The assembly has set out its agenda for surpassing national recycling targets of 33% by 2015 in an Integrated Regional Strategy report, which according to EMRA chair David Parsons is designed to highlight the “vision, objectives and priorities” for the future quality of life of the region.
Reducing the amount of waste and more efficient use of resources are listed as key priorities for action, along with environmental protection, creating sustainable communites, improved economic performance and reducing inequalities.
A draft regional waste strategy has already called for increased recycling and improved waste reduction, with closing dates for comments on Thursday, 14 April. A report will go to the regional planning board in May and a final version is to be published this June.
At the moment the East Midlands region – which covers some 48 local authority areas in Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Rutland – produces some 20 million tonnes of waste a year with some 48% coming from commercial and industrial sources, 38% from construction and demolition work and just 14% from households.
The amount of waste generated in the region is expected to rise to a minimum 23.8 million tonnes a year by 2020, but without intervention the assembly believes that this could reach 30 million tonnes a year – and in a worse case scenario even as high as 40 million tonnes a year.
Freedom
Waste policy adviser Alasdair Brown said the consultation draft is designed to add detail to the strategic framework set out in the IRS report but explained: “This still envisages leaving local authorities with freedom to decide on local priorities on waste management facilities.
“At the moment we have a situation where the amount of waste is still rising with serious long term costs and infrastructure implications. A key part of the consultation will be responses to our target for zero growth in waste, ” said Mr Brown.
Currenty the region has a capacity to treat around 12 million tonnes a year in addition to a landfill capacity of 5.5 million tonnes – however the Integrated Regional Strategy warns: “At current rates of filling, landfill capacity in the region will be exhausted within 8 to 10 years.”
It praises local authorities for their steady progress in waste reduction and recycling but says the region needs a “robust policy framework to promote waste reduction and sustainable consumption/production practices, supported by the rapid development of the required infrastructure.”
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“All waste collection authorities should achieve a minimum target of 50% for recycling and composting of municipal solid waste by 2015” by promoting current forms of best practice says the report.
It also recommends: “Taking a flexible approach to other forms of waste recovery on the basis that technology in this area is developing very quickl;y and is difficult to predict over a 20 year period.”
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