The Local Authority Recycling Advisory
Committee (LARAC) has criticised Defra's Waste Management Plan for England as
lacking vision, claiming that waste disposal levels could increase as a result
of its implementation, cardboard
collections specialist Collect and Recycle (http://www.collectandrecycle.com)
reports.
The Committee, which represents 75 per cent of
the UK's local authority recycling officers, declared the document to be a
"missed opportunity", slamming the safe approach of the Department
for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
July saw the release for consultation of
Defra's Waste Management Plan, which provides an overview of England's waste
management infrastructure and evaluates how support will be given for the
proper implementation of the Waste Framework Directive's (WFD) objectives by government
policy. The development of a Waste Management Plan is required under the WFD.
LARAC policy team member Andrew Bird wrote the
Committee's consultation response, signalling its members' approval of any
proposals seeking to improve the quality of UK recycling in addition to, where
possible, avoiding the export of material abroad. However, it expressed concern
about the risk of a "disjointed" UK-wide approach to waste policy as
a result of the "decentralised" approach of leaving interpretation of
the WFD to the devolved governments.
The
group commented: "LARAC feels that as the plan doesn't introduce any new
measures or policies, on the face of it should not introduce any additional
financial burdens for Local Authorities.
"However
we feel that the approach across the UK of handing down responsibility for
interpretation of the Waste Framework Directive, whilst laudable from a
decentralization point has none the less created a confusing and disjointed approach
to developing Policies and targets. Evidenced is now emerging in the
performance of recycling between England and the other devolved governments of
Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland."
LARAC
also expressed fears that England was seeing largely stagnating recycling
rates, with a heightening in the level of disposed-of residual waste being
recorded for more than half of local authorities in 2012/13. The knock on
effect of such a "new trend" is that waste disposal costs increase
for councils at a time when they are already experiencing considerable
financial pressure.
The
Committee pointed to the absence of any new waste management measures in
Defra's Plan as a sign of a "lack of vision" that could lead to
increased waste disposal levels. It said that the waste and recycling industry
was a growth area, drawing attention to the forecast 3.1 per cent growth in the
Resource and Waste Management sectors, as well as a rise in growth in more
specialist waste like WEEE,
in the government treasury's own figures.
LARAC
said that there would be numerous benefits of a more challenging plan,
including "the circular economy everyone wants to see", even greater
growth in UK recycling and more
jobs. It's certainly an interesting response from a significant waste
collections stakeholder, and here at Collect and Recycle (http://www.collectandrecycle.com),
we'll pay close attention to the latest developments relating to Defra's Plan,
as they happen.
Editor’s
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Jumping Spider Media. Email: info@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959
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