The Waste Incineration Directive (WID) - Directive 2000/76/EC - was published on December 28, 2000. It applied to new plants since December 28, 2002 and existing plants from December 28, 2005. The Directive was transposed into Scots law through the Waste Incineration (Scotland) Regulations 2003 (SSI 2003/170) and, in practice, through the Pollution Prevention and Control regime.
The aim of the Waste Incineration Directive is to prevent or to limit as far as practicable negative effects on the environment and the resulting risks to human health from the incineration of waste and co-incineration of waste (where waste is burned as a fuel). The Directive, which is designed to improve the standards employed when waste is burnt, imposes more stringent emission standards and controls on incinerators then previous legislation. Plants are also required to meet minimum standards of residence time, minimum burn temperatures and emission limits. Operators of incinerators falling within the scope of the Waste Incineration Directive are required to have a permit from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.
The Waste Incineration Directive contains a number of exclusions from its provisions, namely the incineration of specific wastes such as vegetable waste from agriculture and forestry or from the food processing industry if the heat generated is recovered; wood waste with the exception of materials that might contain specific coatings and preservative especially that from the construction and demolition sector; animal carcasses; and waste from offshore oil and gas exploitation incinerated on the installation.
The Scottish Government and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency have agreed a joint position on the implementation and enforcement of the Waste Incineration Directive. See details of the Waste Incineration Directive Position Statement.
Further Information about the Waste Incineration Directive on the Europa website.