“Guidance on Municipal Waste Management Strategies” includes the new
statutory targets for all local authorities to double current recycling
and composting by 2003-04 and triple it by 2005-6.
The guidance, produced by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, also outlines local authorities' central role in delivering
sustainable waste management. Councils will need to plan their waste
services with other councils, citizens and other stakeholders to:
composting;
biodegradable waste.
The DETR says that Municipal Waste Management Strategies should be prepared “within the context
of the wider agenda for modernising local government. Having strengthened
the local authorities' position as leaders of their communities the
Government believes this will open up wider opportunities for extensive
partnerships across a range of functions and especially waste
management. Diversity in service provision is essential if local
authorities are to achieve the changes in performance to achieve higher
recycling rates.”
Publishing the new guidance Environment Minister Michael Meacher said:
“This guidance sets out the framework by which local authorities are now
being required to double domestic waste recycling within 3 years and treble
it within 5 years. These are statutory targets which are enforceable and we
will make sure that they are fully adhered to.”
The document also includes promised guidance on the Waste Minimisation Act 1998, and gives the finalised recycling/composting rates for all English authorities
in 1998/99 and the statutory performance standards derived from them.
All local authorities in England face statutory performance
standards to increase recycling/composting. These individual performance
standards will put us on course to reach the national target to recycle or
compost at least 25% of household waste by 2005, 30% by 2010, and at least
a third by 2015.
The guidance will be distributed to Chief Executives of local
authorities this week. It will be on the DETR web-site from mid March:
waste index.
Copies are also available from DETR Free Literature, PO Box 236,
Wetherby, West Yorkshire, LS23 7NB tel: 0870 1226236, fax: 0870 1226237.
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