In a report submitted to the PIU Waste Review, the Environment Council – a charitable body that brings together government, business and community voices to develop solutions to environmental concerns – also demands an increase in the Landfill Tax by at least 10 a tonne.
“Revenue generated should be distributed to local authorities and relevant community and voluntary sector organisations for waste minimisation and recycling,” the report said.
Entitled 'E;nabling Sustainable Waste Management', the report has been produced in consultation with people across the industry and is funded by Landfill Tax Credits. In the long term, the report said the Landfill Tax should be replaced by a variable waste disposal tax that covers landfill and incineration.
The report explained: “This would allow greater control of how waste is processed, keep waste moving up the waste hierarchy, motivate people to change their practices and create the right market conditions to ensure that incineration does not crowd out recycling.”
The report also calls for local authorities and developers to engage with the public more effectively in waste infrastructure planning decisions.
The Environment Council's recommendations have already received government attention, and their report has the full backing of DEFRA's head of waste strategy, Simon Hewitt. Mr Hewitt said: “Partnership and dialogue are crucial to delivering sustainable waste and resource management. I therefore applaud the wide involvement of a broad range of stakeholders in creating this report.”
The government's PIU Waste Review will be released at the end of October 2002, a PIU spokesman confirmed.
A full copy of 'E;nabling Sustainable Waste Management' can be downloaded from the Environment Council website.
Subscribe for free