Introducing landfill bans too soon without the infrastructure in place to deal with the material diverted from landfill could leave the UK in a "terrible mess", a leading WRAP official has warned.

If we introduced [landfill bans] next year we'd in be in a terrible mess, because we wouldn't be able to deal with the stuff that comes out

 
Phillip Ward, WRAP

Speaking at an event in Manchester this week (November 18), the Defra-funded body's director of local government services, Phillip Ward, instead claimed that material-specific bans would be most effective if they were timetabled to be introduced six or seven years in the future to act as a "driver".

"If we decide a landfill ban is the thing to do, what route to go to get there?" he asked, explaining that "If we introduced one next year we'd in be in a terrible mess, because we wouldn't be able to deal with the stuff that comes out."

Defra has said that it plans to launch a consultation on material-specific landfill bans early next year, with the likes of aluminium, wood and glass mooted as materials that could be prohibited from landfill (see letsrecycle.com story).

Also speaking at the City and Financial Annual Waste Management Conference, John Viviani, managing director of Viridor Waste Management, claimed that introducing bans could be "a bit premature from where we need to be in developing infrastructure".

He added: "I think we're some years away from a complete ban, who knows where we'll be in 10 years?"

Research on the potential costs and benefits of landfill bans is currently being carried out for Defra by consultants Eunomia, and Joe Papineschi, a director at the Bristol-based company, revealed that "one of the things we have grappled with is the enforceability of landfill bans."

"There's a real danger you end up with something that's massively enforcement -heavy or so light its like green washing," he explained.

A report published on behalf of Defra earlier this year by the Green Alliance suggested landfill bans were most effective when introduced with supporting measures (see letsrecycle.com story), and Mr Papineschi echoed this conclusion.

"From the work we have done it seems like its other interventions working alongside the bans that have delivered the benefits," he said.

Minister

The keynote speech at the event was delivered by waste and recycling minister Dan Norris, who told attendees that while the government's recently announced 'zero waste' ambition (see letsrecycle.com story) was "ambitious", it was needed.

"We have been making a mess over the last 100 years or so," he said. "Unless we change our wasteful, polluting behaviour, things are going to get a lot worse.

"We're now reaching a landmark point where we're drawing on that same ingenuity to start tidying up," he added.

Mr Norris outlined the work the government was doing on waste, such as its recently-launched '3R' awareness campaign, the 'zero waste places' initiative and standard, and new British Standard on sustainable venue management, which Defra is supporting.

In particular, he called for councils to work with the third sector, explaining that: "We want local authorities to join with the third sector in partnership. Working here could mean another half a million tonnes of waste is prevented."

Adding that the department was also working on commercial waste, he noted that "in the current economic downturn we want to help business to get the economic as well as environmental benefits".

Outlining the progress being made to tackle waste and recycling he said: "The jigsaw is slowly coming together, we have got the corners and the sides are coming together, and, crucially, we have got the picture on the box to remind us what we're aiming for."