§ Chris GraylingTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the amount of waste going to landfill. [72379]
§ Mr. MeacherEnvironment Agency data from 1998–89 indicate that around 57 per cent. of waste produced by households, commerce and industry (including construction and demolition) is landfilled in England and Wales. 2000–01 figures for municipal waste in England show 78 per cent. going to landfill.
The UK still landfills too great a proportion of its waste; this is neither sensible nor sustainable. However, in view of local authority recycling and composting targets, the forthcoming Landfill Directive targets to reduce the landfill of biodegradable waste and additional targets for the reducing the landfill of industrial and commercial waste, we would expect to see disposal to landfill to begin to decline over the next few years. Following the publication of the Strategy Unit's waste strategy review, the Government will consider what further action it can take to assist in this process.