All Welsh councils hit 2011/12 landfill targets

The Report on Landfill Allowances Scheme (LAS) Wales 2011/12, released by the Environment Agency Wales, shows that between April 1 2011 and March 31 2012 the 22 Welsh councils collectively sent 389,738 tonnes of biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) to landfill, 29% less than the 2011/12 allowance of 550,000 tonnes.

This represents a 54% reduction in the amount of BMW sent to landfill since the first year of the scheme in 2005/06. The report also reveals that the councils collectively met the 2013 target a year early.

The Landfill Allowances Scheme was introduced in Wales in 2004 to help the country meet its obligations under the EU Landfill Directive. The Directive aims to reduce the pollution potential from waste by capping the amount of BMW Welsh councils can send to landfill at 50% of the amount produced in 1995 by 2013, and 35% of the 1995 figure by 2020. Exceeding these allowances can lead to severe financial penalties.

Significant progress

The progress was welcomed by Welsh Environment Minister John Griffiths who congratulated the local authorities on their efforts.

He said: Todays report is great news. I congratulate Welsh councils and residents for all their hard work and efforts to separate out the valuable recyclable materials and substantially reduce the amount of biodegradable waste disposed of in landfill.

The figures show that councils are making significant progress in changing the way we deal with our waste. Burying all our rubbish in the ground and leaving it to rot is no longer an option it uses up our precious land and damages our environment – and so it is essential that we to build on this progress and continue to meet the challenging EU targets right up to 2020.

Councillor Neil Rogers, WLGA spokesperson for Environment, Sustainable Development and Waste added: With councils facing the threat of substantial fines we hope people will continue to make the most of their local recycling facilities, as it is only through their participation that local councils will be able to meet the increasingly ambitious waste targets of the future.

Councils

Ten Welsh councils used less than 70% of their allowance. In terms of individual performance Ceredigion used the least amount of its allowance (41%) with 5,532 tonnes of BMW sent to landfill.

Meanwhile Neath Port Talbot, Monmouthshire and Bridgend were among the high performing councils, using 44%, 46% and 47% of their allowances, respectively. At the other end of the scale, Torfaen used 99% of its allowance, meaning it has the least amount of headroom to meet the LAS targets in the coming years.