Are we recycling enough?

Complacency is the enemy of change and Britain must act decisively if it is to cast off its reputation as the ‘dustbin of Europe' and reduce the staggering 22.6 million tonnes of rubbish still sent to landfills each year.

Stuart is a partner at Dickinson Dees LLP and heads the firm's Environment & Safety Team, specialising in environmental law. He advises industrial, commercial and public sector clients on the full range of environmental legal issues, including: the environmental aspects of corporate, property and commercial transactions; regulatory compliance matters; and environmental litigation, both civil and criminal.

Councils in Britain will be faced with significant fines, potentially running into millions of pounds, if EU targets for reducing the household waste going to landfill are not met, as highlighted by the Audit Commission. Ultimately such costs will be passed on to the local taxpayer. The only way this problem will be solved is if local authorities, with the help of householders and business, significantly reduce waste being produced and find productive use for waste, be it through recycling, composting, or the generation of electricity from waste.

Innovation

Schemes like waste-to-energy projects, such as in the Isle of Wight, or mechanical and biological treatment facilities, such as in East London, prove that innovative councils and pro-active householders can really make a difference. Similarly, much work is going in to increasing recycling and composting rates across the country.

Significant improvements in the sustainability of Britain's management of waste are beginning to happen, but much undoubtedly remains to be done. The way forward is clear: by reducing and making productive use of the waste we produce, not just on a consumer but also a business level, councils will be able to meet future targets and avoid costly fines, waste can become a resource and Britain can finally move away from its excessive reliance on landfill sites with all their negative environmental impacts.