Lack of new waste technology could lead to Council Tax rises

The report, City Solutions: New and Emerging Technologies for Sustainable Waste Management, was drawn up during the Spring 2003 following a stakeholders discussion meeting in March 2003.

Currently, the only “bankable” new technology for the treatment of waste in London is Mechanical Biological Treatment, the report said. This was demonstrated through the PFI procurement process for the East Waste London Waste Authority contract with Shanks.

But the report warned that “complexities” surrounding the debate on the right balance of source segregated recycling and residual waste technologies could “obfuscate the development of a radically alternative approach to managing the capital's waste”.

Tax rises
Conducted by Associates in Industrial Ecology on behalf of the GLA, the report's key findings will help to inform the Mayor's draft Municipal Waste Management Strategy with regard to residual waste management.

Strong political commitment from the Mayor is demanded by the report, warning that the government's WET Bill – currently progressing through Parliament – could lead to Council Tax rises if the required action is not taken quickly.

The Bill will set limits on the amount of material local authorities can landfill each year, decreasing annually in line with the European Landfill Directive. The limits – in the form of permits – will be tradable so that authorities with high landfill rates will have to buy permits from those with low landfill rates.

Commenting on the dangers of the Bill for London, the report said: “Failure to act could result in Greater London being at the mercy of the prevailing market in tradable landfill permits, with potentially unfavourable knock-on implications where Council Tax is concerned.”

Information concerning new waste technologies is still “uncertain”, with existing environmental impact data “dated and of limited relevance” according to the report, which has called on DEFRA to make it a “matter of priority” to turn the situation around.

The report also called for greater customer-client contractual flexibility to promote revenue-sharing from the sale of secondary materials from London, to improve public-private sector relationships in waste. More shared public-private sector responsibility would be needed to spread the risk of new projects, it added.

For more information on the Waste and Emissions Trading Bill, see the letsrecycle.com legislation section.