Recycling (Hansard, 22 February 1996)

Mr. Alan W. Williams
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are his latest estimates of the percentage of(a) paper, (b) glass, (c) aluminium and (d) iron currently recycled in the United Kingdom; and what are the Government's targets for 2000. [15535]

§ Mr. Clappison
In 1993, the percentage of waste paper, glass, aluminium and iron recycled in the United Kingdom was as follows: paper; 32 per cent. glass, 29 per cent.; aluminium, 29 per cent. and iron, 42 per cent. The figures are expressed as a proportion of consumption and encompass all sources of these materials.
The EC directive on packaging and packaging waste sets an overall recovery target for packaging waste of 50–65 per cent. with an overall recycling target of 25–45 per cent., and a minimum of 15 per cent. for each material, to be achieved by 2001. The Government's producer responsibility initiative has led to a number of industries setting themselves re-use and recovery targets, to be achieved by 2000. These include recycling 58 per cent. of packaging waste, recycling 50 per cent. of aluminium cans and 37 per cent. of steel cans, recycling 50 per cent. of glass containers and recovery of 90 per cent. of end-of-life vehicles. It is anticipated that these targets will contribute substantially to raising the overall recycling rates for paper, glass, aluminium and iron.

§ Mr. Chris Davies
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what official data are collected to identify proportions of waste recycled by(a) material and (b) local authority. [15434]

§ Mr. Clappison
No official data are collected centrally at present. However, information on the proportions of materials recycled is collated by relevant trade associations. Summaries of these data, where their provenance is clear, are published by the Department in the "Digest of Environmental Statistics". Information on local authority recycling is collated by a range of organisations, including the Audit Commission.
In line with the targets set in "Making Waste Work", the Government's strategy for sustainable waste management, the Department is working with the Environment Agency, local authorities and other organisations to improve the quality of information available centrally.