Future of waste management

How we deal with our waste has become one of the most important issues for communities and councils. The UK’s over-reliance on landfill as a means of disposal has become a serious environmental problem. Methane gas emitted from landfill sites is one of the most damaging greenhouse gases. Although some can be captured and used to generate electricity, a significant quantity still escapes to atmosphere. European law requires us to reduce the total tonnages sent to landfill. Each Waste Disposal Authority has been given a maximum target tonnage. Fines of £150 per tonne will be imposed for any additional waste sent to landfill. These costs would have to be passed to council tax payers. It is, therefore, in everyone's interests to manage our waste more effectively.

Where does CSS stand?

CSS is leading current thinking on how strategic councils can deal with growing quantities of municipal waste. It commissioned research in 2001 to quantify the scale of the cost of treatment and disposal and has used this information to advise local and central Government.

CSS members recognise that the way ahead lies in treating waste as a resource and in much greater investment in new technologies. Achieving acceptance from local communities will require a sustained nationwide information programme and close local consultation on specific projects. This, with other recycling and waste reduction initiatives, will help to drive council recycling levels up from an average of 34.5 per cent in 2007/8 to over 50 per cent by 2020 as required by the Waste Framework Directive.

Such consultation – and, ultimately, progress – is facilitated by good waste management planning. CSS members advise their councils on Local Waste Plans and the new Local Development Frameworks. These documents provide the planning context for waste management facilities for all types of waste.

In addition, since municipal waste only accounts for 10 per cent of waste in the UK, CSS is keen that other sectors such as construction and demolition, and commercial and industrial waste are also encouraged to reduce the amount of waste they generate, whilst increasing their recycling rates. CSS is working with Defra’s Waste Strategy (2007) Waste Stakeholder Group to take this forward.

CSS believes that the Government should recognise that there is insufficient money in the Revenue Support Grant (RSG) to support the growing pressures on waste services budgets in councils. Originally using research undertaken by the CSS Research Fund in 2001, it has long argued that unless these resources are made available, the UK will not achieve its EU targets for diversion from landfill. CSS accepts that fines, the Landfill Allowance Trading Schemes (LATS) and Landfill Tax have an important part to play. However, it also believes that there should be a separate “waste block” within the RSG to indicate the significance of this area of expenditure, rather than incorporating it in the Environment Block.