At least five waste streams could be banned from landfill, Hilary Benn, secretary of state for the environment, revealed today (October 13 2009).

Speaking ahead of the publication of the government's strategy on commercial and industrial waste, Mr Benn said: "Why should we allow food waste, cans, paper, glass and waste wood to be chucked into landfill? We are moving towards banning them from landfill."

Businesses could have to recycle paper rather than treat it as residual waste under proposals mooted by Mr Benn

Mr Benn confirmed that there will be a consultation by his department at the end of year on the potential for landfill bans. This is to be based on current research, and said the Secretary of State, recycling and energy both have a part to play as alternative routes for the material.

He told letsrecycle.com that he saw a "combination" of the routes for the materials and pointed to the Continent where recycling sits alongside energy recovery. "The important thing is capturing the heat as well as having the generation of energy," Mr Benn said.

And, he also highlighted the virtues of anaerobic digestion as a process which could handle farm and food wastes.

To encourage projects he added that ROCs have been doubled in value and the government was investing £10 million in support for the anaerobic digestion sector.

With regard to the commercial waste strategy, Mr Benn said that it needed to be made much easier for small businesses to recycle.

At the recent LARAC local authority recycling officers conference in Liverpool, senior Defra official Neil Thornton, who is the director of waste and resources at the department, indicated what Defra was trying to achieve in the commercial sector.

He said it was "aiming for a greater alignment of policies between municipal and non-municipal waste" and noted that the environmental impacts of waste spread across both streams.

One of the immediate measures will be to update the level of information on commercial and industrial waste. Current data is drawn from 2002/03 and is seen as outdated by the department.

A new survey, with findings to be published in late 2010, will look at:

• Detailed information on waste arisings by waste type
• Breakdowns by business sector and management method
• Identify potential for further recycling/recovery