European Parliament seeks to revive hopes of Biowaste Directive
The decision by the Parliament to adopt a report originally published in draft form by MEP Jose Manuel Fernandes in April 2010 (see letsrecycle.com story) comes just weeks after the Commission – which has responsibility for drawing up European legislative proposals – ruled out the possibility of any Directive being proposed, in the short term (see letsrecycle.com story). But, the Parliament said that separate legislation could offer “greater clarity, better monitoring and enforcement of implementation and legal certainty in this area”.
And, in a statement, it added: “The resolution emphasises that the separate collection of bio-waste needs to be stepped up to reach the targets for recycling and renewable energies and to help achieve the goals of the EU 2020 strategy, in particular resource efficiency. Lastly, MEPs urge the Commission and Member States to raise public awareness of waste prevention and recycling as well as to encourage and support scientific research and technological innovation in the field of bio-waste management.”
Welsh minister vote to adopt general principles of waste Measure
Welsh Assembly Members scrutinised the proposed law in a debate at the National Assembly in Cardiff, which would allow the WAG to implement landfill bans for certain materials, charge for single-use carrier bags and also introduce statutory recycling targets for local authorities (see letsrecycle.com story). And, while the ministers voted to support the general principles of the Measure, questions were raised over the lack of clarity given to issues such as the financial impact of the various elements of the Measure, such as potential fines for councils failing to attain statutory recycling targets.
Kirsty Williams, AM for Brecon and Radnorshire, said: “We are being asked to vote on legislation that could potentially impact on every single citizen, on every single local authority, on a variety of monitoring bodies and on businesses in Wales. We are doing so not knowing exactly who will be affected, how they will be affected or who will monitor the effectiveness and the compliance with this legislation.”
The debate represents the first stage on the journey of the Measure becoming enacted in Wales. A date for the next stage, which will see a committee considered proposed amendments to the Measure, has yet to be set.
AWM issues £2m funding to tackle West Midlands' C&I waste
Regional development agency Advantage West Midlands (AWM) has issued nearly £2 million in grants and funded business development support to help divert two million tonnes of commercial and industrial (C&I) waste from landfill by 2014.
The funding, which was administered by the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP), is part of a £5.4 million allocation by AWM designed to help tackle a projected 3.7 million tonnes capacity shortfall predicted in the West Midlands by 2021 (see letsrecycle.com story). The grants to 16 different waste and recycling businesses have been awarded during the first phase of the WRAP AWM programme. A further 21 businesses have received free business development support, tailored to help them improve their operations and increase their capacity.
Julia Turner, WRAP's AWM programme manager, said: “We're looking forward to starting the next phase and the feedback we've received from the industry has been vital in determining where the programme should now be focusing its support.”
William Tracey launches food and organics collections
The service is intended to coincide with the Scottish Government's Zero Waste Plan, which looks to reduce the two million tonnes of food and organic waste produced annually in the country (see letsrecycle.com story). Currently being rolled out in the region, William Tracey said material collected through the servie from clients' premises would be converted into electricity or fertiliser. And, once complete in summer 2011, the waste and recycling firm will look to send material to the 75,000 tonnes-a-year capacity anaerobic digestion facility in Ayrshire, which it is constructing in partnership with Scottish and Southern Energy.
Stuart Fraser, operations director at William Tracey, said: “Food and organic waste material is a major contributor to greenhouse gas and treating it as a waste is becoming more expensive as the Landfill Tax escalator increases by £8 per tonne every year.”
Cabinet Office list reveals pay of leading sector figures
The chief executive of the government's resource efficiency body the Waste and Resources Action Programme, Dr Liz Goodwin, earns between £160,000 and £164,999 a year, a list published last week (July 2) by the Cabinet Office has revealed.
The list also shows that the chief executive of regulatory body the Environment Agency, Dr Paul Leinster, earns between £195,000 and £199,999 a year. And, other senior figures at the Environment Agency are also revealed to be taking home six figure salaries, with chairman Lord Chris Smith receiving between £105,000 and £109,999 for a three day week, while director of resources Graham Ledward earns between £150,000 and £154,999 and David Jordon, director of operations is paid between £165,000 and £169,999.
The salaries were revealed in a list of 322 names of people working for non-governmental bodies, or quangos which the coalition government said it was publishing as part of its drive to make government “as transparent as possible”.
Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude said: “Today's release, along with previous publications listing high earning civil servants and salaries of special advisers, shows that transparency is fast becoming an integral part of everything we do. I believe this will not only increase accountability, but will lead to more efficient public service organisations.”
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