Minister moots recyclables landfill ban in ‘zero-waste’ Britain plans

In a series of measures that have been welcomed by the packaging sector but attracted criticism from the national press, the minister revealed that a consultation would begin in January on the how a ban could work on compostable and recyclable waste, including cans and plastic packaging waste, going to landfill.

The measure, which was first floated as part of Defra’s packaging strategy published in June, is the key recycling step in a series of aims and measures outlined by Benn yesterday. They include:

• halve the amount of waste going to landfill by 2020;
• 75% of household waste will either be recycled or used for energy by 2020;
• all local authorities will be expected to collect all recycled items, including paper, card, cans, glass and plastic bottles and food;
• create six ‘Zero Waste Places’ around the UK that will develop ideas to reduce waste further.

Speaking at yesterday’s ‘A World without Waste’ conference, Benn said: “We need to rethink how we view and treat waste in the UK. Why do we send valuable items like aluminium and food waste to landfill when we can turn them into new cans and renewable energy?

“Why use more resources than we need to in manufacturing?  We must now work together to build a zero-waste nation – where we reduce the resources we use, reuse and recycle all that we can and only landfill things that have absolutely no other use.”

Boost to EfW
National newspapers have today focused on the possibility that households could be required to have six different bins for different materials and that householders could face fines for disposing of waste in the wrong bins.

However, packaging and waste spokespeople saw the measures as a boost to energy-from-waste.

British Plastics Federation director general Peter Davis welcomed the measures and has pledged the plastics industry’s support for Benn’s plans.

The plastics industry itself has recently revealed the Plastics 2020 challenge, which aims to eliminate the need for plastics to go to landfill.

Davis commented, “To achieve, we have to work with all stakeholders including national and local government. We welcome all councils being urged to collect plastics which could be banned from landfill.

“Used plastics are a valuable resource; we want to recycle them. If that doesn’t make economic or environmental sense then they should go to energy-from-waste to provide much-needed local energy.”

Dirk Hazell, chief executive of the Environmental Services Association, said: “We are still some way from the reliable route map to the correct implementation of EU waste laws that Britain needs. However, we are glad ministers now recognise the need for more British infrastructure to recover energy from waste.”

The Local Government Assocation, meanwhile, used yesterday’s summit to warn ministers that the cost of landfill tax is to rise by £1.1bn by 2013 and that the extra cost could hit other local authority services.

The association said that rather than pay the money in taxes it would be better spent on energy-from-waste plants or industrial-scale composting plants.

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