Call for less prescriptive approach over Londons waste

The proposals are outlined in a high-level position statement that were published yesterday (October 30) by London Councils' Transport and Environment Committee (TEC) in a bid to influence the revision of the Mayor's municipal waste management strategy (MWMS).

The MWMS was first published by previous Mayor Ken Livingstone in September 2003 (see letsrecycle.com story) and, alongside spatial planning strategy the London Plan, which was last revised in 2006 (see letsrecycle.com story), it emphasised a need for self-sufficiency in how the capital deals with its waste.

But now, the London Councils, which brings together representatives from all 33 of the capital's boroughs, has called for a major change to the waste management approach delivered by those documents.

In its list of priorities it states that: “The London Plan places undue and restrictive emphasis on regional self sufficiency.

“London Councils would like to see a more a more explicit tilting of the balance towards ‘proximity', particularly where the movement of waste and materials can draw on rail and river use,” it added, building on statements made by the director of its world city division, Stephen Benton, earlier this month (see letsrecycle.com story).

And, the position statement also calls for more consideration to be given to energy-from-waste as a potential treatment option, reversing the previous Mayor's opposition to the technology.

It calls for “an open stance towards the use of incineration with energy recovery, and such facilities for managing waste. Policies could then set the parameters and specification for operating efficiencies and safety standards in line with the new European definition of recovery.”

At the same time, it takes issue with Mr Livingstone's assertion, when Mayor, that 308 waste facilities would need to be built by 2020, and cites the current economic situation as making that level of development even less likely.

“London Councils had always contended that the London Plan projections for the numbers and types of waste treatment facilities required in London were excessive, these projections now look even more unrealistic under the current economic scenario,” it stated.

Other key points advocated by the London Councils' position statement include:

• Consistency with EU and national waste policies and strategies
• More focussed policies on waste minimisation and extended producer responsibility for particular waste streams
• Workable policy options for dealing with food waste
• Policies that consistently work towards, predict and expect a reduction in the amount of waste generated, collected and managed
• More intelligent target setting, reflecting London's particular circumstances but also taking advantage of opportunities for performance improvements
• Urgent revisions to the projections for numbers and types of new waste facilities required in the light of more up-to-date waste growth data

Commenting on the document, which also calls for London to achieve the goal of zero waste to landfill by 2028, the chairman of the TEC, councillor Daniel Moylan, said: “Today we have set out both the approach and the policies the Mayor must consider when he comes to revise London's municipal waste strategy.

“Working in partnership with the boroughs, Mr Johnson can make the capital a shining example for other major global cities to follow,” he added. “I look forward to working closely with him through the London Waste and Recycling Board to develop the ideas we have launched today.”