Archived press release

Communities highlight waste crisis

12 June 2002

In a Friends of the Earth report, Communities Speak Out on Waste, they tell of the nightmare of living next door to poorly-controlled landfills and their fears of incinerators being built in their neighbourhoods. Friends of the Earth is sending the report to the Government's Performance and Innovation Unit which is reviewing the Government's waste strategy - but which has not involved community groups.

The groups - all near landfill sites, proposed incinerators, or carrying out community recycling operations - are listed below [1] .The groups make a number of recommendations, including:

• Increased taxes on landfill and a tax on incineration as an incentive to reduce waste and recycle.
• Increased money for local authorities to provide comprehensive doorstep recycling for every household and set tough recycling and composting targets.
• More resources for the Environment Agency to improve regulation of landfills and incinerators, and make them more community-focussed rather than industry-friendly.
• Making manufacturers responsible for recycling products at the end of their lives and financially responsible for disposal costs. Introduce a tax on packaging.
• Financial incentives to encourage the use of recycled materials.

Mike Childs, Senior Waste Campaign at Friends of the Earth said:
"Communities across the country are suffering from smells, noise and pollution from rubbish plants because the Government's waste policy is in a mess. Why isn't the Government talking to these communities as part of its waste policy review? These people deserve to be heard. Friends of the Earth will do all it can to ensure that their concerns are heard. The Government must listen and ensure that it devises a waste strategy that properly considers people and the environment."

Communities near landfills

Wales
Rhondda Against Nant-y-Gwyddon Tip (RANT), Gelli, Rhondda, Wales
Residents Against The Tip In Llanidloes (RATTIL), Llanidloes, Wales
Ruabon Action Group, Pen-y-Gardden, Ruabon, Wrexham, Wales

North West
Action to Reduce & Recycle Our Waste (ARROW) Skelmersdale, Lancs

Yorkshire & Humberside
Scabba Wood Residents, Sprotburgh, Doncaster, South Yorkshire
Residents Against Toxic Schemes (RATS), Normanton, Wakefield

West Midlands
Fight Landfill Action Group Stewponey (FLAGS) , Stourton, Stourbridge, South Staffordshire

East Midlands
Local Environmental Awareness Forum (LEAF), Corby, Northants
Ault Hucknall Environment Action Group (AHEAG), Stainsby, Near Heath, Chesterfield, Derbyshire
Save Notts Water, Kirkby in Ashfield, Notts

South West
Friends of Compton and Surrounds, Calne between Chippenham and Marlborough
Torbay and South Devon Friends of the Earth, Torbay, South Devon (Torquay)

South East
People Against Landfill Sites, Milton Keynes
Stand To Oppose Pollution (STOP), Dargate, Faversham

East of England
Pitsea Mount Community Association, Basildon, Essex
Herts Friends of the Earth, Hitchin
South Bedfordshire Friends of the Earth, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire

Communities near incinerators or proposed incinerators

Northern Ireland
Belfast Friends of the Earth, Belfast

Wales
Parents Against Incineration (PAIN), Port Tennant, Swansea
TCC, The Wales Broad Based Organisation, Wrexham

North West
Bolton Friends of the Earth, Harwood, Bolton

North East
Campaign Against the Incineration of Refuse, Newcastle

North East
Derwentside Friends of the Earth, Consett, County Durham
Red Alert , Billingham, Teeside

Yorkshire & Humberside
Hull Friends of the Earth, Cottingham, East Riding of Yorkshire
Sheffield Against Incineration, Sheffield

West Midlands
Stop Kidderminster Incinerator campaign (SKI), Kidderminster

East Midlands
Derby Friends of the Earth, Derby
Nottingham Friends of the Earth, Nottingham

South West
Cornwall Friends of the Earth, Penzance

South East
Guildford Anti-Incinerator Network (GAIN), Guildford
Capel Action Group, Capel, between Dorking and Horsham, Surrey
Portsmouth Friends of the Earth, Portsmouth
People Against Landfill Sites (PALS), Bletchley, Milton Keynes

East of England
No Incinerators for Essex (NIFE), Basildon

London
Enfield Friends of the Earth, Enfield
Bexley And District Against Incinerator Risks (BADAIR), Bexley

Communities involved in recycling

Northern Ireland
Bryson House Recycling Centre, Belfast

Wales
Newport Wastesavers, Uskway, Newport

North West
Actions for Community Recycling Enterprises (ACRE Recycling), Middleton, Manchester
CREATE UK, Speke, Liverpool

North East
BAN Waste, Newcastle-upon-Tyne

Yorkshire & Humberside
Doncaster Community Recycling Partnership, Armthorpe, Doncaster
Sheffield Community Recycling Action Project Ltd (SCRAP), Sheffield
Kerbside Recycling, Hebden Bridge, HX7 6HB

West Midlands
Brumcan, Birmingham

East Midlands
Loughborough Friends of the Earth , Loughborough, Leicestershire

South West
Avon Friends of the Earth, Bristol
Devon Community Composting Network, Chagford, Newtown Abbot, Devon
South Molton Recycle Ltd, South Molton, Devon

South East
WyeCycle, Wye, Ashford, Kent
TJ Composting, Brighton

East of England
Colchester & NE Essex Friends of the Earth, West Mersea, Essex

London
ECT Recycling, Acton, London

If you're a journalist looking for press information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.

Published by Friends of the Earth Trust