020 7001 600019th March 2010:
Hilary Benn, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, visited Bywaters’ Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) where he set out plans to sort more waste, save resources and cut greenhouse gas emissions. Hilary said: “too many everyday waste materials such as metal cans, wood, paper, and food end up in landfill when they could come to a fantastic facility like the one that Bywaters is running. There is a market for the material and an environmental argument for re-using and recycling them”.
“Waste comes from both businesses and households. I want to make it easier for us all to do the right thing and I am making it very clear that any obligation to sort waste would fall primarily on the waste collection authority and on businesses, and not the individual householder.”
We want to make the most of the materials and waste flowing through our economy at every step of the way. By thinking much more carefully about what we do with our waste instead of sending it directly to landfill we can expect to see:
- New markets for recycled products and recovered materials
- New jobs as the waste sector gets bigger over time
- Householders, businesses and councils saving money, by providing an incentive to prevent waste from arising in the first place
- A reduction in food waste; and more energy generated from waste.
The joint Defra and Welsh Assembly Government publication ‘Consultation on the Introduction of Restrictions on the Landfilling of Certain Wastes’ considers the case for restricting sending the following types of waste to landfill: paper and card; food; textiles; metals; wood; garden waste; glass; plastics; and electrical and electronic equipment. Materials such as these are welcomed at Bywaters.
Britain’s reliance on landfill is already reducing with people reusing and recycling more, via facilities such as Bywaters.
Click here to see Hilary Benn unveiling plans, at Bywaters, to reduce waste going to landfill.
Read a letter from Hilary Benn following his visit to Bywaters.
