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News Release April 2024

User Group meeting held on 28th February 2024

On the 28th February 2024 WDF held one of its regular User Group meetings for English local authorities.

UG Minutes Feb 2024

News Release March 2023

User Group meeting held on 11th January 2023

On the 11th January 2023 WDF held one of its regular User Group meetings for representatives of English LAs.

UG Minutes Jan 2023

News Release January 2022

User Group meeting held on 19th October 2021

On the 19th October 2021 WDF held one of its regular User Group meetings for representatives of English LAs.

UG Minutes Oct 2021

News Release November 2020

User Group meeting held on 8th October 2020

On the 8th October 2020 WDF held one of its regular User Group meetings for representatives of English LAs.

UG Minutes Oct 2020

News Release December 2019

User Group meeting held on 17th September 2019

On the 17th September 2019 WDF held one of its regular User Group meetings for representatives of English LAs.

UG Minutes Sept 2019

News Release May 2019

User Group meeting held on 11th March 2019

On the 11th March 2019 WDF held one of its regular User Group meetings for representatives of English LAs. Topics discussed include: 2017/18 national statistics, Policy Update, 25 Year Environment Plan, Resources and Waste Strategy, EU Circular Economy Proposals and Defra's waste tracking service. The new Qu100 data entry screen was also reviewed.

UG Minutes Mar 2019

News Release July 2018

User Group meeting held on 4th July 2018

On the 4th July 2018 WDF held one of its regular User Group meetings for representatives of English LAs. Topics discussed include: EU circular economy proposals, Waste & Resource strategy and 25 year environment plan, EA policy on reporting of final destinations and Revisions to Waste from household figures for England.

UG Minutes Jul 2018

News Release February 2018

User Group meeting held on 8th February 2018

On the 8th February 2018 WDF held one of its regular User Group meetings for representatives of English LAs. Topics discussed include validation and data recording; Soon to be released reports, waste stats and The 25 Year Environment Plan.

UG Minutes Feb 2018

News Release September 2017

User Group meeting held on 18th September 2017

On the 18th September 2017 WDF held one of its regular User Group meetings for representatives of English LAs. Topics discussed include validation and data reporting, developments and survey feedback.

UG Minutes Sept 2017

2017 WDF Survey

2017 WDF (England) Customer Satisfaction Survey

All local authority WasteDataFlow (WDF) users in England were invited to complete the 2017 WDF customer satisfaction survey. We’d like to thank all respondents for taking the time to complete the survey and providing invaluable feedback. Please find summary results via the link below. Actions are currently being reviewed and will be discussed at the next WDF User Group meeting.

2017 Survey Summary

News Release February 2017

User Group meeting held on 2nd February 2017

On the 2nd February 2017 WDF held one of its regular User Group meetings for representatives of English LAs. Topics discussed include selection list updates and site locking, timeliness of data, a review of 2015/16 annual figures and updates on the cirucular economy package.

UG Minutes Feb 2017

News Release August 2016

User Group meeting held on 21st July 2016

On the 21st July 2016 WDF held one of its regular User Group meetings for representatives of English LAs. Topics discussed include feedback on Q100, development updates, selection list updates, a presentation from WRAP on MRF reject rates and updates on the cirucular economy package.

UG Minutes July 2016

News Release Feb 2016

User Group meeting held on 28th January 2016

On the 28th January 2016 WDF held one of its regular User Group meetings for representatives of English LAs. Topics discussed include feedback on Q100, FlyCapture update and updates on the cirucular economy package.

UG Minutes Jan 2016

News Release Aug 2015

User Group meeting held on 3rd July 2015

On the 3rd July 2015 WDF held one of its regular User Group meetings for representatives of English LAs. Topics discussed include the progression of the Q100 rollout, FlyCapture integration and updates on metric calculations from Qu100.

UG Minutes Aug 2015

News Release Jan 2015

EU Waste Policy Review: Stakeholder Newsletter January 2015

In the second of a series of updates from Defra and BIS for stakeholders, the document below provides updates on progress in Brussels, work to improve the UK evidence base and the ongoing plans for stakeholder engagement.

January 2015 Newsletter

News Release Nov 2014

User Group meeting held on 20th November 2014

On the 20th November 2014 WDF held one of its regular User Group meetings for representatives of English LAs. Topics discussed include the progression of the Q100 rollout, potential FlyCapture integration and updates on the Waste from Households calculation.

UG Minutes Nov 2014

News Release Oct 2014

EU Waste Policy Review: Stakeholder Newsletter October 2014

This newsletter is the first of a series of regular updates from Defra and BIS for stakeholders, providing updates on progress in Brussels, work to improve the UK evidence base and our ongoing plans for stakeholder engagement.

October 2014 Newsletter

News Release June 2014

User Group meeting held on 6th June

On the 6th June 2014 WDF held one of its regular User Group meetings for representatives of English LAs. Topics discussed include the Q100, the new Waste from Households calculation and WDF developments.

UG Minutes Jun 2014

News Release January 2014

WRAP kerbside collection survey

Every year WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) carries out a review of the local authority kerbside recycling and waste collection information it holds. This is so data used in WRAP local authority related online tools is correct and up to date. The review is an online process which should take no more than 20-30 minutes to complete and comprises of scheme information on dry, garden waste, separate food, residual, bulky and commercial waste services.

Your information will be used on WRAP’s LA Portal which provides a central resource for local authority waste and recycling scheme information. WRAP LA Portal.

An email with log-in details will be sent to you or one of your colleagues at the end of January 2014. When you log in you will see all the data WRAP holds on your services. We will simply be asking you to update this information. The data we collect is around provision of services to the individual householder so we are, unfortunately, unable to extract the level of data we require from WasteDataFlow returns.

Please email WRAP if you have any questions.

News Release November 2013

User Group meeting held on 19th November

On the 19th of November WDF held one of its regular User Group meetings for representatives of English LAs. Topics discussed included Question 100, Back allocation, Street sweepings, Financial/Calendar year reporting and Fly-capture.

UG Minutes Nov 2013

News Release March 2013

User Group meeting held on 14th February

On the 14th of February WDF held one of its regular User Group meetings for representatives of English LAs. Topics discussed include the revised WFD, LATS, the MRF code of practice, WDF developments and the Carbon Metric for England.

UG Minutes Feb 2013

WRAP kerbside collection survey

Every year WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) carries out a review of the local authority kerbside recycling and the waste collection information it holds. This is so data used in WRAP local authority related online tools is correct and up to date.

The information will be used on WRAP’s LA Portal which provides a resource for local authority waste and recycling scheme information. WRAP LA Portal.

An email with log-in details will be sent to out to every UK Local Authority in April 2013. The review is an online process which should take no more than 20-30 minutes to complete and comprises of scheme information on dry, garden waste, separate food, residual, bulky and commercial waste services.

The data collected relates to the provision of services to the individual householder in addition to the information provided by WasteDataFlow returns.

Please email WRAP if you have any questions.

Quarter 2 LATS Forecast of BMW to Landfill:

This is the Environment Agency estimate of the biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) likely to be landfilled by each English waste disposal authority (WDA) in 2012/13. It is based on currently available validated data and is updated each quarter.

LATS Forecast of BMW to Landfill

The Environment Agency publishes the forecast to help WDAs assess how many LATS allowances they are likely to use, which can be helpful to officers involved in LATS decision making. Following feedback the Environment Agency has improved the forecast to include an indication of its accuracy, comparison with currently held LATS allowances and an estimate of the total BMW to landfill for England.

After quarter 4 data has been validated, each WDA will receive a reconciliation of the BMW it has landfilled by 31 August 2013.

News Release June 2012

Quarter 3 LATS Forecast of BMW to Landfill:

This is the Environment Agency estimate of the biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) likely to be landfilled by each English waste disposal authority (WDA) in 2011/12. It is based on currently available validated data and is updated each quarter.

LATS Forecast of BMW to Landfill

The Environment Agency publishes the forecast to help WDAs assess how many LATS allowances they are likely to use, which can be helpful to officers involved in LATS decision making. Following feedback the Environment Agency has improved the forecast to include an indication of its accuracy, comparison with currently held LATS allowances and an estimate of the total BMW to landfill for England.

After quarter 4 data has been validated, each WDA will receive a reconciliation of the BMW it has landfilled by 31 August 2012.

News Release March 2012

Quarter 2 LATS Forecast of BMW to Landfill:

News Release December 2011

Quarter 1 LATS Forecast of BMW to Landfill:

News Release June 2011

Quarter 3 LATS Forecast of BMW to Landfill:

This is the Environment Agency estimate of the biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) likely to be landfilled by each English waste disposal authority (WDA) in 2010/11. It is based on currently available validated data and is updated each quarter.

LATS Forecast of BMW to Landfill

The Environment Agency publishes the forecast to help WDAs assess how many LATS allowances they are likely to use, which can be helpful to officers involved in LATS decision making. Following feedback the Environment Agency has improved the forecast to include an indication of its accuracy, comparison with currently held LATS allowances and an estimate of the total BMW to landfill for England.

After quarter 4 data has been validated, each WDA will receive a reconciliation of the BMW it has landfilled by 31 August 2011.

News Release April 2011

DEFRA update on houshold recycling for English LAs from April 2011:

With the end of National Indicators at the end of March 2011, local authorities now have no annual targets for waste reduction, recycling and landfill diversion, from April 2011. You will still need to report to Waste Data Flow for the Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme. The document below outlines the implications of these changes.

DEFRA Advice on Reporting Household Recycling from April 2011

News Release February 2011

Quarter 2 LATS Forecast of BMW to Landfill:

News Release December 2010

Quarter 1 LATS Forecast of BMW to Landfill:

This is the Environment Agency estimate of the biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) likely to be landfilled by each English waste disposal authority (WDA) in 2010/11. It is based on quarter one validated data and updated each quarter.

LATS Forecast of BMW to Landfill

The Environment Agency publishes the forecast to help WDAs assess how many LATS allowances they are likely to use, which can be helpful to officers involved in LATS decision making. Following feedback the Environment Agency has improved the forecast to include an indication of its accuracy, comparison with currently held LATS allowances and an estimate of the total BMW to landfill for England.

After quarter 4 data has been validated, each WDA will receive a reconciliation of the BMW it has landfilled by 31 August 2011.

News Release June 2010

Quarter 3 LATS Forecast of BMW to Landfill:

This is the Environment Agency estimate of the biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) likely to be landfilled by each English waste disposal authority (WDA) in 2009/10. It is based on currently available data and updated each quarter.

LATS Forecast of BMW to Landfill

The Environment Agency publishes the forecast to help WDAs assess how many LATS allowances they are likely to use, which can be helpful to officers involved in LATS decision making. Following feedback the Environment Agency has improved the forecast to include an indication of its accuracy, comparison with currently held LATS allowances and an estimate of the total BMW to landfill for England.

After quarter 4 data has been validated, each WDA will receive a reconciliation of the BMW it has landfilled by 31 August 2010.

News Release March 2010

Quarter 2 LATS Forecast of BMW to Landfill:

This is the Environment Agency estimate of the biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) likely to be landfilled by each English waste disposal authority (WDA) in 2009/10. It is based on currently available data and updated each quarter.

LATS Forecast of BMW to Landfill

The Environment Agency publishes the forecast to help WDAs assess how many LATS allowances they are likely to use, which can be helpful to officers involved in LATS decision making. Following feedback the Environment Agency has improved the forecast to include an indication of its accuracy, comparison with currently held LATS allowances and an estimate of the total BMW to landfill for England.

Quarterly forecasts will be published on or before the dates below

5 March 2010 forecast based on quarter 1 and 2 data
4 June 2010 forecast based on quarter 1, 2 and 3 data

After quarter 4 data has been validated, each WDA will receive a reconciliation of the BMW it has landfilled by 31 August 2010.

News Release Dec 2009

LATS Forecast of BMW to Landfill:

This is the Environment Agency estimate of the biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) likely to be landfilled by each English waste disposal authority (WDA) in 2009/10. It is based on currently available data and updated each quarter.

LATS Forecast of BMW to Landfill

The Environment Agency publishes the forecast to help WDAs assess how many LATS allowances they are likely to use, which can be helpful to officers involved in LATS decision making. Following feedback the Environment Agency has improved the forecast to include an indication of its accuracy, comparison with currently held LATS allowances and an estimate of the total BMW to landfill for England.

Quarterly forecasts will be published on or before the dates below

4 December 2009 forecast based on quarter 1 data
5 March 2010 forecast based on quarter 1 and 2 data
4 June 2010 forecast based on quarter 1, 2 and 3 data

After quarter 4 data has been validated, each WDA will receive a reconciliation of the BMW it has landfilled by 31 August 2010.

News Release Mar 2009

England User Group:

The England user group met in March. This was the agenda, and here are the minutes of the meeting.

News Release Dec 2008

Winter Issue of WasteDataFlow Newsletter:

The Winter issue of the WasteDataFlow newsletter is now available by clicking here.

News Release Sept 2008

Summer Issue of WasteDataFlow Newsletter:

The Summer issue of the WasteDataFlow newsletter is now available by clicking here.

Environment agency letter:

UA and WDA Local Authorities in England showing zero MRF rejects will have received a letter from the Environment Agency. You can see it by clicking here. This letter may also be of interest to some WCAs.

News Release May 2008

Spring Issue of WasteDataFlow Newsletter:

The Spring issue of the WasteDataFlow newsletter is now available here.

News Release April 2008

National Indicators, England:

The Local Government White Paper (published in October 2006) set out a new performance framework for local government. The backbone of the new framework are the 198 indicators covering all Government’s priorities for local delivery. Local Government will be required to report their performance against these indicators from April 2008. Communities and Local Government has now confirmed the technical definitions of a first tranch of 138 indicators which include twelve indicators directly related to the delivery of Defra’s Public Service Agreements (PSAs) and Departmental Strategic Objectives (DSOs), including 3 indicators for waste.

NI191 – household residual waste per head (kg)
NI192 – percentage of household waste sent for reuse, recycling or composting
NI193 – percentage of municipal waste sent to landfill

These indicators will be calculated from data entered into WasteDataFlow. The calculation methodology is set out in detail on the Datasets page here..
Defra have produced some indicative estimates for these indicators for 2002/3 to 2006/7 which are available here

News Release March 2008

XML Upload:

The ability for WasteDataFlow to upload XML format data for some questions is now available. To assist developers in this process we have created a downloadable zip file containing the XML schema, a sample XML generator and details of the questions.

Click here to download the file.

User Group:

The 6th England WasteDataFlow user group was held on the 5th March. The main areas of discussion were the ongoing development plan and the calculation of the new National Indicators.

Click here to see the programme for the day.
For the report of the meeting click here
For details of the development presentation click here
For details of the way the new National Indicators are matched to WDF data click here

News Release February 2008

Document and Guidance Releases:

The winter WasteDataFlow newsletter has been published, click here. One of the main articles is on the new XML upload functionality. Guidance material on how to use this is on the downloads section of the web-site, click here.

The mid-contract review on the management of the WasteDataFlow project has been released, click here.

News Release October 2007

User Group:

The England User Group had its fifth meeting on 10th October and discussions included LATS, development priorities and BVPI reporting. All the presentations and papers for this and earlier meetings, and local authority contacts can be found on the Project Management page.

Document and Guidance Releases:

The Environment Agency has released an update on the LATS visits which can be found, click here.

The Environment Agency has also released new guidance for 2007/8 on LATS penalty guidance which can be found, click here.

There is also an associated application form should you require a roll-back of the level 35 data which can be found, click here in pdf, and here, click here in MS Word.

Defra has released guidance on the reporting of municipal waste which can be found, click here.

News Release March 2007

The Environment Agency have released a flyer on LATS audits which can be found, click here

News Release November 2006

England

Publication of 2005/6 national estimates:

On 16th November, Defra published the national municipal waste management statistics for 2005/6 based on data provided by local authorities to WasteDataFlow. The Statistical Release and tables can be found at www.defra.gov.uk/environment/statistics/wastats/ and more detailed tables,including individual local authority figures, will be added soon.

Headline results for England for 2005/6 are that the national household recycling and composting rate increased to 26.7%, and the amount of municipal waste sent to landfill decreased by 1.9 million tonnes to 17.9 million tonnes. Total collected municipal waste decreased by 3% in 2005/6 to 28.7 million tonnes. The drivers behind this decrease in municipal waste arisings are complex, reflecting a range of seasonal and other factors. The longer term trend is still for waste growth with total municipal waste increasing by 0.5 per cent per annum on average over the last five years. Nevertheless, the rate of waste growth has slowed from that previously recorded - average annual municipal waste growth over the five years to 2001/2 was 3.3 per cent per annum. Local authority returns for 2006/7 will provide further vital evidence on whether the trends of recent years are to be sustained.

Publication of LATS Report:

The Environment Agency have also published their report on the first year of the Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme, which can be found on the environment agency business page.

All authorities were below their allowances for 2005/6 and collectively landfilled an estimated 12.4 million tonnes of biodegradable municipal waste, 82% below England's 2005/6 allowance.

Response Rates:

In 2005/6 there was an excellent 100% response rate. For the first quarter of 2006/7, 87% of authorities submitted returns by the deadline of 30th September. Currently, all authorities except for 8 collection authorities have now submitted data (to level 30) for the first quarter of 2006/7.

User Group:

The User Group had its third meeting on 9th October and discussions included the first year of LATS, development priorities and BVPI reporting for 2006/7. The report of the meeting along with all presentations and papers for earlier meetings, and local authority contacts can be found on the partners page.

News Release June 2006

England

Response Rates

100% of local authorities in England are now registered on the system with over 84% having now submitted at least one quarter’s set of data for validation and 96% of authorities are actively entering data. With the intention to collect and report waste BVPIs for 2006/7 onwards through WasteDataFlow, the system is becoming the key reporting tool for municipal waste data.

2005-06 LATS year end is fast approaching

The end of June marks the deadline for the submission of January to March 2006 data, completing the data reporting for 2005/06. This deadline triggers a very tight timescale for the Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme (LATS) and end of year reconciliation process.

An Environment Agency news letter on LATS can be found here. Remember you can check your data before submission using the new on-line summary sheet, which provides a summary of the data you have entered, allows you to check for errors and can speed up the validation process.

Second meeting of the England WDF User Group

The second meeting of the WasteDataFlow User Group (England) took place on 5^th June 2006. LA representatives provided feedback on the new functionality of the WDF website. The group reviewed the actions taken following the previous User Group meeting held in February and discussed reporting BVPIs through WDF. The group was also tasked with reviewing the online help currently available to data entry users. Contributions and recommendations made will assist the WDF team who are in the process of updating the online help function. Full details of the meeting and members of the group can be found be found under the Who's who - Project Management section of this website. Local Authorities who have issues on WDF that they wish to be raised within the User Group should contact a LA member of the group within their region.

Wales

Local Authorities in Wales have now submitted data for all quarters in 2005-6. The final quarter validation is well underway and should be complete by the end of June.

Working with the data:

Following reconciliation of the complete dataset for 2005-6, the Environment Agency (Wales) will submit an end of year validation report to the Welsh Assembly Government by 1^st September 2006. The information from WDF for 05-06 will be used quality assess NAWPI returns to the Local Government Data Unit this year and progress using WDF for the 06-07 returns.

Could all Authorities please ensure that queries raised are dealt with promptly in order that delays to deadlines are avoided.

Regional Workshops

Three workshops have been booked for authorities in Wales at the end of June. The aim of these workshops is to provide an opportunity for LAs to discuss development work within WDF, provide training and to share best practice. For further information please caroline.hawkins@environment-agency.gov.uk or helpdesk@wastedataflow.org

User Group & Stakeholder Group meetings (Wales)

Our first WDF User Group meeting was well represented by Local Authorities and the EA. During this meeting, the role of the LA representatives was established, frequency of meetings and representation at the Operational Group meetings.
On the 18^th May, the Stakeholder Group was re-established, in order to identify our Stakeholders needs from WDF and to agree on time-scales. For further information please contact caroline.hawkins@environment-agency.gov.uk

News Release April 2006

Development Programme

In response to feedback from local authority users and other stakeholders several enhancements to WasteDataFlow have been made. These include an on-line summary of data entered, a facility to carry over some responses entered for previous returns, an audit trail tool and read-only access registration for external bodies along with an enhanced data download facility.

A downloadable pdf version of the Guidance Manual is available under the Datasets menu.

All parties involved in WasteDataFlow are actively working to further develop and enhance the system.

England

In England, all but 2 local authorities have now registered to WasteDataFlow and most are now submitting data for 2005/06. The deadline for Q3 data was 31st March 2006.

The first meeting of the WasteDataFlow User Group (England) took place on 17th February 2006. The group was established with the remit of identifying practical proposals for improving the user-friendliness of the WasteDataFlow system and for sharing good practises that facilitate completion of WasteDataFlow returns. The group is made up of 22 Local Authority representatives and members from Defra and the Environment Agency. Full details and report of the meeting can be found under the ‘Who’s who - Project Management’ section of this website.

The first provisional England municipal waste statistics 2004/05 from WasteDataFlow were published on 24th March. Full details can be accessed via England Provisional Municipal Waste Statistics 2004/05

A free half day interactive training workshop on WasteDataFlow is being provided to authorities across England during March, April and May 2006. Please contact helpdesk@wastedataflow.org if you require further information on the Regional Training Workshops.

Northern Ireland

The data was provided by all 26 district councils in Northern Ireland giving a 100 per cent response rate. The summary 2004/05 Municipal Waste Management Report can be accessed via Northern Ireland Municipal Waste Management Report 2004/05

WasteDataFlow training for new district council officers was held in December 2005.

Scotland

WasteDataFlow is now the official way for local authorities in Scotland to report municipal waste data. An additional 14 questions have been added to the WasteDataFlow website in order for Scottish local authorities to meet their municipal reporting needs. All local authorities have received training on how to use the system and have started to enter data for the last quarter of 2005-06 (January – March 2006) as a pilot period.

Scotland specific Guidance has been produced and is accessible via Scotland Specific Guidance and a User Group will be set up to involve Scottish local authorities in due course.

Wales

A great deal of hard work between Local Authorities, the Environment Agency (Wales) and WAG led to a complete data set for 2004/05. The EA (Wales) organised workshops during the summer to give Authorities an opportunity to discuss any ongoing queries. Comments and suggestions raised at these workshops have contributed to the planned programme of developments for the WasteDataFlow system. Further workshops have been proposed for this summer to discuss progress to date and the findings from the 2004/05 data.

Work is continuing with the third quarter 2005/06 validation. The final quarter for 2005/06 is due to be submitted by Authorities in Wales by the end of April 2006.

Headline 2004/05 Municipal Waste Management Survey figures were released by WAG during December 2005 and can be accessed via Wales Municipal Waste Management Survey Figures 2004/05 The full report will be released in April 2006. A great deal of interest has been shown in this data from organisations such as the Welsh Local Government Association and the Welsh Audit Office. WasteDataFlow has been a very useful means by which data can be obtained easily and consistently.

News Release June 2005

WasteDataFlow, the new web-based system for UK local authority waste data reporting, has now be running for 14 months. In England, all but 15 (3.8%) local authorities have now registered to the system. All Welsh and Northern Irish local authorities were pre-registered and Scottish local authorities will join the system in later this year / early next year.

Experience to date has shown that it takes a little time for local authorities to get used to the system and especially to put in place the mechanisms that may be needed to collect the additional information. At their request, a training programme has been developed on how WasteDataFlow works and more precisely on how to use it. Local authorities were encouraged to bring data for the practical session and to put forward to the training team any IT and waste related questions they might have. The core of the training programme ran from March to May 2005 and the overall feedback from the local authorities was very positive. A number of local authorities reported that they now feel more confident completing and returning their quarter of data via WasteDataFlow.

The first phase of the reporting function was implemented on 1 November 2004 with the access to the Basic Reports. These reports present in the form of a graph and a summary table the data that has been authorised for validation outside the local authority domain. The completion of the implementation of the second phase is imminent. The Advanced Reports will allow local authorities to benchmark themselves to any other local authorities (Benchmark Report) and will also allow a given authority to look at trends (Trend Report). Access to the data is currently only available to local authorities to complete their return and to national bodies and partners to validate to quarter returns.

Data is currently in the process of being validated and analysed. Initial results for 2004/05 are expected to be available in the Autumn this year.

News Release April 2004

WasteDataFlow launches on 30th April 2004

The WasteDataFlow system is planned to go live to all Local Authorities on 30th April 2004. At the same time responsibility for management of the system will pass from project developers, CIWM (EB), to an Operations Group chaired by Defra.

An introductory CD is in the course of distribution by Defra, Welsh Assembly Government and DOE (NI) Environment and Heritage Service to all local authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. WasteDataFlow will replace the traditional questionnaires issued by these government bodies in 2004-05 and will form an essential part of the Agencies' monitoring for the Landfill Allowance Schemes. The CD provides an excellent 12-minute video plus a PowerPoint presentation should officers wish to present the new data management system to council colleagues or Elected Members.

The temporary web-site at www.wastedataflow.org has been replaced with the operational site.

Enviros Consulting Limited has been commissioned to manage a Helpline for the whole of 2004-05. The telephone number is 0161 874 3602 with email communication via helpdesk@wastedataflow.org.

At start-up, the security system within WasteDataFlow requires a council to register an executive officer with the authority to sign off data submissions on behalf of the council. That person in turn can nominate one or more persons to make actual data entry. Each will be provided with a unique password to gain access to the system. Upon registration, nominees will receive a detailed Guidance Manual. There is also a Training Programme available on-line via the web-site.

Ivan Good, CIWM (EB)’s project manager for the development comments: “We believe that WasteDataFlow represents a significant step forward in data management for local authorities and Government Departments/Agencies alike. We request councils’ support and commitment in setting the system up and patience in overcoming any initial hurdles”.

Once set up, councils are encouraged to work towards monthly data entry (as opposed to the required quarterly submissions) and to load last year's data where at all possible. That way waste managers will get the most out of the reporting and benchmarking mechanisms built into WasteDataFlow. (These will be explained fully in two months time with an addition to the Guidance Manual).

The following organisations/agencies are represented on the WasteDataFlow Operations Group:

Department of the Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)
Welsh Assembly Government (WAG)
DOE (NI) – Environment and Heritage Service
The Environment Agency (EA)
Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA)
CIWM (EB) – The Chartered Institution of Wastes Management Environmental Body
Local Government Association (LGA)
CapitalWasteFacts
Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee (LARAC)
National Association of Waste Disposal Officers (NAWDO)
Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP)
Environmental Services Association (ESA)
The Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM)

News Release February 2004

Local authorities call on reprocessors to speed up data transmission

Development of the national municipal wastes database is on target to engage local authorities UK-wide from April 2004. CIWM (EB) reports that selected authorities in Wales, Hampshire, East Sussex and Northern Ireland will trial and test the WasteDataFlow web-based system during the second half of February.

Special workshops were held for the pilot authorities at Cardiff, Llandudno, Portsmouth and Belfast in January. Feedback from these sessions identified reprocessors as a major barrier to speeding up data collection. Local authorities called upon the Environment Agency to use the full range of its powers to persuade reprocessors to become more efficient in the provision of weighbridge tickets and associated recycling documentation.

Under the new WasteDataFlow system, local authorities will need to input tonnage data quarterly and no later than 2 months after the end of the quarter. The Environment Agency will be using WasteDataFlow to monitor quarterly performance in respect of Article 5 of the Landfill Directive, in Wales from 2004 and in England from April 2005 when the Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme goes live.

Ivan Good, project manager of the WasteDataFlow development, commented "For local authorities, data provision should be an essential inclusion in contracts and standards of performance agreed with reprocessors and contractors". He called upon all reprocessors to review their data management systems and speed up information transmission, adding "There is no reason why the Environment Agency shouldn't include it in the checklist of audit issues for reprocessors accredited under the Packaging Regulations".

The core dataset at the heart of WasteDataFlow has been agreed by DEFRA, the EA, WAG, DOENI and SEPA with inputs from LGAs, CapitalWasteFacts, WRAP, CIWM and others. A principal objective for WasteDataFlow is to replace the various and often repetitive waste questionnaires issued by these and other organisations with one essential dataset relevant to all data users. For local authorities, it promises a system that enhances local data management for reporting and strategic planning purposes and that offers streamlined access to performance benchmarking with other authorities.

Latest news and information on the WasteDataFlow development can be found on the project's web-site at: www.wastedataflow.org

WasteDataFlow is co-ordinated and managed by CIWM (EB), the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management Environmental Body, with project management support from Enviros Consulting Limited.

News Release December 2003

New Web-site Highlights 2004 Data Requirements

The WasteDataFlow project to develop a national municipal wastes database is on target to engage local authorities UK-wide from April 2004. The web-based system will be trialled in Wales, Hampshire, East Sussex and three authorities in Northern Ireland early in the New Year.

A principal objective for WasteDataFlow is to replace the various and often repetitive waste questionnaires issued by Government Departments, Agencies, Institutions and other organisations with one essential dataset relevant to all data users. For local authorities, this rationalised approach with consistent definitions should provide the opportunity to standardise data capture and give more time for important data analysis. This has been achieved by developing a core dataset.

The core dataset at the heart of WasteDataFlow has been agreed by DEFRA, the EA, WAG, DOENI and SEPA with inputs from LGAs, CapitalWasteFacts, WRAP, CIWM and others. It accommodates the monitoring authorities' mandates to monitor progress against Article 5 of the Landfill Directive, the first starting in April 2004.

The system will also accommodate collection of supplementary data by devolved governments, as pilots for the rest of the UK or to meet specific country objectives.

Input of key quantitative data will be required quarterly - to monitor more effectively progress towards national and EU targets and to prime the management tools provided back to local authorities for data analysis and performance benchmarking. Qualitative information can be updated on an ad-hoc basis as change is implemented and reviewed annually.

Latest news and detailed information on the revised data inputs that are required from Waste Collection Authority (WCAs),Waste Disposal Authority (WDAs) and Unitary Authorities in 2004 can be found on the project's new web-site at: www.wastedataflow.org

WasteDataFlow is co-ordinated and managed by CIWM (EB), the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management Environmental Body.

Notes to Editors

1. A formal Advisory Board for WasteDataFlow was formed in Autumn 2001 and includes representatives from DEFRA, EA, SEPA, WAG, DOENI, LGA, NAWDO, LARAC, WRAP and CIWM.

2. The following organisations/agencies have expressed their support for the project.

Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA); Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (DTLR); Scottish Executive; Welsh Assembly Government (WAG); Department of the Environment Northern Ireland (DOENI); The Environment Agency (EA); Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA); Audit Commission; Audit Scotland; Local Government Association (LGA); Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA); Northern Ireland Local Government Association (NILGA); CapitalWasteFacts; Improvement and Development Agency for Local Government (IDeA); Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee (LARAC); National Association of Waste Disposal Officers (NAWDO); Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP); Environmental Services Association (ESA); The Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM).

3. CIWM (EB) is a registered charity and company limited by guarantee. Its objects include “research, development, education and the collection and dissemination of information about waste management generally for the purposes of encouraging the use of more sustainable waste management practices”.

4. Originally funded by Biffaward under the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme (LTCS), the WasteDataFlow project has £588,000 from the LTCS Legacy Fund to underwrite completion early in 2004.

News Release October 2003

CIWM (EB), the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management Environmental Body, is pleased to outline progress with its major research and development project to develop a national information internet of waste flows for the municipal waste sector. The project is supported by Central Government Departments, the Welsh Assembly Government, the Scottish Executive, DOENI, Environment Agencies, Local Government Organisations, ESA and WRAP. Originally funded by Biffaward under the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme (LTCS), the project now has £588,000 from the LTCS Legacy Fund to underwrite completion early in 2004.

WasteDataFlow Objectives

Currently data is collected annually from WCAs, WDAs and Unitary Authorities by a variety of Government Departments, Agencies, Institutions and other organisations. These manual surveys are acknowledged to have certain weaknesses both in terms of frequency and definitional issues and are rarely perceived to provide real benefit to the data provider. The objective of the WasteDataFlow project is to create one online reporting infrastructure leading to more accurate data collected more regularly and efficiently, available for access and/or publication on a timely basis. The system will also support the monitoring authorities’ mandate to monitor progress against Article 5 of the Landfill Directive from the beginning of 2004.

For local authorities, there is a definite objective to create a system that delivers added value in terms of clarity, ease of use and in managing local data needs for reporting and strategic planning purposes. The database should also offer streamlined and transparent access to performance benchmarking across authorities sharing common demographic, geographic and waste management characteristics.

Contract Awarded

End of September saw the contract for project management awarded to Enviros. They have the key role of ensuring that WasteDataFlow is delivered for 1 April 2004.

Mid October saw the contract for WasteDataFlow awarded to Burall Infosmart. Burall Infosmart will be the strategic development partner to provide the key technology to drive the WasteDataFlow project forward. Providing a web-based client server architecture based on a Microsoft SQL Server with .NET.

Timeframe

An awareness campaign for Local authorities will be launched in November 2003 with publication of the core data requirements followed by distribution of electronic data capture forms in December. Access to the system will be provided during the first quarter of 2004 to facilitate start-up of the new system with capability of inputting data covering the January to March quarter as well as annualised data for 2003-04.

Piloting of the WasteDataFlow web-based system will take place in Wales, a 2-tier county of England and one or two districts in Northern Ireland.