Wales’ First Minister Carwyn Jones and Environment Minister Jane Davidson raised important discussion points at the launch of Wales’ new waste strategy, Towards Zero Waste, recently. They argued that the effort to boost recycling rates does not go far enough and that the focus needs to be on encouraging people to consume and throw away less.
Statistics show that the average household in Wales spends £50 per month on food which is thrown away, and 90% of everything bought becomes waste within six months. The aim of the new scheme is to achieve financial and environmental benefits for Welsh citizens by dealing with these problems.
Environment Minister Jane Davidson, who has driven the development of the new plans, said: ‘We must change our attitude towards waste because we cannot continue as a “throwaway” society sending our rubbish to landfill… Wales is already ahead of the curve, for example in the way that every local authority in the country offers a food waste collection service. Our new strategy builds on this good work… I am proud of what we have already achieved here in Wales, but now is the time to raise our ambitions. These plans are, I believe, among the most progressive anywhere, and I urge everyone in Wales to do their part so we can all feel the benefits.’
See also EU biowaste directive debate continues
