Recycling target cap could mean “foot comes off pedal”

The government announced on Thursday that councils previously set targets to recycle more than 30% of their household waste will now only need to reach the 30% mark by 2005/06 (see letsrecycle.com story).

” I would urge LARAC members not slow their efforts down. “
– Andy Doran, LARAC
The decision by Defra to cap targets came after Secretary of State Margaret Beckett said she was “confident” of meeting England's first-ever national recycling target for household waste, 17% by 2003/04. New figures for 2003/04 are expected later this month.

LARAC – the Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee – commended Defra for the 30% cap, calling it “a reward for those who have been willing to invest resources in an effort to produce high recycling rates”.

However, the Committee also warned that the move to cap recycling targets could mean the “foot comes off the pedal” for some high-performing councils. 103 councils are affected by the recycling cap, with councils like Daventry and Lichfield already achieving household waste recycling rates above 40%.

LARAC chair Andy Doran said: “I am pleased that the innovation and willingness to take risks by the high performing authorities has been rewarded with a capping of their targets. However I would urge LARAC members not slow their efforts down and believe they should all continue to push forward the boundaries of recycling as they have been doing.”

LATS
The Committee also welcomed the decision to reduce potential fines under the Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme from 200 a tonne to 150 per tonne.

Mr Doran said that several of the high-performing councils might feel “disgruntled that the goalposts have been moved at this late stage”, but pointed out that they would feel the benefits of high recycling rates through the forthcoming Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme.

Grant
Defra's new 260 Waste Performance and Efficiency Grant, also announced on Thursday, received LARAC's blessing for its “three-year certainty” for local authorities. The fund will reward councils with grants that are not ring-fenced for recycling, but recognise and incentivise high recycling performances.

LARAC said the grant scheme would “allow local authorities to budget more effectively and accurately and means they will not have to divert resources away from service provision in to making bids”.

However, LARAC did have some reservations about the government's “desire to push authorities down the partnership route”, suggesting that funding for years two and three of the scheme should not be distributed via waste disposal authorities only.

Andy Doran, Chair LARAC, said “LARAC fully supports the good examples of partnership working taking place across the country but there should not be an automatic assumption that a partnership will deliver the desired results everywhere. It should be up to the authorities concerned whether they feel pooling of the grant would provided the best results for their area.”