05 May 2011 UK central government will not impose recycling targets for local councils following its forthcoming Waste Review, according to environment secretary Richard Benyon's written response to a parliamentary question.
Asked by Jack Dromey, MP for Erdington, Birmingham, "What mechanisms are in place to aid local authorities in setting recycling targets which were formerly set by the regional spatial strategies?", Benyon said that it is for local authorities to decide what aspirations on recycling are appropriate for their area.
Currently both the Welsh and the Scottish regional governments have set a household recycling target of 70% by 2025, while Northern Ireland has confirmed a 60% target.
That leaves only those local authorities in England without any formal target. However, the UK as a whole has a national target of 50% by 2020 in accordance with the EU Waste Framework Directive. But does this situation leave the door open for local authorities in England to recycle less, with the UK relying on higher targets in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to meet the EU target?
Friends of the Earth's resource use campaigner, Julian Kirby thinks so, "EU law says the UK must recycle 50% by 2020, but unless England sets a national goal to ensure the average recycling rate rises even as some councils lag it looks very likely the 'greenest government ever' is planning to freeload off the greater ambition of its neighbours - every other UK country is aiming for 60% by then."
"Caroline Spellman launched the Waste Review saying she wants to see English recycling go 'much faster and go much further'. Given that, a year on, not one new council has expressed an interest in the RecycleBank scheme, you have to wonder how she plans on delivering on that ambition."
"England should go one better and aim to halve 'black bag' waste - saving cash and resources not just through recycling but also preventing waste in the first place," Kirby concludes.
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