Plans to trial a trade waste bring bank and provide more money for councils to provide trade waste collection services have been announced today as part of a statement of aims and actions for commercial and industrial waste in England.

Defra claims that its aims for commercial and industrial waste are the same as for household waste

However, the document - published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs as part of a wider raft of waste measures (see letsrecycle.com story) - does not suggest setting any targets for diverting the waste stream from landfill - despite it accounting for more than twice as much waste than that in the household stream. This is about 68 million tonnes a year compared to 25 million tonnes.

The policy statement is designed to address areas of the Waste Strategy 2007 which the government has been criticised for neglecting in the past (see letsrecycle.com story) .

It explains that a key part of the government's vision is to achieve a greater degree of convergence in policy between C&I waste and household waste and outlines what the government is planning to achieve in this area - particularly in the context of the advent of carbon budgets, the economic downturn and the revised Waste Framework Directive.

Design for sustainability

In five years' time, the document says it hopes that businesses will design for sustainability, treat residual waste as a resource and be aware of new technologies for extracting material from waste. For councils, it says they should consider treating commercial and industrial waste together with household material, help ensure that there are sufficient recycling collection and bring facilities for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) - be it directly or as a facilitator - and lead by example through sustainable procurement.

Meanwhile, it claims that government will advise businesses to design and manufacture products more sustainably, encourage reduction, recycling and recovery of energy from waste, set a stable policy framework for the long term and improve data.

Actions to be taken by the government include: A national survey of commercial and industrial waste to be completed by the end of 2010, a campaign this autumn to help businesses to be more resource efficient, an extra £100,000 to help councils trial trade waste collection schemes and a competition for a pilot trade waste bring bank, also this autumn.

The department said: "We believe this statement will help encourage businesses to use resources more efficiently and to think about what they do with their waste as well as delivering benefits for the environment. There is also the potential to create new job opportunities.

"We are keen to work with stakeholders in taking forward the actions described in this statement, so please contact us if you would like help," it added.

The full statement outlines plans for Defra to:

1) Fund a competition for a pilot trade waste bring bank in the autumn 2009;

2) Provide advice and further funding of £100,000 in 2009/10 for local authorities and public sector organisations to trial pilot trade waste collection schemes;

3) Amend guidance on the Duty of Care both to make it clearer what an individual business' responsibilities are and to encourage information about pre-treatment to be recorded on waste transfer notes, enabling landfill operators to determine more easily whether waste delivered to them is suitable for landfilling. This will be published in Autumn 2009. The department will also conduct a survey of awareness of legal duties among businesses;

4) Ask WRAP to prioritise work on C&I waste in 2009/10 and beyond so that they can give further advice and support to businesses and others on resource efficiency and reducing waste;

5) Run a campaign this autumn to provide advice and support to business on resource efficiency and waste minimisation;

6) Work with BIS to identify new business opportunities for UK companies in managing commercial and industrial waste in innovative ways which can deliver both economic and environmental benefits. They will produce a strategy by early 2010 that will identify business opportunities that they hope can transform the waste market and ultimately deliver both economic and environmental benefits;

7) Work with the waste management sector and other interested parties such as utility companies, Royal Mail and the third sector to help businesses increase their recycling rates and help promote viable trade waste collection businesses for SMEs;

8) Carry out a national survey of C&I waste by the end of 2010;

9) Consult on options for introducing further restrictions on landfilling of biodegradable and recyclable waste in early 2010;

10) Work with BIS to consider needs for standards on waste and resource management;

11) Work with others to promote sustainable event management and to identify how challenges and barriers preventing good recycling performance and high landfill diversion can be overcome. Defra will host a workshop in early 2010 for the event and waste management sectors and other interested parties to ensure awareness of this standard is enhanced;

12) Work with its delivery bodies on what further advice and support could be provided to help disseminate examples of good practice on sustainable waste management facilities to the professional bodies representing estate and facilities managers, architects and planners.