HC Deb 22 February 1995 vol 255 cc197-8W
Mr. Bottomley

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will estimate the volume and the proportion not recycled of(a) coal waste, (b) domestic waste and (c) nuclear waste.

Mr. Atkins

The latest figures we have for coal waste are from Arup's report in 1991, "Occurrence and Utilisation of Mineral and Construction Wastes" which gives a figure of 45 million tonnes of annual arisings of colliery spoil of which around 94 per cent.—42.2 million tonnes—is not recycled.

The consultation paper "A Waste Strategy for England and Wales" published earlier this year, gives a figure of some 20 million tonnes of household waste being produced annually, of which 90 per cent. is landfilled, 5 per cent. is recycled and 5 per cent. is incinerated.

Information on radioactive waste produced in the United Kingdom can be found in the "UK Radioactive Waste Inventory 1991" which is in the Library. There is no separate figure for the proportion or volume of radioactive waste which is not recycled.