Archived press release

Government cuts recycling targets for councils

13 December 2004

Government plans to cut recycling targets for nearly a quarter of local authorities in England have been met with anger by Friends of the Earth. The controversial announcement on Thursday (9^th December) will undermine Government plans to improve the UK's recycling record, currently amongst the worst in Europe.

In a pre-general election bid to fend off council tax rises, the Government has decided that recycling targets for 103 English local authorities will be set at 30 per cent for 2005-6 [1]:

• 18 local authorities had a target to reach 40 percent recycling by 2005-6
• 67 local authorities had a target to reach 36 percent recycling by 2005-6
• 23 local authorities had a target to reach 33 percent recycling by 2005-6

All these authorities will now be allowed reduce their recycling targets for domestic waste to 30 per cent. [note: number don't quite tally because a few authorities that have negotiated local public service agreements with targets above 30 per cent.]

Cutting local authority recycling targets will seriously undermine national targets, which are designed to enable the UK to meet its obligations under the EU Landfill Directive. And failure to abide by EU rules could saddle the Government with fines of up to £180m a year from the European Commission. To meet national targets, the Government will now have to rely heavily on high-performing local authorities continuing to exceed their targets, and on more waste being produced in high-recycling areas than in other areas.

The Government suddenly seems confident about meeting the 25 per cent national recycling target for 2005, although it only expects to scrape past the 17 per cent interim target for 2003-4 when audited results are released in early January. Only 2 months ago the Government was admitting that there were "tough challenges ahead." [2].

The decision to reduce targets will be a kick in the teeth for local authorities that have already exceeded their targets, and those recycling in excess of 40 per cent (Daventry and Lichfield District Councils). It also blatantly contradicts previous statements by Government Ministers that the local authority targets should be viewed as `minimums'.

Meanwhile, the Government still refuses to specify what penalties will be faced by local authorities who are expected to miss their recycling targets for 2003-4. One in ten councils are still not recycling more than five per cent of their household waste [3]. Friends of the Earth says that without serious penalties, the Government's targets will have no teeth.

Friends of the Earth's Waste Campaigner, Claire Wilton, said:

"This is a breathtaking U-turn. Just two months ago, the Government was concerned about meeting its own 25 percent recycling target by 2005. Now it is relaxing scores of local authority recycling targets and risking big fines from the European Commission.This is yet another case of the environment being sacrificed for short-term political gain. No wonder the UK is lingering at the bottom of the European recycling league."

Claire Wilton continued:

"The Government poured £30 million into an advertising campaign this autumn to encourage people to recycle more. But recycling is difficult unless decent local services are provided. By letting councils off the hook, the Government is failing to ensure that recycling is easy and convenient."

Notes

[1] Defra press release 09/12/04 announcing a packaging of measures "to help local authorities divert waste from landfill and encourage recycling without putting additional pressure on council tax."
www.defra.gov.uk/news/2004/041209d.htm

[2] On 27 September and again on 18 October the Government admitted there were "tough challenges ahead" to meet the 25% recycling target for 2005/6. Defra press releases, 27/09/04 and 18/10/04.

[3] Municipal Waste Management Survey 2002/03, DEFRA, 11/08/04

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust