Archived press release

MPs rubbish Government waste strategy.

21 March 2001

Government Leaves “door open to a big expansion of large-scale incineration of household waste”.
The Government's waste strategy was roundly condemned today in a stinging report by MPs.“Depressing”, “woefully inadequate” and “underfunded compromise” are just some of the words used by the Environment Committee to describe the Government's stance on waste. The MPs also slammed the Government's policy on incineration and called for the kerbside collection of recyclables as “a necessity”.

Friends of the Earth welcomes the report and is calling on the Government to stop the development of scores of new incinerators across the UK. Every household should be provided with an effective recycling collection system instead, saving resources and providing thousands of new jobs. Currently England and Wales only recycle 9% of household waste while Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands all recycle over 50%.

Key points the Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs Committee makes in its report Delivering Sustainable Waste Management include:

• “We believe that incineration will never play a major role in truly sustainable waste management.” The Government's waste strategy leaves “the door open to a big expansion of large-scale incineration of household waste”.

• There should be a tax on incineration. The landfill tax should be increased to £25 a tonne, and the 'charade' of the landfill tax credit scheme should be abandoned. Revenue from landfill and incineration taxes should fund waste minimisation, reuse and recycling.

• The Government 'lacks depth and ambition' for improving resource use. It must set a target to reduce the volume of waste, and break the link with economic growth.

• 'The kerbside collection of source-separated waste is a necessity'.

• The 30% and 33% recycling targets for 2010 and 2015 are 'depressingly unambitious'. Government must set higher recycling targets of 50% by 2010 and 60% by 2015 to show there is not a ceiling on recycling and composting potential.

Sarah Oppenheimer, Waste Campaigner at Friends of the Earth said:
“This damning report backs up everything Friends of the Earth has said about the Government's waste strategy- it lacks the vision and political will to solve our waste crisis. Waste minimisation and recycling should be at the strategy's core, but instead communities around the country are fighting plans for massive incinerators. The Government must urgently act on the environment committee's recommendations, set higher recycling targets, and give every household a doorstep recycling collection.”

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust