Local authorities have statutory responsibilities for collection and disposal of household waste. Historically, household waste has been taken to landfill sites. However:
- landfill capacity is running out
- it can cause air, soil and water pollution and
- decomposing waste generates methane - a ‘greenhouse gas’
Key Issues / Policy Context:
The Assembly’s new waste strategy, Towards Zero Waste, charts a path zero waste by 2050. By 2024/25 it wants 70% of municipal waste to be recycled and the remaining (residual) 30% to be dealt with by high efficiency Energy from Waste plant. It expects residual waste to decline steadily over time - e.g. reduced product packaging and more ‘eco-designed’ products (which maximise reuse potential at end of life).
The strategy has been developed to meet European, U.K. and Welsh legal/policy requirements. Central to these are the waste hierarchy: waste prevention and reduction first, followed by reuse (e.g. charity shops, Freecycle) and, then recycling and composting.
Financial penalties for non-compliance apply only at the latter end of the hierarchy:
- Reducing Landfill: Under European and domestic legislation, local authorities must reduce biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) sent to landfill – or face fines (covers food waste, paper, card and green waste). Authorities met the target for 2010. The next target year is 2013 when the amount of BMW going to landfill must be half that in 1995. Recycling paper/card and composting green waste helps to achieve the target. However, as targets rise, local authorities are introducing food waste collections and procuring treatment facilities to convert it into compost and biogas.
- Increasing Recycling: From 40% in 2009/10 to 70% by 2024/25, WAG has set interim targets of 52% by 2012/13, 58% by 2015/16 qnd 64% by 2019/20. Under a proposed Waste ‘Measure’ these targets will become statutory, with penalties if they are not met. Authorities are introducing new collection systems for recycling, alongside food waste collections. Some are collecting residual waste fortnightly and/or in smaller bins to encourage recycling. WAG is currently consulting on a Municipal Sector Plan that includes proposals for local authorities to consider in working towards the strategic objectives/targets.
WLGA Views:
Welsh councils have made good progress reducing BMW to landfill and increasing recycling. They are working in consortia to procure treatment facilities for food and residual waste. WLGA offers improvement support to authorities, including benchmarking information and identification of good practice.
Local communication campaigns to increase participation by residents have been supported at national level by Waste Awareness Wales, based within the WLGA.
The WLGA supports many aspects of WAG’s approach to waste. However, it believes the recycling targets will be difficult to achieve unless progress is made on packaging, eco-design etc - beyond the control of local authorities. It disagrees with the proposal for statutory targets and penalties. It has concerns about the MSP proposals which would result in WAG prescribing approaches. Having set targets, WLGA believes local authorities should be left to determine the best way of achieving them, taking account of local circumstances and residents’ views.
For more information contact: Tim Peppin