Demand management - a basis for waste policy: a critical review of the applicability of the waste hierarchy in terms of achieving sustainable waste management

The need for sustainable practices to protect the environment from further degradation is increasingly placing pressure on policy makers, specifically in the area of waste management. Whilst traditional disposal routes still form the main UK waste management options, in recent years there has been a steady flow of legislation that focuses on reducing the environmental impact of waste. <P>The waste management hierarchy is an attempt to order different options into a preferential scale and underpin the development of sustainable waste management strategies. Whilst the philosophy of the hierarchy is based on an integrated approach to waste management, the reality is a prescriptive approach that does little to alleviate the reliance on end of pipe solutions. Little regard is given to demand management and the development of efficient processes, which reduce energy and resource usage and have a direct impact on waste generated. This paper presents a critical review of the limitations of applying the waste hierarchy to sustainable policy development. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment