Organisations including the Renewable Energy Association (REA) criticised politicians both in the Labour Party and the current government for their lack of foresight on bans – which they claimed would become essential in light of depleting landfill capacity.
The comments came as the Labour Party debunked claims made by the Conservative Party this week that it intended to implement a food waste ban to landfill at a projected cost of £477 million (see letsrecycle.com story).
The Party attributed the assertion to to an ‘out of date quote’ made by former shadow environment secretary Mary Creagh, who said Labour was ‘looking seriously’ at including the policy in its manifesto.
Commenting on the decision, technical director of the REA Jeremy Jacobs said he had held ‘high expectations’ that Labour would have used the election as an opportunity to challenge the current thinking in government.
He said: “We had high expectations, and this is very disappointing news. When we have Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all taking steps to reduce biowaste in landfill, England continues to sit on the fence and does very little.
“By encouraging the recycling of this material it provides investment and confidence in the sector, which is important. Labour should also be thinking beyond relatively small cost boundaries and looking at the environmental impacts.”
Changing tactics
Meanwhile, Philip Simpson, commercial director of ReFood, added that changing tactics over landfill tax revenue was a ‘short-sighted’ approach to the issue.
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He said: “Labour’s backtrack on banning food waste to landfill is hugely disappointing news for the entire waste management sector. In the next five years, landfill sites across the UK will be nearing capacity, which makes minimising the volume of unnecessary waste and increasing recycling figures absolutely essential.
“Changing tactics due to a lack of revenue from landfill tax is a short sighted approach, ignoring the monies that could be raised by having a ban in place. In providing stimulation to a growing industry with a guarantee of feedstock, new businesses, more recycling contracts and more employment will generate their own taxes for the public purse.”
Disappointment
And, Matt Hindle, head of policy at the Anaerobic Digestion & Bioresources Association (ADBA), also voiced his disappointment.
He said: “We’re extremely disappointed by Labour’s apparent decision to drop its commitment to ban food waste from landfill. Wasting food & drink costs each UK household about £500 every year, and using AD can offer local authorities and businesses real savings in landfill tax and gate fees. If inedible food waste was recycled through AD, the industry’s capacity would increase fivefold – reducing carbon emissions and generating clean, constant renewable energy.”
When contacted by letsrecycle.com, a Labour Party spokesperson said that the Party had not backtracked on a landfill ban – as it had not been agreed at the 2014 National Policy Forum.
- To find out about the latest issues in the organics recycling sector, be sure to attend the Organics Recycling conference 2015. For more information, click here.
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