News

The Westminster government, as well as the post-devolution Scottish and Welsh authorities, are stepping up efforts to divert waste from landfill. Simeon Goldstein compares policies and practices

ENGLAND

Total household waste recycling 2006/7: 30.9%

In England, waste collection and recycling are the responsibility of local authorities, and central government funding comes through the Local Government Finance Settlement (LGFS). The LGFS includes waste infrastructure capital grants from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), worth over £185m in the three years to 2010.

London, as the only completely urban region in the country, has its own Waste and Recycling Board that will receive £60m in Defra funding over the next three years.

The choice of recycling method is decided by the authorities themselves, and the Climate Change Bill, which is currently going through parliament, includes pilot schemes for waste collection charging.

Per cent recycled material by collection type (2006/7)

Kerbside
Glass: 70
Card/paper: 51.5
Metal cans:77
Plastics: 49

Bring bank/civic amenity
Glass: 29
Card/paper: 48
Metal cans: 22
Plastics: 51

Voluntary/private collection
Glass: 1
Card/Paper: 0.5
Metal cans: 1
Plastics: 0

Source: Defra

WALES

Total household waste recycling 2006/7: 26.6%

The Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) is to boost funding to recycling and composting schemes in the principality by an extra £93m over the next three years. This is part of WAG’s commitment to tackling climate change outlined in its Environment Strategy for Wales in 2006.

In December 2007, WAG announced almost £4.5m in funding for Cylch, the Wales Community Recycling Network, for the period 2007 to 2011. Cylch, which acts as a single point of reference for the sector, encourages participation in recycling schemes and provides services such as training, advocacy and marketing.

Per cent recycled material by collection type (2006/7)

Kerbside
Glass: 58
Card/paper: 65
Metal cans:81
Plastics: 71

Bring bank/civic amenity
Glass: 40.5
Card/paper: 33
Metal cans: 17
Plastics: 24

Voluntary/private collection
Glass: 1.5
Card/Paper: 2
Metal cans: 2
Plastics: 5

Source: Welsh Assembly Government

www.wales.gov.uk
www.cylch.org

SCOTLAND

Total household waste recycling 2006/7: 29.8%

In January, the Scottish Government announced a policy to improve recycling, divert waste from landfill and increase energy recovery. The “plans for a zero waste Scotland” set a new target of 60% of municipal waste to be recycled by 2020, and the government said that, over the course of 2008, it would develop a new National Waste Management Plan.

The Community Recycling Network for Scotland is working with the government to develop community schemes that will receive annual investments of £2.5m for the next three years. The money comes from the Zero Waste Fund that amounts to £41.1m in 2008/9, rising to £58.7m in 2010/11.

Per cent recycled material by collection type (2006/7)

www.scotland.gov.uk
www.sepa.org.uk
www.crns.org.uk