Recycling and waste
Taking action on waste is essential, since we are consuming natural resources at an unsustainable rate and contributing unnecessarily to climate change.
Each year we generate about 100 million tonnes of waste from households, commerce and industry combined. Most of this currently ends up in landfill, where biodegradable waste generates methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. And much valuable energy is used up in making new products which are later disposed of, so also contributing to climate change.
Latest news
- 1 July 2009: Opportunities for farmers in waste processing – read more in the July edition of Farming Link.
- 9 June 2009: New Packaging Strategy, Making the most of packaging, published.
- 23 April 2009: Chancellor announces additional £10 million funding for the development of anaerobic digestion.
- 17 February 2009: "Anaerobic Digestion – Shared Goals" and Task Group
- 12 February 2009: Updated REACH and recovered waste substances guidance
For further information on various issues surrounding waste, see the following sections:
- What happens to waste - What is waste?; Reduce; Re-use; Recycle/Recover; Disposal
- Types of waste
- Information for local authorities
- Producer Responsibility
- Waste Implementation Programme - Responds to measures recommended by the Strategy Unit report "Waste Not, Want Not" on local authority support; R&D; and waste minimisation, awareness and kerbside collection
- Licensing & Enforcement
- Statistics & Research - The annual Municipal Waste Management Survey and other material
- Community sector
- Contacts & Advisory Committees
See also
Page last modified: 1 July 2009
Page published: 5 February 2003