The report calls 2005/06 a “crucial year” for joint working between Defra and local authorities in the household waste area, and describes the 25% recycling target as a “major challenge”.
– Margaret Beckett
England recycled 17.7% of household waste in 2003/04 (4,507 million tonnes of material recycled), an increase of about 3.2 percentage points on the performance in 2002/03. Previous years have seen increases of only one to two percentage points on average.
Defra said this acceleration of the rate of progress “confirms that the 25% target is within reach” but added that it “will be stepping up the range of support services it offers to local authorities” nevertheless.
Increases in Private Finance Initiative funding, the new Waste Performance and Efficiency Grant for local authorities and the support measures within the Waste Implementation Programme would all help to reach the target, the report said.
Local authority targets – including statutory recycling targets for 2005/06 and the landfill diversion targets under the Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme – would also provide an incentive for local authorities to cut the amount of waste going to landfill, it said.
Incentives
New initiatives for the next five years include the BREW initiative to help businesses cut down on their waste, and work with retailers and local authorities to provide incentives household waste recycling.
Environment secretary Margaret Beckett said that meeting Defra's climate change and sustainable consumption/production priorities would require behavioural change. Mrs Beckett said: “I believe it is essential to influence and change people's behaviour if we are to deliver a truly sustainable approach.”
| Related links: |
Although the national 17% target for 2002/03 waste was surpassed and progress is being made on recycling, the Defra report does concede that little progress has been made on the level of waste arisings from household, industry and commerce.
Defra also concedes that not all local authorities are making sufficient progress in the recycling of household waste, stating that poor performers are being visited by ministers to find out why they are not making progress. The report repeats previously-made threats of “stronger action” for those councils continuing “to demonstrate no commitment to improvement”, but provides no clarification on what this might entail.
Register for free to comment