Contrary to some media reports, no new recycling targets are expected in the short term and nor is there thought to be any current legal action against the UK by the EU over municipal waste. However, the UK is facing prosecution over its handling of agricultural waste and it remains to be seen whether this year's packaging waste recycling and recovery targets are met.
Organisations attending the waste summit will include the Environmental Services Association, Friends of the Earth, energy trade association ASSURRE and local government representatives. But, the latter will not include Larac, the local government officers which is disappointed at not being invited.
Energy from Waste
Energy from Waste is seen as having a part to play within the waste strategy but is likely to be one of the most controversial areas of debate on Wednesday. One of the issues is that the strategy does in effect say that energy from waste can handle 15% of municipal waste as a target for 2010. This is because DETR opted to use the term “recover value from” within the strategy. The strategy implies that energy from waste could handle one third of municipal waste by 2015.
The relevant parts of the strategy are:
“The strategy sets challenging targets for better waste management
(Waste Strategy 2000 part 2 page 7)
Larac
Larac chair Paul Deakin said that his members had excellent knowledge of recycling and other waste management sectors and one representative should have been allowed to attend. “Our membership of more than 300 is drawn from all types of authority including statutory Waste Collection (WCA), Waste Disposal (WDA) and Unitary Authorities.”
In a summary of its thoughts which Larac has submitted to DEFRA for the Summit, the local authority officers say that one of the barriers to raising recycling rates is an inconsistent approach to policy from Government that sends no clear signal to local government or industry as well as a reluctance by Government to fully tackle industry with their producer responsibility requirements. And, Larac argues there is “an inflexible taxation system that does not allow local authorities to directly charge householders for the volume of waste they create.”
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