And, the Treasury confirms spending for food waste collections from households.
The Treasury says the settlement provides a £4.3 billion cash increase over the course of the Parliament, to a £7 billion departmental expenditure limit in 2024-25.
The budget also includes funding to improve the natural environment and support the goals of the government’s 25 Year Environment Plan.
This covers the previously announced “more than £300 million to implement free, separate food waste collections in every local authority in England from 2025”.
There was no mention of costs for other waste reforms such as extended producer responsibility, consistent collections, or a deposit return scheme.
‘Scientific superpower’
Defra will play a key role in making the UK “a scientific superpower”, the Treasury says. At least £75 million is promised for research and innovation in support of net zero in partnership with industry across waste, agriculture, soils and peat, and land use.
The Treasury also says the settlement will “help the UK achieve its goal of reaching net zero and halting biodiversity loss, increase resilience to flooding and coastal destruction, support innovation, and progress the levelling up agenda”.
It adds that the settlement will support the delivery of several “priority outcomes”, including by improving the environment through minimised waste and by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing carbon storage in the waste sector to help deliver net zero.
Food waste
In its budget, the Treasury also confirmed the settlement would provide funding to implement free, separate food waste collections in every English local authority from 2025, supporting the near elimination of biodegradable municipal waste to landfill by 2028.
The government published its Net Zero Plan in mid-October, saying £295 million in funding would be available to all English councils to prepare for the implementation of free separate food collections for all households “from 2025” (see letsrecycle.com story).
Under plans proposed in the recent consultations on the Resources and Waste Strategy, separate mandatory food waste collections by councils were expected by 2023.
When asked at the Resourcing the Future conference on 20 October as to whether news of the funding would see the policy deferred, Chris Preston, the deputy director for resources and waste at Defra, said: “There’ll be funding available from 2025. We’re still waiting for our responses to the consultations.”
Related link
Autumn Budget and Spending Review 2021
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