The minister addressed a range of issues in a passionate and hard-hitting speech to the North West Regional Waste Conference last Friday. He said that the UK needs to face up to its waste crisis and should not seek to use a derogation from the EU landfill directive.
Warning that the UK, currently landfilling about 33 million tonnes of municipal waste per annum, is running out of landfill and had only 14 years left to meet EU targets, he went on to talk of the task ahead. “The directive requires by 2016 that we reduce the amount landfilled to nor more than 35% of 1995 levels. At the moment we landfill 80-85% of waste and this reduction is one hell of a challenge. There is a possible derogation if we care to use it but I don't think it is a good thing for a big country in the EU, such as the UK, to have to use it.”
On sustainability he asked: “is it sustainable for us to put most of our industrial and household waste into a hole in the ground which contains masses of material, contaminated food, broken glass, white goods and then to cover it with earth? That has got to change.”
As for the prospects for achieving change, Mr Meacher identified government actions on three fronts. The first is the targets and implementation of the Landfill Directive. The second is money to make sure the plans happen, and the third is market development, through WRAP, the Waste and Resources Action Programme.
Stern message
Having explained the targets the minister delivered a stern message to local authorities. “If you don't do it, there will be penalties, like schools and hospitals. We'll give you the tools, the powers and the management and if you don't do it we will put in somebody who can.”
On funding he reiterated the government's message that money is available through the normal funding package for councils but also through 140 million which has been specifically allocated for recycling. And, having noted how his own authority Oldham had an abysmal recycling rate, he suggested how this money might be allocated and that the money could be targeted at poorer performing authorities. “My view is that there should be some kind of challenge fund, a bid, a business plan. My main thrust is to get up the low performing authorities, not just Oldham, but there are quite a few more at three or five per cent. That is where it will be allocated.”
Continued on page 2
Subscribe for free