Household recycling and composting rate in England increased to 31 per cent in 2006-07 from 27per cent in 2005-06 (the UK's recycling target for 2005-06 was 25 per cent), total municipal waste increased by 1.4% to 29.1 million tonnes, and total municipal waste to landfill decreased by 1 million tonnes to 16.9 million tonnes (data source: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs).
The UK is also committed to reducing the amount of biodegradable municipal waste in landfill sites, in accordance with European Directives.
We all need to put waste to good use, through re-using items, recycling, composting, and using waste as a fuel. We also need to choose products made from recycled materials and we should move away from sending waste to landfill sites to more sustainable waste management options.
The Government's vision for sustainable waste management is set out in The Waste Strategy for England 2007, published on 24 May 2007. A prime objective is to decouple waste growth (in all sectors) from economic growth and put more emphasis on waste prevention and re-use.
Government Offices bring together key regional stakeholders, influencing what they do to meet the Government’s waste strategy and interpreting and explaining the Government’s policies. They work with Local Authorities who may have difficulty in meeting recycle targets. Government Offices also have a key role through the planning system in identifying sites. More widely, Government Offices engage with partners to encourage business to be more resource efficient.
