Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Reducing the Reliance on Landfill in England

HC 212, Fifty-seventh Report of Session 2006-07 - Report, Together with Formal Minutes, Oral and Written Evidence

Author:

House of Commons - Committee of Public Accounts

Publisher:

TSO (The Stationery Office)

In landfill sites, biodegradable materials such as food, vegetation and paper generate methane and other emissions to the soil and water which can be harmful to health. The European Union introduced a Directive in 1999 which set maximum allowances for the tonnage of biodegradable municipal waste that each Member State could send to landfill from 2006 onwards.

Waste collection and disposal is a key responsibility of the 388 local authorities in England and the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has to work closely with them to enable the UK to comply with this Directive. Non-compliance could result in a fine of up to £180 million a year. The UK's historic reliance on landfill led to a four year extension to the timetable but Defra took no effective action until 2003. Although 2005-06 saw a reduction of 2.3 million tonnes against the previous year, a further reduction of 4.9 million tonnes will be required to comply with the 2013 maximum allowance set by the EU.

Much of the progress made has involved an increase in recycling, due to public enthusiasm, but manufacturers and retailers continue to use large amounts of packaging. Recycling alone will be insufficient to comply with the Directive and new infrastructure - energy-from-waste plants which incinerate, anaerobically digest, or compost waste to generate electricity - will be necessary. However, such plants are unpopular: they typically take nine years to become operational and there is a significant risk that many will not be ready in time.

Extent	55 pages	ISBN	9780215036919
Size	A4	Price	£12.00
Binding	Paperback	Published	30 Oct 2007
Availability	Colour copy: 3 - 5 days	Delivery	Delivery options and charges

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