Speaking at a Labour Party meeting in the north London constituency of Hornsey & Wood Green last night (April 14) the MP for Garston and Halewood also suggested that a Labour-led government would offer more support to councils in meeting the 50% by 2020 recycling target.
Ms Eagle was speaking at the event hosted by the local Labour candidate Catherine West, a former chair of the London Council’s Transport and Environment Committee and Islington council leader.
Asked how a Labour government would seek to ensure that the UK would meet the statutory recycling target by the end of the decade – which it is currently in danger of missing – Ms Eagle said: “This [recycling] is another area that the current government has not shown leadership. 18 months ago the minister announced that they would step back because they didn’t think there was any market failure.
“Big industry is crying out for proper leadership from government to find out how to deal with these issues. What we have had is a stepping back from responsibility for policy making across Whitehall. And you wonder why there is some sort of vacuum in policy making? We can’t have that in future.”
Recycling rates
Turning to what a Labour government would do differently if elected, she hinted that local authorities could be given assistance in boosting flagging recycling rates.
She said: “We have to take responsibility for setting a framework so local authorities know the best way of doing this. Businesses know there is enormous potential for green growth in this field and they are extremely frustrated.
“This is not rocket science, we need to believe in the efficicacy of government to set a framework and a forward plan that can give certainty and get on with understanding the value of the circular economy.”
The Shadow Minister was also asked about the role of incineration in waste treatment in future, with a number of the activists in attendance at the meeting having opposed the use of energy from waste in north London. She suggested that Labour would seek to maximise recycling over the widespread use of EfW.
Ms Eagle said: “The way of the future is not to incinerate, it is to see waste as a resource – because that is what it is. With resource scarcity increasing in the future it just makes enormous sense.”
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