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25 Apr 2006 : Column 977W—continued
Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Regime
Mr. Illsley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what advice and support her Department provides to local authorities dealing with applications under the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control regime; [64151]
(2) whether her Department has mechanisms in place to ensure consistency in enforcement of the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control regime across local authorities. [64153]
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Mr. Bradshaw: Defra provides a range of support to local authorities in discharging their responsibilities under the Pollution Prevention and Control Regulations. These include the publication of statutory guidance, published advice on procedures and interpretations, and technical and other support in response to queries. All relevant written material, which is aimed at maximising consistency of local authority practice and assisting with effective and efficient discharge of their functions under this legislation, can be found on the Defra website at http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/ppc. It is necessary for the Department to exercise caution in advising on individual cases, because to do so might prejudice the decision on any appeal that might come before the Secretary of State.
Landfill
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her Department's estimate is of the number of cubic metres of landfill required for one tonne of waste. [63439]
Mr. Bradshaw: It would depend on the density of the waste. If my right hon. Friend would like to write to me with more details I will provide a fuller answer.
Recycling
Mr. Wills: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what (a) steps her Department has taken and (b) targets the Department has established to encourage Swindon borough council to recycle (i) domestic waste, (ii) commercial waste and (iii) plastic; and what percentage of waste was recycled in the Borough over the last five years. [61004]
Mr. Bradshaw: The information requested is as follows.
There are two targets for local authorities to achieve in respect of domestic waste.
The first is to meet the challenging national target set by the EU Landfill Directive.
By 2010 to reduce biodegradable municipal waste land filled to 75 per cent. of that produced in 1995
By 2020 to reduce biodegradable municipal waste landfilled to 35 per cent. of that produced in 1995.
This target is being delivered through a combination of measures/drivers designed to assist and encourage local authorities. In particular the Government have established the Waste Implementation Programme (WIP) with an aim of driving waste management solutions up the waste hierarchy, improving the sustainability of waste management. WIP delivers this through the following nine work-streams:
Recycling is towards the top of the waste hierarchy, together with minimisation and reuse, and each of the work-streams includes effort towards these areas.
Local authorities are responsible for meeting the EU targets and contribute individually to the overall target through compliance with the Local Authority Trading Scheme (LATS) scheme. This provides landfill allowance allocations for each authority and measures their performance against these targets. The scheme allows authorities to trade their allowances (buying, selling, or borrowing from future years) with penalties applied to those who fail to meet the scheme requirements.
The second target is the Defra PSA6 target to:
Enable at least 25 per cent. of household waste to be recycled or composted by 2005–06, with further improvements by 2008.
Although looking more widely than biodegradable waste this target focuses on household—rather than municipal—waste.
WIP monitors and assists with the delivery of this target in a number of ways but in particular through programmes of work delivered through WRAP, and the work undertaken by the Local Authority Support Unit programme.
The current targets, and therefore WIP remit, does not extend to commercial waste. Current policy is for local authorities to manage commercial waste through the usual commercial processes.
The Biodegradeable municipal remit of WIP does not extend plastics, however WRAP are using other Defra funding to engage with industry to develop recycling markets.
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Recycling/Composting Performance for Swindon borough council
The Recycling/Composting Performance for the last five years for Swindon borough council is outlined in the following table:
| BVPI 82a+b (recycling+composting) | |
|---|---|
| 2004–05 | 19.55 |
| 2003–04 | 15.4 |
| 2002–03 | 14 |
| 2001–02 | 13 |
| 2000–01 | 13 |
Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the average cost to local authorities of recycling a tonne of kerbside waste. [61298]
Mr. Bradshaw: DEFRA does not gather information on the cost of recycling kerbside waste. The cost of recycling will vary depending on a number of factors, including the collection method used by a local authority, the materials collected and the market for recycled materials.
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much funding Lancashire county council has received to support recyling in each year since 1997. [63197]
Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 18 April 2006]: The main source of funding for local authorities' waste management services is the Environmental, Protective and Cultural Services (EPCS) block of annual Government grant. It is for local authorities to decide what proportion of the block is invested in waste management services, including recycling. Funding is also provided from DEFRA and a variety of other sources to support sustainable waste management at a local level, including through partnerships with other local authorities. The amounts allocated to Lancashire county council are set out in the table.
(1)As part of a partnership with other local authorities.
Mr. Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what steps her Department is taking to increase the proportion of waste recycled by business; [63276]
(2) what estimate she has made of the proportion of waste recycled by business in the last 12 months. [63284]
Mr. Bradshaw:
Most recent data from the Environment Agency (2002–03) indicate that 44 per cent. of waste produced by business in England and Wales was recycled. This level of recycling exceeds what is being achieved for household waste, and is up from 37.5 per cent. in 1998–89.
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The Government have identified a need for further action on recycling by businesses and producer responsibility makes an important contribution to increasing recycling. The policy is aimed at ensuring that businesses take responsibility for the environmental impact of products that they place on the market, particularly once they become waste. Recent waste legislation, such as that implementing EC directives on packaging and end-of-life vehicles, places various requirements on producers, including recovery and recycling targets.
Government funding from the Business Resource Efficiency and Waste (BREW) Programme is another significant element of the Government programme to increase recycling by businesses, by funding resource efficiency and waste minimisation programmes. Various BREW delivery bodies are charged with returning £284 million, from additional landfill tax receipts, to business over three years.
Initiatives already under way to encourage recycling by businesses, under BREW and other programmes, include:
work by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), to improve the range and quality of recycled products and to increase the demand for them;
a WRAP-led pilot of sector-specific help for small businesses. Following this pilot, DEFRA will consider how recycling services for small businesses might best be developed;
the DTI Technology Programme, which facilitates research and development into resource efficiency, including in the area of waste management; and
the Environment Agency's pilot of an online internet service for small businesses: 'What do I do with my waste?'. The pilot is working as an extension to the Agency's existing guidance service for small and medium sized enterprises ('NetRegs').
The Government are currently reviewing its Waste Strategy for England. On 14 February 2006, DEFRA issued a consultation document on the review which suggested various proposals to increase business waste recycling and recovery. The proposals include a wider role for local authorities in fostering better recycling services for small businesses, better integrating municipal and business waste management and continuing to develop markets for recycled materials. The consultation period ends on 9 May. Following the consultation, DEFRA will issue a revised strategy which will take account of comments received from stakeholders.
The Government do not have an estimate of the proportion of waste recycled by business in the last 12 months. However, the Environment Agency estimates that 53 per cent. of all business waste regulated under the Pollution Prevention and Control (PPC) regime was recycled or re-used in 2004. DEFRA is developing a data strategy to provide future data on waste arisings and recycling.
Alan Simpson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what Government policy is on the recycling of batteries; [63518]
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(2) what plans she has to encourage companies to recycle the batteries which they (a) produce and (b) sell, with particular reference to batteries of three kilos or more. [63521]
Mr. Bradshaw: There is currently no legislative requirement to recycle spent batteries. However, the Government support the development of the proposed EU Batteries Directive as its objectives are consistent with those in the Government's Waste Strategy and Sustainable Development Strategy. Both aim to reduce the quantity of hazardous and non hazardous waste batteries going to landfill and increase the recovery of waste materials.
The proposed directive, which might be expected to come into force in the UK in 2008, sets targets for the collection and recycling of all waste batteries. We expect that producers of batteries will have collection and recycling obligations to meet. The exact form these may take will not be decided until the directive has been finalised and we have completed formal domestic consultation with all parties concerned. It is expected that producers will need to work closely with waste management companies and local authorities, among others, in order to collect and recycle waste batteries in line with the likely obligations under the directive.
Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the local authorities which have provision for battery recycling; and how many battery recycling schemes there are in England. [63519]
Mr. Bradshaw: DEFRA has commissioned the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) to work with 12 partner organisations in 13 local authority areas across the UK to trial the kerbside collection of waste household batteries. The following local authorities and organisations are taking part in the scheme in England:
The trial is likely to be extended in the future.
A number of local authorities currently provide collection facilities for spent batteries. These include:
In addition, a number of schools have become involved in the collection of spent portable batteries in Lancashire.
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many local authorities in England have made recycling compulsory. [63883]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Department does not hold the information requested. It is up to each local authority to decide how to go about meeting the challenging recycling targets in their local area.
Compulsory recycling will not be suitable for all local authorities, but Defra will watch those that try such schemes with interest. We are continuing to investigate options for influencing householder behaviour, with particular emphasis on positive incentives to help authorities encourage householders to reduce, re-use and recycle their waste.
Ms Diana R. Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to encourage local authorities to recycle plastic. [64098]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Government have set challenging household waste recycling targets for local authorities and is proposing to increase them as part of the current Waste Strategy Review consultation. 60 per cent. of English local authorities provided plastic collection facilities in 2004. The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) is supporting the efforts of local authorities by increasing domestic plastic recycling capacity and developing markets for recycled plastic products. WRAP'S ROTATE programme also gives local authorities free advice on collection programmes and local communications and awareness programmes. This will include advice on plastics recycling facilities if applicable.
Mr. Wills: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many recycling points there are per 1,000 population in (a) Swindon borough council area and (b) England. [64279]
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Mr. Bradshaw: Requested figures, based on 2003–04 DEFRA Municipal Waste Management Survey and 2003 mid-year population estimates, are shown in the following table:
| Recycling points per 1,000 population | |
|---|---|
| Swindon Borough Council | 0.24 |
| England | 0.41 |
Note:
Recycling points are civic amenity and recycling sites.
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