London - Defra’s Waste Strategy has left England’s waste mountain with no clear targets for its reduction, and leaves 90 percent of waste without specific recycling targets. Government knowledge of commercial and industrial recycling rates is patchy and outdated. Instead, Defra’s Waste Strategy concentrates its efforts on achieving improved recycling rates in the domestic sector which accounts for only 10 percent of England’s waste.

Launching their report on the Waste Strategy for England 2007, the Chairman of the cross-party Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee, the Rt Hon Michael Jack MP, said: “Defra must give a clear lead on what it thinks the potential is for business to reduce its waste levels and increase its rates of recycling. At the same time it must encourage companies to take a completely new view of waste and see it as a valuable source of raw material which must not be squandered in these difficult economic times”.

Defra’s 2007 Strategy and its follow up reports - says the Committee - are long on rhetoric but short on a detailed action plan to deliver a low waste society. This problem must be addressed if the nation is to seriously reduce the 330 million tonnes of materials we throw away each year at a cost of billions of pounds.

The EFRA Committee’s report praises householders for increasing their recycling levels to nearly 37 percent and urges the Government to set tougher recycling targets of 50 percent by 2015 and 60 percent by 2020. It should require local authorities to provide all householders with information each year on what happens to the waste they put out for recycling. Councils must explain clearly to people what it costs to collect and dispose of each bin, bag or wheelie bin of waste.

Defra must now set out a more rational regime for charging for domestic waste collection and disposal, as well as helping local authorities to explain the benefits that arise from households reducing their waste volumes. To help end the so-called “Primark Effect”, which has resulted in significant increases in the amount of clothing being sent to landfill sites, Defra should consult manufacturers to develop standards and criteria for assessing the overall environmental impacts of different kinds of textiles so that more sustainable materials can be promoted.

More detailed information about the MP`s call on the government under parliament.uk(1). Further details about this inquiry can be found at parliament.uk(2).

Quelle: Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee

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