HC Deb 27 October 1971 vol 823 cc319-20W
31. Mrs. Monks

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimates he has made of the volume of domestic refuse disposed of for the years, 1968, 1969, 1970 and 1971.

Mr. Graham Page

I regret that information in the form requested is not available. The Department's Working Party on Refuse Disposal estimated in its report, which was published in April, that in England in 1970 house refuse, including trade refuse collected with it, would amount to about 14 million tons. They estimated the average annual increase in the weight of such refuse at not more than 1 per cent. per head between 1970 and 1980.

67. Mr. McCrindle

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what investigations have been sponsored by his Department into the possibility of reducing domestic refuse to make compost.

Mr. Peter Walker

Composting of house refuse is dealt with in the report, published last April, of the Department's Working Party on Refuse Disposal, who had the benefit of expert advice on this subject. The Working Party concluded that the composted refuse required a high rate of application involving high rates of transport and handling costs; that the processes were costly; and that some substances found in it, such as toxic metals, can be harmful to soil.

73. Mrs. Monks

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the capacity of the standard British dustbin; and what is the average family's weekly volume of refuse.

Mr. Graham Page

The capacity of a British standard dustbin is 1, 2½ or 3¼ cubic feet. The estimated volume of refuse from an average family is 2½ to 3 cubic feet per week.