And, 1.2 million will be made available to trial incentive schemes for household waste recycling at supermarkets. The programme of trials forms part of Defra's new five-year strategy, which was unveiled by environment secretary Margaret Beckett on December 8.
”Our new partnership with supermarkets and local authorities will increase recycling by hundreds of thousands of tonnes “
– Margaret Beckett
The Department is currently researching existing incentive schemes that could be used by local authorities for household recycling in England. Defra told letsrecycle.com it wishes to avoid schemes that would cost “more than the income from the recycling, so as not to put pressure on the Council Tax”.
Once this work has been undertaken, Defra said it will be in a position to decide which schemes will be trialled in 2005/06. Local environmental quality minister Alun Michael confirmed: “We are developing plans for pilot programmes in 2005/06 – 5 million has been set aside for that.”
Household waste recycling rates for 2002/03 were 14.5%, and Defra said it is “confident” that England has met its 17% target for 2003/04. But, a step change in performance could be needed to meet the 25% target by 2005/06 as well as the landfill diversion targets of the Landfill Directive.
Retailers
Next year will also see Defra working with the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and retailers to trial incentive schemes for recycling at supermarkets.
The Department has allocated 1.2 million for pilot schemes, which could use financial “carrots” including discount vouchers or loyalty card points to encourage shoppers to recycle when they visit supermarket.
Mrs Beckett explained: “We want to make it easier for business and families to be green. Our new partnership with supermarkets and local authorities will increase recycling by hundreds of thousands of tonnes.”
Elsewhere in the five-year strategy, Defra confirmed previously-announced measures including next year's Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme (see letsrecycle.com report) and the Business Resource Efficiency and Waste programme (see letsrecycle.com story).
Plants
Defra will also be working with local authorities to draw up municipal waste strategies and set up new waste treatment facilities with more funding available through the Private Finance Initiative and forthcoming Defra recycling fund.
The Department said: “Thousands more waste management plants will be needed to cope with overall growth in waste, and to deal with the volume being diverted from landfill, and the growth in recycling.
“These facilities will also need to meet the increasingly demanding regulatory requirements for waste treatment and management,” the strategy said.
For a full copy of Defra's five-year strategy, “Delivering the Essentials of Life”, see the Defra website.
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