London Councils response to the government's waste strategy

Commenting on the launch of the government's new waste strategy (Thursday 24 May 2007), Chairman of London Councils' Transport and Environment Committee, Cllr Daniel Moylan, said:

"We welcome the fact that the government has decided to update its waste strategy, which is now seven years old.

"London's boroughs are committed to boosting recycling and share the government's aim of cutting the amount of waste sent to landfill. However, we believe that the government's continuing reliance on crude recycling targets is misdirected and lacks imagination. We fear the proposed new targets for recycling will be unworkable in London and other major cities, because of the high proportions of flats and multi-occupancy homes, coupled with a highly mobile population.

"London Councils believes that recycling targets distract from the pressing need to focus on waste minimisation. London Councils is pleased that government has sought to introduce a greater focus on waste prevention through a target to reduce the amount of household waste not re-used, recycled or composted. However, London Councils would rather have seen a more direct waste minimisation target, to reduce all household waste at source - not just the residual element.

"London Councils is concerned that the waste minimisation remains the Cinderella option in terms of resources and incentives despite continuing to appear at the top of the government's hierarchy for the management of waste. If households knew that there was an upper limit to the amount of non-recyclable waste they could put out, there could be a revolution in both attitudes and achievement.

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