Waste storage

Responding to the global need for waste storage

In France and globally, SITA manages 138 non-hazardous waste (NHW) storage facilities.

The residual part of the non-hazardous waste collected from households and businesses can be buried in storage units.

The total leak-tightness of the sites is ensured by cells and containment units demarcated by layers of low-permeability materials and impermeable geomembranes. The water recovered is decontaminated and the biogas fermentation gases are transformed into heat and/or electricity. This also makes it possible to neutralise any unpleasant odours..

SITA is also in charge of stabilising and storing hazardous waste. For this purpose, it operates class-1 facilities dedicated to residual hazardous waste. This residual waste undergoes specific pre-treatment, depending on the type of pollutants identified, before it is stabilized and stored in reinforced leak-proof cells. In 2012, SITA treated 4 million metric tonnes of hazardous waste in its 15 class-1 sites throughout the world.

Offering environmentally friendly facilities

SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT and its subsidiaries implement an exemplary policy to ensure the compliance and technological upgrade of its waste treatment plants. For instance, SITA implements a series of measures to reduce the environmental impacts of its storage centres.

It conducts regular impact studies to ensure that the biodiversity, which might be affected by its activities, is properly protected. It has taken concrete measures to avoid, reduce and offset the effects of its activities. In this respect, SITA:

• collects and treats over 2.8 million cubic metres of leachates (liquid from waste fermentation) per year,
• sells over 819 GWh of electricity per year from the biogas generated by its storage facilities,
• performs over one million analyses per year on the quality of underground water, leachates, surface water, emissions from flares, biogas and the surrounding environment.

In addition, SITA France has entered into a partnership with various organisations (French Natural History Museum, Bird Protection League) to improve biodiversity on both operating and decommissioned storage sites.