§ Mr. WallerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about his target of reprocessing an increased proportion of domestic waste by the year 2000.
§ Mrs. Virginia Bottomley[holding answer 20 October 1989]: Waste minimisation and recycling are important in reducing pollution and conserving natural resources. Although the United Kingdom has a good record in certain areas—recycling lead, for example—there is much progress to be made in recycling domestic waste. We shall therefore be working with industry, local authorities and voluntary groups to secure a substantial increase in the proportion of waste being put to productive use with the aim of recycling half our recyclable domestic waste by the end of the century.
The improved controls over waste disposal, on which we hope to legislate shortly, will ensure that the costs of disposal are properly identified and compared with the costs of recycling. We are helping to support Wastewatch and projects such as Recycling City in Sheffield, which is using a range of separation, collection and recycling techniques. We shall also be working with industry to help encourage the market for recycled and recyclable products.