate to this group. However, thismakes it accessible to a wider audience allowing a widerange of stakeholders to form opinions and makejudgements on the sustainability of the Biffa business.

In our opinion the report provides good coverage ofBiffa’s non-financial performance where a significantlegal, regulatory or direct financial impact exists.

CompletenessNQA Global AssuranceIn your experience does Biffa have a thoroughapproach to managing those aspects of itsoperations that impact on its sustainabilityperformance?

Thirty-five Biffa landfill locations are now certified underthe ISO 14001 environmental management standard andto maintain these certificates sites have to be audited aspart of an ongoing programme. NQA has been workingwith Biffa for the last six months to undertake theseaudits to ensure that the required standards are beingmet, which entails visiting a large number of sites.

In our opinion Biffa has a very good ‘environmentalculture’ right across the business. This in turn has lead toa thorough understanding of their environmentalimpacts, in many cases allowing the company to react toissues before they actually arise. Through visiting a largenumber of sites we have become aware that this isn’trestricted to senior management; everyone on site has agood knowledge of the environmental issues that areassociated with their business and an appreciation oftheir impacts on the local community.

We have been impressed with the efforts that Biffa ismaking to engage with local stakeholders. These haveexceeded our expectations and, in the opinion of theaudit team, lead the way in industry best practice. It isapparent that these efforts are not because the companyhas to do it but that they reflect a very positiveenvironmental culture.

Both Biffa’s policies and this report have taken intoaccount what we consider to be the main impacts of awaste management company and show that they have a good understanding of sustainability, communitydevelopment and biodiversity.

OpinionAconaBiffa asked Acona Ltd to provide independentreview of the information contained within ‘InsideTrack’, the 2004 Corporate Responsibility (CR)Report concentrating on the sources andaccuracy of all the quantified data, and onsubstantiating the written claims.

To do this we traced reported data back to its sourceand cross checked the calculations behind the figures.This included visits to a number of sites and discussionswith staff from across all of the operating divisions.

We found that the data comes from well-foundedsystems for recording and control and underlying trendsin reported data are generally robust. We also verifiedthe accuracy of substantive statements within the text of the report by obtaining and reviewing evidence tosupport these claims.

On the basis of our approach, the scope of workundertaken and the information provided by Biffa staff,it is our opinion that Biffa’s ‘Inside Track’ report presentsan accurate description of the company’s performanceand Biffa’s intentions for the future.


Verifi

catio

n

CorporateRegister.com 22/04/2005

Documents

Biffa Inside Track