§ Mr. SayeedTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of councils in the United Kingdom have separate recycling collections; and if she will make a statement. [8082]
§ Mr. MeacherThe latest available data for England and Wales for 1999–2000 show that local authorities operate a variety of collection schemes, through civic amenity sites, bring sites and kerbside collection. The168W percentages of local authorities that operate such schemes, over some or all of their area, for different materials are as follows:
Percentage Paper and card 97 Glass 97 Compost1 43 Scrap metal/white goods 55 Textiles 90 Cans2 87 Plastics 31 Other3 74 1 Includes organic materials (kitchen and garden waste) collected for centralised composting schemes from households via kerbside schemes or taken by householders to civic amenity sites. Home composting is not included. 2 Includes ferrous and aluminium cans 3 Includes oils, batteries, aluminium foil, books and co-mingled collections
§ Mr. SayeedTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what measures the Government have taken to meet their target of recycling two thirds of all household waste by 2015; and if she will make a statement; [8080]
(2) what steps the Government have taken to encourage businesses (a) to recycle waste and (b) to use recycled materials in the last three years; and if she will make a statement. [8081]
§ Mr. Meacher"Waste Strategy 2000" sets a target to recycle or compost at least 33 per cent. (one third) of household waste by 2015. It also sets out targets for doubling the recycling and composting of household waste in three years and nearly tripling it in five years. We have underpinned these targets by setting statutory performance standards for each local authority to achieve by 2003–04 and 2005–06. In due course we will consider setting further Statutory Performance Standards for later years taking account of technological advances.
In Spending Review 2000 we provided substantial financial support to local authorities to assist with delivering these targets including a substantial uplift in the relevant Standard Spending Assessment block. £140 million ring-fenced fund for waste and recycling; £40 million for the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP); and £220 million for Private Finance Initiative waste schemes. We expect that approximately £50 million of New Opportunities Fund moneys will also be available over the next two years to support community sector work on recycling.
WRAP has been set up to promote sustainable waste management by removing barriers to waste minimisation, re-use and recycling, and by working with businesses to create stable and efficient markets for recycled materials and products.
We have also imposed measures under the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 1997 (as amended), requiring certain businesses which handle packaging to recover and recycle specified amounts of packaging waste each year based on the amount of packaging handled by their business.
169WPackaging Regulations also include incentives for businesses to minimise the amount of packaging they use and businesses are being encouraged to look closely at the type of materials being used in the manufacture of their product and consider the benefits of using greater quantities of recyclate.
The recovery and recycling targets for 2001 under the packaging Regulations are 56 per cent. for recovering and 18 per cent. for material-specific recycling of packaging waste. We are currently consulting on recovery and recycling targets for packaging waste in 2002.