CIWM calls for waste funding to be “fair and equitable”

The Chartered Institution of Wastes Management also said too much emphasis is being placed on municipal waste in this country, and public sector waste targets are “too complex” and must be reviewed.

”This position statement reflects a need to be realistic in terms of the scope of the 2005 review, balanced against a requirement for significant changes if we are to stand a chance of meeting 2010 waste strategy targets“
– Steve Lee
As part of Defra's review of the Waste Strategy 2000, which has been continuing since December (see letsrecycle.com story), the CIWM issued a position statement identifying seven priority issues that should be tackled. It said:

1. Scope – equal policy attention should be given to non-municipal waste as municipal waste.
2. Waste Hierarchy – more needs to be done to prevent or re-use waste before looking to recycling and recovery of materials.
3. Simplified and co-ordinated targets – Public sector waste targets are too complex and don't encourage waste reduction or tackle non-municipal waste.
4. Funding – Central funding for local authority waste infrastructure and services “too small and too hit-and-miss”. Funding should be fair and equitable, such as based on council-area population size.
5. Capacity – Underestimating the skills and resources needed by Defra, Environment Agency and local government in the waste sector “is holding us back”.
6. Communications – Government-led, “comprehensive, sustained communications strategy” needed to achieve waste goals.
7. Monitoring – A “Strategy Monitoring Group” should be set up to keep an eye on how effective policy and strategy is in waste management.

Chief executive Steve Lee said: “The National Waste Strategy is fundamental to everything this vital industry does. This position statement reflects a need to be realistic in terms of the scope of the 2005 review, balanced against a requirement for significant changes if we are to stand a chance of meeting 2010 waste strategy targets.

“We need continuous strategic monitoring and reviews as opposed to periodic reviews like this one. The pace of change is too great to wait five years for another review to come along,” Mr Lee added.

Commercial

Accompanying the seven main points, the CIWM has put forward additional suggestions for the revised Waste Strategy. The Institution believes statutory targets for commercial and industrial waste are needed, while the annual increase in the Landfill Tax should be put up to 5 per tonne from the current 3 per tonne rise each year.

And, tax incentives should be introduced for high recycled-content products, the CIWM believes. Defra's waste strategy review finishes on March 31.

Three more major issues, which are not part of Defra's Waste Strategy review, should also be debated “in the open” the CIWM said in its statement, “because of their potential importance”. These were the local and regional government structure; the definition of waste; and, the restructuring of the planning system.