§ Mr. AncramTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to reduce the need for landfill waste disposal and to make recycling of waste more financially attractive than disposing of waste in landfill sites.
§ Mr. MacleanWe have introduced, through the Environmental Protection Act 1990, tough new environmental standards for waste disposal which we expect to result in higher disposal costs. The same Act requires waste disposal authorities to divest themselves of their operations, ensuring that the full economic costs of waste disposal are reflected in prices. We have also introduced recycling credits so that the effect of higher landfill prices feeds through to those involved in recycling household waste.
We have recently published a report on "Economic Instruments and Recovery of Resources from Waste", a 162W copy of which is in the House Library. In the light of that report, we are considering whether any further changes to the economic framework for solid waste would be justified.