Secretary of State
for Communities and Local Government Eric Pickles 12 December 2011
The UK's organic waste industry has reacted angrily to news that the government's £250 million fund for waste collection is to be restricted to councils that intend to retain or return to weekly black bag collections.
According to the Anaerobic Digestions & Biogas Association (ADBA), in evidence to the Communities and Local government Select Committee, David Prout, the senior civil servant responsible for Localism, said that the fund "is about reinstating or retaining a weekly black bag collection".
Regarding this apparent ruling out of local authority schemes that propose a weekly separated food waste but fortnightly residual waste collection, the association said that in the wake of disappointing Treasury figures on economic growth this could be bad news for George Osborne and Chris Huhne.
According to ADBA, the Department of Communities and Local Government's plans could severely hamper the ability of the coalition government to be the 'greenest government ever' while reducing the UK's budget deficit in the midst of a recession.
In a statement that association said: "This preference for weekly residual waste collections has been maintained despite compelling evidence demonstrating that fortnightly residual waste collections not only boost recycling rates but are also cheaper and often preferred by residents. They also reduce the amount of food people throw away in the first place."
The association said that the anaerobic digestion industry - recognised by Defra this year as delivering the "greatest environmental benefit" of any option for food waste treatment - will meet to discuss these issues at the ADBA National Conference on 14 December, in a session entitled "Waste Collection, Gate Fees and the Impact of Eric Pickles."
Lord Redesdale, ADBA chairman and Liberal Democrat peer said:
"Green infrastructure has huge potential to provide the growth the UK economy so desperately needs - if it is supported by government policy. Anaerobic digestion (AD) offers a vast range of benefits, treating our waste efficiently and preserving our valuable resources, whilst at the same time building growth in the UK economy, creating 35,000 new jobs, generating renewable energy capacity, and tackling climate change.
"The government risks throwing away those benefits and increasing council tax bills if they pursue weekly residual waste collections at the expense of separate food waste collections. The value of our recycled waste is much higher when source-segregated as the quality of each part is higher - especially when not contaminated with food waste," he added.
The UK's organic waste industry has reacted angrily to news that the government's £250 million fund for waste collection is to be restricted to councils that intend to retain or return to weekly black bag collections.
According to the Anaerobic Digestions & Biogas Association (ADBA), in evidence to the Communities and Local government Select Committee, David Prout, the senior civil servant responsible for Localism, said that the fund "is about reinstating or retaining a weekly black bag collection".
Regarding this apparent ruling out of local authority schemes that propose a weekly separated food waste but fortnightly residual waste collection, the association said that in the wake of disappointing Treasury figures on economic growth this could be bad news for George Osborne and Chris Huhne.
According to ADBA, the Department of Communities and Local Government's plans could severely hamper the ability of the coalition government to be the 'greenest government ever' while reducing the UK's budget deficit in the midst of a recession.
In a statement that association said: "This preference for weekly residual waste collections has been maintained despite compelling evidence demonstrating that fortnightly residual waste collections not only boost recycling rates but are also cheaper and often preferred by residents. They also reduce the amount of food people throw away in the first place."
The association said that the anaerobic digestion industry - recognised by Defra this year as delivering the "greatest environmental benefit" of any option for food waste treatment - will meet to discuss these issues at the ADBA National Conference on 14 December, in a session entitled "Waste Collection, Gate Fees and the Impact of Eric Pickles."
Lord Redesdale, ADBA chairman and Liberal Democrat peer said:
"Green infrastructure has huge potential to provide the growth the UK economy so desperately needs - if it is supported by government policy. Anaerobic digestion (AD) offers a vast range of benefits, treating our waste efficiently and preserving our valuable resources, whilst at the same time building growth in the UK economy, creating 35,000 new jobs, generating renewable energy capacity, and tackling climate change.
"The government risks throwing away those benefits and increasing council tax bills if they pursue weekly residual waste collections at the expense of separate food waste collections. The value of our recycled waste is much higher when source-segregated as the quality of each part is higher - especially when not contaminated with food waste," he added.
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£250 Million Fund for Return to Weekly Refuse Collections
The UK government is to make £250 million available to encourage local authorities to return to weekly refuse collections.
What's Stopping AD Supplying 1% of UK's Power?
Feedstock security, public perception and finance are the three interlinked foundations that will be key to Anaerobic Digestion (AD) achieving its potential in the UK market.
OFT Study into Organic Waste Seeks Increased Competition
Following a recent market study, the UK's Office of Fair Trading has made recommendations intended to promote increased competition and efficiency in the treatment of organic waste.
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