Copy of response from DEFRA- Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

 

Charles Clarke MP

House of Commons

London

SW1A 0AA

 

From the Minister for Local Environment, Marine and Animal Welfare

Ben Bradshaw MP

 

Dear Charles

 

Thank you for your letter of 3 January to Phil Woolas on behalf of a number of your constituents about the recycling of waste from the commercial and voluntary sector. I am replying as the Minister responsible for waste and recycling issues.

 

It is true to say that recycling initiatives have, up to now, focused on household waste. This is because at the time our Waste Strategy was written, municipal waste management was the area in greatest need of immediate attention. Local authorities’ traditional dependence on landfill (at the time over 80% of municipal waste was sent to landfill) was in direct opposition to the UK’s commitment to the EU Landfill Directive. To fulfil our commitments with the resources available they had to be focused on the aspects of waste management most in need of attention.

 

Waste Strategy 2000 is currently being reviewed and part of this review will involve a greater focus on commercial and industrial waste. We are looking at whether there should be closer integration of municipal and commercial waste collection and treatment, and whether this would contribute to more efficient provision of services and facilities. We are also looking at the role of targets for commercial waste performance, considering the value of the existing targets and the merit in setting more in the future.

 

That is not to say that we have been ignoring commercial waste up to now. The current rate of landfill tax increased to £21 per tonne in April 2006, and we are committed to increasing it by £3 per year to £35 per tonne by 2011. In the Pre-Budget report the Chancellor announced that the Government will consider whether the standard rate of landfill tax needs to increase more steeply from 2008 onwards, or go beyond the £35 per tonne already committed to for the medium to long term, in order to encourage greater diversion of waste from landfill and more sustainable waste management options. As businesses pay for the collection and disposal of their waste, increases in the landfill tax escalator will have a direct impact on the cost of waste management and thus give them a stronger incentive to reduce and recycle more of their waste.

 

The Business Resource Efficiency and Waste (BREW) Programme has been developed to give £284 million raised through the landfill tax escalator back to businesses (from April 2005- March 2008) by providing them with free and independent support and advice to help increase profitability by sending less waste to landfill.

 

BREW funds several delivery bodies to carry out their work programmes. These were chosen after stakeholder consultation and include: Envirowise; The Waste Resources Action Programme; the National Industrial Symbiosis Programme; and The Carbon Trust. These bodies offer UK businesses free, independent, confidential advice and support on practical ways to increase profits, minimise waste and reduce environmental impact. They also look at creating links between businesses from different sectors to find sustainable commercial opportunities and improve efficiency.

 

It is worth noting that recycling by UK businesses, according to the most recent Environment Agency report showed waste recovery rates were at record levels in 2002 with 45% of all business waste recycled or reused.

 

With best wishes,

 

BEN BRADSHAW.

 

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