§ Mr. SheermanTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what household recycling levels have been attained in each year since 1997. [154245]
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§ Mr. MorleyThe annual Municipal Waste Management Survey, produced by the Office for National Statistics and Defra, shows the following household waste recycling rates for England:
Percentage 1996–97 7.5 1997–98 8.2 1998–99 9 1999|–2000 10.3 2000–01 11.2 2001–02 12.4
§ Mrs. SpelmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether home composting is taken into account in the setting of recycling targets at(a) local and (b) national level. [154294]
§ Mr. MorleyHome composting activity is not measured as part of the local authority best value performance indicator (BVPI) for composting. Its contribution to recycling and composting rates is therefore excluded from statutory performance standards for local authorities and from the national targets for recycling and composting. This is because there is not yet a workable and auditable method of calculating the amount of waste diverted through home composting schemes, or one which properly reflects the local authority's contribution to the activity.
The impact of home composting on reducing waste arisings is already reflected at a local level by BVPI 84, which measures kilograms of household waste collected per head of population. Local authorities are required to set their own local targets for BVPI 84 which has to be included in their Best Value Performance Plans. The Government have concluded a number of Local Public Service Agreements in which home composting activity contributes directly to the achievement of the local authority's target.
Home composting will contribute to achievement of both national and local targets under the Landfill Directive to reduce the amount of biodegradable municipal waste sent to landfill.
§ Mrs. SpelmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to include home composting in recycling figures at(a) local and (b) national level. [154300]
§ Mr. MorleyThe Government are working with expert bodies, including the Waste and Resources Action Programme, to develop a robust methodology to calculate the amount of waste diverted from the household waste stream through home composting schemes. If a workable and auditable methodology is found, the Government will then review whether and how home composting can be incorporated into future local and national recycling and composting figures.
The impact of home composting on waste reduction is already reflected at local level by Best Value Performance Indicator 84, which measures kilograms of household waste collected per head of population. Home composting activity will also be reflected in local 148W and national progress towards meeting targets under the Landfill Directive to reduce the amount of biodegradable municipal waste sent to landfill.
§ Mrs. SpelmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the Environmental Agency plans to audit all refrigerator recycling plants, with particular reference to those licensed to recover chlorofluorocarbons from the refridgeration circuit. [154307]
§ Mr. MorleyThe Environment Agency is auditing all the fridge destruction facilities. The audit will include an assessment of recovery of CFC from the refridgeration circuit.