HC Deb 06 February 1992 vol 203 c230W
Mr. Win Griffiths

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the measures undertaken by his Department to achieve the target set for the proportion of household waste to be recycled by 2000; and what is the estimated impact of each measure.

Mr. Baldry

I refer the hon. Member to the document "This Common Inheritance—The First Year Report", published in September 1991. Since then we have published a report on deposit and refund systems for beverage containers and batteries. We have commissioned a major study of economic instruments necessary to encourage the recovery of resources from waste. These reports, together with the waste recycling plans now being prepared by every waste collection authority in the country, will enable us to assess the extent of any further action that we will need to take in order to achieve our aim of minimising waste and the target of recycling 25 per cent. of household waste by the end of the decade.