Local authorities can now take action to reduce the mountains of waste generated by the UK every year, thanks to the passing of the Waste Minimisation Act yesterday. The Act,which gives local authorities the power to promote schemes to reduce the amount of waste generated in their area, was introduced to Parliament by Angela Smith MP, Labour MP for Basildon. It was initiated by The Women's Environmental Network, and campaigned for jointly by Womens Environmental Network and Friends of the Earth.

Twenty seven million tonnes of waste are generated by households every year, more than one tonne per household and around 460 kg per person. People in France only produce 410 kg per person, whilst Italians produce 400 kg, Germans 380 kg, Austrians 310 kg and the Finnish only 180 kg.

The vast majority of waste is disposed of to landfill sites. Not only do landfills pose a threat to public health and the environment, but parts of the UK are running out of landfill capacity(for example the South East).

Anna Thomas, Waste Campaigner at Friend of the Earth said:

“Britain is being buried in waste. Thanks to Angela Smith's work piloting this Act through Parliament, local authorities can now begin to tackle this problem. Less waste means fewer rubbish tips, less pollution and a healthier environment.”

The Waste Minimisation Act is the fifth success for Friends of the Earth in Parliament since the election. FOE have already successfully campaigned for the Road Traffic Reduction(National Targets) Act 1998; the reduction of VAT on energy saving materials; the Private Hire Vehicles (London) Act 1998 which makes public transport in the capital safer; and making “energy efficiency ratings” of new houses available to house buyers. Friends of the Earth's next priority is the Recycled Content of Newsprint Bill, which will increase the market for recycled paper and increase funds for local authority recycling schemes.

ENDS