Summary
Responsibility for household refuse collection and disposal
belongs to around 400 local authorities in England and the historical
development of such a disparate system means practice varies widely on timing
and frequency and the types of materials collected and recycled.
EU
landfill restrictions, designed to combat climate change, have driven a shift
towards greater recycling as councils seek to avoid paying substantial fines.
This Report
'Refuse
Collection' (HC 536-I) examines the range of collection methods used and
how these can help reduce the amount of municipal waste sent to landfill,
financing aspects of refuse collection, waste planning, financial incentive
schemes and the 'polluter pays' principle.
The Report finds that there is
no single waste collection system suitable for all local authorities across
England, given the range of local circumstances, but the challenges posed do
require a national response driven by a clear vision energetically communicated
from central government.
This includes the need:
- For best
practice guidance on information provision to householders on collection
methods (particularly alternative weekly collections)
- To promote
greater awareness in households of the need for food waste reduction
- To prioritise performance improvement in waste management within the
Government's new local government performance framework.
Other
recommendations include the need for further research into the public health
impacts of alternate weekly collections in order to satisfy public concerns
over the increased risk of vermin and pests and for wider application of the
colour-coded recycling system developed by WRAP (the Waste and Resources Act
Programme) to help reduce the differences in recycling practices across local
authority boundaries.
The Communities and Local Government Committee
supports the ability of councils to form joint authorities but raises concerns
over the Government's current plans for financial incentive schemes for
recycling.
It also recommends that, given the majority of waste is
produced by commercial, industrial and construction industries, the programme
of affordable recycling services for businesses is needed, especially for
small-medium enterprises (SMEs).
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