Tackle commercial waste as well, says Environment Agency

The call came from Agency chairman Sir John Harman who told the Local Government Association conference on the future of waste management that strong leadership from Government was needed as well as a “broadening of thinking beyond the spotlight on household waste”.

Commenting on the Strategy Unit report, Sir John said:
“The report is only the start. We need to go further. We want to see the thinking broadened beyond the spotlight on household waste. The first real crunch is coming in industrial and commercial wastes – especially hazardous wastes.

“We need to act right across the full spectrum of wastes. The next five years will be crucial, because that is when important decisions need to be taken to guide future waste strategies. We need a co-ordinated and sustained effort. It took a decade to persuade us to wear seatbelts. It could take as long – if not longer – to shift our wasteful ways.”

Sharper increase

On the increases in the Landfill Tax proposed by the Chancellor in his Pre-Budget Report last week, the chairman said:
“I look forward to the consultation. There are important questions to answer. A sharper initial increase might provide much needed cash to plough back into developing more sustainable solutions to managing waste in the crucial early years of the strategy.

“The full implications of charging local authorities the tax need to be thought through. There are other forces which affect local authorities, such as the Landfill Directive and Best Value targets. Not so for business.”

Sir John said the tax is welcome as part of a range of regulatory and non-regualtory measures. On its own, however, an increase in the level of the tax would not stimulate demand for secondary materials, or directly influence household waste behaviour, he said. It might also increase the likelihood of fly-tipping at a time when the Environment Agency actually has less money available to enforce such illegal activity.

A range of economic instruments, including a more general waste tax, direct charging pilots for household waste, taxing raw material use and incentives to reward good practice should complete the picture, Sir John said.