Incinerators: Recycling

(asked on 19th July 2022) - View Source

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to (a) reduce incineration and (b) promote recycling.


Answered by
Steve Double Portrait
Steve Double
This question was answered on 27th July 2022

Through both our Resources & Waste Strategy and landmark Environment Act, we will transform our waste system.

We recently consulted on a statutory target, required under the Environment Act 2021, to cut residual waste (excluding major mineral waste) per person by 50% by 2042. It is proposed that this will be measured as a reduction from 2019 levels, estimated to be approximately 560 kg per capita. To meet this target we will drive down the amount of waste we produce, that sent for disposal and recovery (including incineration), and encourage re-use and recycling

To promote recycling, we are introducing consistent recycling collections across England, creating a deposit return scheme for drinks containers and introducing extended producer responsibility for packaging to ensure that packaging producers cover the cost of recycling and disposing of their packaging.

These reforms will reduce confusion around recycling, provide higher quality recyclate for reprocessors, increase recycling rates and reduce unnecessary and difficult-to-recycle packaging. Through these measures, our ambition is to reach a municipal waste recycling rate of 65% by 2035.

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