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Written question asked by Mike Hancock (Liberal Democrat) on Tuesday, 31 August 2004, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 9 September 2004. It was answered by Elliot Morley (Labour) on Thursday, 9 September 2004 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the latest figures are for the amount of compostable material disposed of each year in England; how much is reclaimed and recycled as compost; and what plans she has to increase this figure. - Inc figs.
Answer

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the latest figures are for the amount of compostable material disposed of each year in England; how much is reclaimed and recycled as compost; and what plans she has to increase this figure. [187547] Mr. Morley: The Municipal Waste Management Survey of local authorities in England for 2002-03, shows that 14.28m tonnes of biodegradable municipal waste was disposed of to landfill, and 1.2m tonnes composted. In addition 1.1m tonnes of paper and card were recycled. As yet there is no method of measuring the amount recycled through home composting. From the Environment Agency's National Waste Production Survey of a sample of 40,000 businesses, conducted in 1998, it is estimated that 2.78m tonnes of biodegradable industrial and commercial waste was disposed of to landfill, 0.85m tonnes composted and a further 4.75m tonnes of paper and card recycled. The Government are taking a number of steps to increase the amount of biowaste composted. For example, we have established the Waste Implementation Programme (WIP), to support local authorities in achieving the UK's Landfill Directive targets to divert biodegradable municipal waste from landfill. The Government has also established the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) to create stable and efficient markets for recyclates, including organic material. WRAP is also running a home composting programme and has already organised distribution of over 60,000 composting bins to households in England. In addition Defra, through the Environmental Action Composting Association with 282,000 over three years to raise awareness of composting. These and other measures have seen the proportion of municipal biowaste composted rise to 32 per cent. of all municipal waste recycling in England in 2002-03.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
424 c1323W;424 c1331W; 187547
Session
2003-04
Subjects
Compost Domestic waste Recycling Waste disposal
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk