Speaking exclusively to letsrecycle.com, Julie Girling, MEP for South West England and Gibraltar, said she would welcome the opportunity to debate the proposals which were put forward in July’s circular economy package from the European Commission – describing the package as ‘both good and bad’ (see letsrecycle.com story).
Mrs Girling’s comments are likely to be welcomed by supporters of the proposals although the UK government has so far been cool over the 70% target idea. The low key UK official response comes as the future of the policy package itself is under review by the newly-elected Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and his Commission team (see letsrecycle.com story).
Review
Speaking on Wednesday (November 11), Mrs Girling said “I think that the way that the package has been produced is under scrutiny – we have not dealt with so many things at once before. I am looking forward to hearing more detail of where they [the Commission] think there may be opportunity to make it better. There are things in the package that I would be disappointed if they looked at and did not put back.”
Central among the measures are proposals for an increased target for Member States to recycle or reuse 70% of municipal waste by 2030, an increase on the current 50% by 2020 target. Despite comments from the UK government that it would not support the measure, Mrs Girling said she would welcome the 70% by 2030 target if it came to fruition.
She said: “If you look at the situation in the UK, we have already got local authorities who are close to achieving that. I have never heard an adequate answer to the question as to why some can and some can’t achieve it.
“I live in a high density locality in Brussels and they are very strict about where we put our rubbish. If you put anything recyclable in the bin they are very strict on it.”
Landfill
However, she was less enthusiastic about the prospect of a ban on waste to landfill, reasoning that in some instances, landfill can be more beneficial than energy from waste.
“In principle, a ban on recyclables going to landfill is something to support, but I am not sure it would be right to rubber stamp a ban on landfill [for all materials]. Landfill in somewhere like Holland is pointless. But it is different when you are talking about filling in a quarry in the Chilterns for example.
“The only two options for non-recyclable waste are then landfill and incineration, and we know in the UK it is difficult to get incineration off the ground. In Europe it is socially acceptable, but in the UK we have never got to that point.”
Mrs Girling also argued that greater incentives for local authorities, in the form of increased funding from government, could help to stimulate advances in recycling rates. She added that this could act as a spur for councils to meet any future targets that may be set.
“As far as I know there has never been a financial incentive for meeting these targets. It has always been a stick and not a carrot. I would like to see those authorities making good progress towards these targets getting perhaps some financial incentives. Perhaps where they are under pressure they could return more of their business rates.”
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