LARAC calls for common waste diversion goal

Commenting following the allocation of final landfill allowances for waste disposal authorities last week (see letsrecycle.com story), LARAC called on Defra to take a common approach for both waste disposal and waste collection authorities.

English districts and boroughs without disposal responsibilities currently have only one set of waste targets to aim at, with recycling targets set for 2005/06.

LARAC – the Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee – has now warned of the discrepancies in the waste targets set for English county and district councils.

The Committee's new chair, Lee Marshall, said: “LARAC is concerned with how the waste collection authorities fit in. We don't want to see different targets being aimed at by the different councils. What hasn't been addressed is how the recycling targets will link in with the landfill scheme.”

Targets
Mr Marshall, who is also head of streetscene at Stratford-on-Avon district council, said collection authorities could have a residual waste target, rather than a recycling target.

He explained: “This would allow them to concentrate on the amount of residual waste that is collected and getting biodegradable material out of the waste stream rather than look to collect more dry recyclables which won't complement the landfill directive as much,” he explained.

Kitchen waste should now be seen as an important waste material for collection and composting, Mr Marshall added, with new technologies becoming available to address the Animal By-Products Regulation.

He said: “The animal by-products laws cut out kitchen waste for many councils, but we need to reduce the cost of processing kitchen waste. The new technologies programme run by the Waste Implementation Programme (WIP) will hopefully promote reprocessing from kitchen waste.”