§ Norman BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she takes to ensure that the incentives local authorities receive to collect paper by weight to meet Government targets are followed by action by those councils to ensure the method of collection is one which facilitates effective recycling. [127222]
§ Mr. MorleyEach local authority in England has been set statutory recycling and composting standards (targets) for 2003–04 and 2005–06. These targets relate to the percentage of household waste sent for recycling, not the amount collected. Individual local authorities are responsible for deciding how to meet these targets in the light of local circumstances which will include settlement patterns, waste characteristics and the market for recycling. Where authorities are contracted to supply paper (and other materials) to selected reprocessors, they will be required to supply materials in the form specified by the reprocessors, which will influence their collection practices.
Guidance on methods of collection which facilitate recycling should be based on sound data. The Waste Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has recently conducted an extensive survey with the aim of providing a baseline measure for the quality of paper reaching reprocessors from different collection methods. The results of this study are due to be published in Autumn 2003.