Fringe told “market pricing” is best approach to trade waste

The topic arose at the Climate Clinic fringe event, which also saw discussion of Conservative Party policy and renewable energy.

The trade waste discussion was prompted by Clyde Loakes, leader of Waltham Forest London borough council who asked for advice on what could be done to encourage local authorities to collect more recyclables from pubs and shops.

Responding, Baroness Young, chief executive of the Environment Agency, said that this was an important issue and she wished someone “would start out by telling the pub at the end of our road to recycle rather than noisily throwing glass into general skips”.

She added: “It does seem to me that getting the price signals right in the recycling and waste market is the best approach.”

The market approach was endorsed by Dirk Hazell, chief executive of the Environmental Services Association, who said: “There is a gathering consensus that it should be easier for local authorities to get involved in collecting commercial and industrial waste. If the market price signal is right, then I think this might well be the way to encourage shops and other premises to do the right thing.”

Tax

Earlier, the £8 per tonne per year escalator in the Landfill Tax had been highlighted by speakers as the major contributor to encouraging more recycling.

Asked about the green credentials of Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Mr Hazell pointed to how Mr Brown had raised the tax when he held the post of Chancellor. “You can't do much better than that realistically,” said Mr Hazell. “Personally, I'm very much heartened by this Prime Minister.”

On renewable energy and nuclear power, the Environment Agency chief executive warned that renewables should not lose out to nuclear because they were small projects. Baroness Young said: “It always seems easier to get money for concrete pouring larger projects and this attitude has slowed the growth of renewables.”