Archived press release

Government should support landfill directive

27 August 1997

In a briefing published today [attached] Friends of the Earth (FOE) are calling on the Government to support the draft landfill Directive. FOE believes that the Directive could lead to more sustainable management of waste and increase resource efficiency (as long as the Government responds to targets within the Directive by increasing recycling and composting, not by turning to incineration). In the briefing FOE makes a number of recommendations, including;

. The Government should set a statutory recycling and composting target of 40 per cent by 2005; increase the landfill tax, extend it across to incineration, and make money available for local authorities; give newspaper publishers a duty to increase the recycled content of newspapers and assist local authorities with newspaper collections.

. The European Commission should set landfill diversion targets for all wastes not just biodegradable wastes, produce standards for compost made from household wastes, and ensure that all member states respond to the targets in the Directive through recycling and composting, not increased incineration.

In the briefing FOE takes issue with the Government's estimate of the cost of the Directive,pointing out that they have included many of the costs of meeting commitments already made in the White Paper, Making Waste Work. FOE believes that the cost implications are much smaller and that significant economic and environmental benefits will accrue from meeting the targets in the Directive.

Mike Childs, Senior Waste Campaigner at Friends of the Earth said:
" This Directive could bring significant benefits to Europe's environment, as well as providing opportunities for fledgling environmental industries. The Government must stop using inflated cost estimates in an attempt to encourage opposition and instead work on making our wasteful society more resource efficient. They must turn their back on landfill and incineration and look towards waste minimisation, recycling and composting."

NOTES TO EDITORS:
The briefing is available from the Industry and Pollution Campaign, Friends of the Earth, 26-28 Underwood ST, London N1 7JQ on receipt of an A5 SAE.

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