BPF welcomes the Audit Commission's warning of massive European fines through failure to divert UK waste from landfill

BPF welcomes the Audit Commissions warning of massive European fines through failure to divert UK waste from landfill

Today the Audit Commission has warned the UK local authorities could face in 2013 £100 million in fines through failing to meet EU targets in diverting waste away from landfill. This could add £30 to a households Council Tax. The landfills of England and Wales will be full in seven years’ time, whereas those used for Londons waste in Essex, will soon be full. But still 72% of the UKs waste goes into landfill, which generates methane a dangerous greenhouse gas.

Peter Davis, Director-General of the British Plastics Federation welcomed the Audit Commissions warning as a "wake up call for our slow moving Government and local authorities".
He pointed out that the BPF do not want any used plastics going into landfill or being littered "its a valuable resource and should be recycled. Where that does not make environmental or economic sense it should go to Energy from Waste and provide much needed local energy".

Peter Davis said that plastics recycling was rising fast in the UK with for example 35% of plastic bottles from households recycled in 2007 compared to only 3% in 2001.

The Audit Commission were concerned at the slow progress in getting more Energy from Waste incinerators built for unrecyclables in the UK. They call for a more mature, less ‘nimbyish’ debate on the value of EFW.

Peter Davis said, "We have only 25 EFW plants, far too few compared to our European neighbours ratio to population. The Government need to show some vigorous public leadership on the need for more EFW and speed up planning permission for all sizes of EFW plant, not just the big ones."

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For further information on this press release, please contact Philip Batten, British Plastics Federation, 6 Bath Place, Rivington Street, London, EC2A 3JE, tel 020 7457 5007, fax 020 7457 5045, email: [email protected]
Notes for editors

1) British Plastics Federation (BPF) is the UK trade association for the plastics industry – representing the whole supply chain including polymer producers, distributors, additives suppliers, machinery manufacturers, processors and recyclers.