HC Deb 07 April 1998 vol 310 cc143-4W
Mr. Bennett

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) how many(a) local authority collection schemes, (b) collection banks and (c) sorting and baling facilities are available in England and Wales for the recycling of plastic bottles; and how many properties have household or kerbside collection of plastic bottles; [37729]

(2) how many collection sites there are in England and Wales for the recycling of plastic vending cups; [37730]

(3) how many banks there are in England and Wales for the collection of (a) glass bottles and (b) paper. [37728]

Angela Eagle

The provision of bring sites and separate collection for any recyclables is for each Waste Collection Authority to determine within the resources they have available. The latest available figures are from the 1995–96 Municipal Waste Management Survey, published in December 1997. These show thatGlass: there were 11,424 bring sites provided by local authorities and in addition 570 civic amenity sites also accepted glass for recycling; 265,647 tonnes of glass were collected for recycling from these sources. Paper: there were 6,344 bring sites provided by local authorities and in addition 410 civic amenity sites also accepted paper for recycling; 289,857 tonnes of paper were collected for recycling from these sources. Plastics: there were 1,058 bring sites provided by local authorities and in addition 127 civic amenity sites also accepted plastic for recycling; 2,457 tonnes of plastic were collected for recycling from these sources. No figures are available that show the number of separate household or kerbside collection schemes which collect plastics. In total in 1995–96, bring sites, civic amenity sites and separate collection schemes yielded 3,500 tonnes of plastics for recycling.

No figures are centrally available on the number of sorting and baling facilities available for plastics. No central data of how many collection sites there are for the recycling of plastic vending cups are held.