Tories call for smarter approach to waste

Any business which produces waste should be made responsible for it

 
Peter Ainsworth

Speaking at the party's annual conference in Blackpool yesterday, shadow environment secretary Peter Ainsworth said that, everywhere he went, he met people who were “fed up with excessive packaging” – with food and toys “the worst offenders.”

However, rather than introducing financial penalties for residents who do not recycle, which is currently being considered as part of a government recycling “incentive scheme” (see letsrecycle.com story), he said that businesses who created the waste in the first place should be targeted as part of a “smarter approach to waste”.

He explained: “Of course we will not charge people for using supermarkets, but any business which produces waste should be made responsible for it, and that includes supermarkets.

“Unlike Labour, we will not punish householders for putting stuff in the bin that they never wanted in the first place, “he said. “But we will encourage those that recycle more.”

Quality

Mr Ainsworth's comments were delivered as part of a debate on the conclusions of the Conservative Quality of Life Policy Group, which last month published a report of recommendations for a green conservative agenda (see letsrecycle.com story).

In the report, written by Conservative green “champion” Zac Goldsmith and former environment secretary John Gummer MP called for more producer responsibility with regards to waste, and for waste minimisation to be the first priority.

Quoting the report, Mr Ainsworth stressed that if businesses made efforts to reduce their waste and packaging, they would save money as well.

He said: “As the Quality of Life Report makes clear, going green represents a huge economic opportunity.”

Other recommendations in the Quality of Life report, which were not covered by Mr Ainsworth's speech, included landfill and incineration bans for recyclable material and an £80 landfill tax to create a “zero waste economy.”

All the recommendations will be considered by shadow ministers for inclusion in proposals for a possible future Conservative government.