e-Digest Statistics about: Waste Data Hub

Waste Data Strategy

The Waste Data Strategy was published by Defra in April 2006 following a thorough consultation process.

The goal of this strategy, taken forward by Defra, the Environment Agency and the Welsh Assembly Government, was to provide a sound evidence base for the development, monitoring and evaluation of waste management policy.

This evidence base, at both national and local levels, was identified as essential for the development of effective waste strategies for household and other waste streams.

A key point of the chosen approach is that routine regulatory returns from all waste management facilities would replace the existing system of surveys as the principle source of data.

This approach was taken forward by the Waste Implementation Programme (WIP) who developed the Strategy and implemented the Waste Data Hub

Background papers on the development of the Waste Strategy by WIP are available.

Current Approach

Responsibility for the management and development of the Waste Data Strategy has passed from the WIP team to Defra's Environmental Statistics and Indicators Division who will:

  • Publish waste data reports created from the waste data held in the Waste Data Hub
  • analyse the new data available though the Waste Data Hub for policy users, stakeholders and the public at large
  • further develop and enhance the Waste Data Hub as appropriate.
 

Review of Data

As part of the Waste Research Programme, Defra commissioned a desk-based analysis of the data provided by the Waste Data Strategy. In particular this study considered measurement of the indicators and targets set out in England's Waste Strategy and the most efficient and effective long term and short term solutions for filling any data gaps to provide a sufficiently accurate evidence basis for waste policy monitoring.

The study was commissioned in November 2007 and reported in May 2008 with a set of options and recommendations for improving the quality and coverage of national waste data. The final report (PDF 1MB) is now available.

Following this report, Defra are assessing the recommendations and undertaking further analysis to determine where additional primary data collection or targeted research is needed.

See also

Page last modified: 30 June 2009
Page published: 16 August 2007