Home > Press releases > 1997
12th Dec 1997
A Private Member's Bill, enabling local authorities to promote waste
prevention, passed its first major stage in the House of Commons today,
and now looks set to become law in the new year. The Waste Minimisation
Bill, introduced by Basildon MP, Angela Smith, was given an
unopposed Second Reading.
The Bill, promoted by Friends of the Earth and the Women's Environmental
Network, gives local authorities the power to take action to prevent
the production of waste. Currently,local authorities can make arrangements
to deal with waste once it has arisen - by recycling and other means
- but cannot make arrangements to prevent the waste being produced in
the first place. The Bill will close this obvious loophole, allowing
local authorities to promote waste prevention schemes like bottle refill
schemes, awards for low waste restaurants/cafes, and encouraging the
public to refuse junk mail.
The UK produces 20 million tonnes of waste each year from households
alone, nearly 15 million tonnes from shops and offices, and over 70
million tonnes from industry.
Martyn Williams, Parliamentary Campaigner for Friends of the Earth
said:
“We are delighted that Angela Smith MP has successfully piloted
the Waste Minimisation Bill through the first stage and congratulate
her on this success. We now have high hopes that it will become law.
It is vital that councils take action to tackle our throwaway society,
and this Bill enables them to do that. Instead of binning resources,
we should be trying to conserve them”
ENDS
Contact details:
Friends of the Earth
26-28 Underwood St.
LONDON
N1 7JQ
Tel: 020 7490 1555
Fax: 020 7490 0881
Web: www.foe.co.uk/feedback.html
Media team
