§ Ms WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) if he will list the amount, and proportion, of paper recycled by his Department in each of the last five years; [11531]
(2) what plans he has to introduce a waste minimisation strategy for his Department; [11529]
(3) if he will make a statement on existing targets set to minimise waste within his Department. [11530]
§ Mr. Tom ClarkeMy Department recycled approximately 32 tonnes of paper last year, but no records are available for previous years. Arrangements are now being made to record the proportion of all waste paper which is recycled.
As part of a green housekeeping strategy, my Department is committed to adopting the best environment practices wherever possible and practicable, including reducing the amount of waste produced and maximising that which is recycled. Initiatives already implemented include guidance to staff on paper-saving practices such as using electronic mail, double-side copying, and reusing envelopes, the installation of green bins to collect paper or cardboard for recycling and schemes introduced for the recycling of cans, plastic cups, and printer toner cartridges.
A waste audit was recently undertaken and we will use the results of the audit to help us set a target for minimising waste by the end of August.