All Cheshire authorities – which as a partnership form the Waste Task Group – have co-operated in drawing-up the draft strategy to “reduce the vast tonnage of waste sent to landfill sites whilst increasing recycling and composting to meet government targets.”
Currently, Cheshire householders produce around 420,000 tonnes of waste a year, with 85% of this being landfilled and the balance recycled or composted.
The county is striving to meet with government recycling targets of 33% by 2005 for the region, but to reach these targets Cheshire will need to double its current rates. The county also hopes to reduce the amount of waste it sends to landfill by 35% by 2020.
Options
The new strategy hopes to introduce increased recycling and composting, while the task group says it is reviewing the demand for energy from waste treatment in 2004, although said this is has proved to be the least popular option with local residents.
Through public consultation, the task group said high levels of support were gained for plans ranging from the separation and kerbside collection of recyclables and reducing waste by the promotion of home and community composting schemes, to ways in which to prevent junk mail.
The expansion of compost sites is also being considered, as well as improving its civic amenity sites and the development of materials transfer stations and new recycling facilities have been considered.
The task group also intends to lobby the government and industry to reduce packaging levels.
Beneficial
Chairman of the task group, Councillor Wesley Fitzgerald commented that the blueprint was a beneficial way of bringing about future changes for the county’s waste management needs.
He said: “Agreeing the joint strategy is an important step in changing the way household waste is managed and protecting the Cheshire environment for both this and future generations.
“It will enable local authorities and the householders they serve to meet the challenge presented by a year-on-year increase of household waste, shortage of landfill space and the need to meet national and European targets.”
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