§ Lord Trefgarneasked Her Majesty's Government:
What guidelines exist for local authorities relating to their duties to collect household waste. [HL3943]
§ Lord WhittyLocal authorities' duties to collect household waste are set out in the Environment Protection Act 1990.
Guidelines on the classification of waste, what waste should be collected and the charges for the collection 154WA of certain items were included in a joint circular from the Department of the Environment, the Welsh Office and the Scottish Office Environment Department published on 21 May 1992 following the coming into force of the Controlled Waste Regulations 1992.
Guidance on municipal waste management strategies, published in March 2001, sets out the statutory performance standards that local authorities must meet for 2003–04 and 2005–06 in respect of the recycling and composting of household waste, The guidance is on Defra's website.
Defra began a consultation on 5 July on draft guidance to assist waste collection authorities in implementing the Household Waste Recycling Act 2003 which requires local authorities to collect at least two types of recyclable waste separate from the rest of the household waste they are required to collect by 2010. We hope to publish the guidance before the end of the year. Copies of the Household Waste Recycling Act 2003 and the draft guidance are in the Library and on Defra's website.