Welsh local authorities meet bio waste targets

Figures announced last week showed that every local authority in Wales met limits set by the assembly government on the amount of biodegradable waste it can send to landfill sites.

According to the Environment Agency Wales, as a whole Wales is currently within its 2009/10 target set by Europe.

Minister for environment, sustainability and housing Jane Davidson said: “These figures show clearly that nationally Wales is ahead of the target set for diverting biodegradable municipal waste from landfill, which in addition to reducing the amount of rubbish that goes into landfill also helps in the battle against climate change.”

She said local authorities in Wales now need to look at ways of recycling food waste in order to meet the next EU target set for 2013.

Earlier this year, local authorities were given an extra £15 million in recycling grants which they were advised to use to prepare for the separate collection and treatment of food waste.

Monmouthshire, Torfaen, Merthyr, Carmarthenshire, RCT, Bridgend and Swansea have already started to introduce food waste collection service.

Cardiff, Gwynedd, Isle of Anglesey, Conwy, Wrexham, and Blaenau Gwent are planning to start collections later this year or early next year.

2009/2010 is the first Landfill Directive Target year when Wales will need to report to the EU on its LAS performance. Any local authority who exceeds its targets will incur severe financial penalties.

Chris Mills, director of Environment Agency Wales, said: “The targets that local authorities have to meet are getting tighter each year. The more we can recycle waste from homes and businesses, the better. In the long run it will be cheaper, greener and will hopefully mean we see less landfill sites in Wales.”

Source: recyclingwasteworld.co.uk
url: http://www.recyclingwasteworld.co.uk/news/index.php?nID=639