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25 July 2008

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• Waste Data Update 2006

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Landfill reliance reducing shows new report

Author:	National Press Office
Date published:	26-Mar-2008
Keywords:	waste, landfill, waste data

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Nearly 20% less waste has been sent to landfill since 2001 shows a report out today (Wednesday) from the Environment Agency.

Martin Brocklehurst, Head of External Programmes at the Environment Agency, said: “Over 15.5 million tonnes of waste has been diverted away from landfill and into recycling facilities between 2001 and 2006.

“This is good news as it shows we are heading in the right direction to reduce our dependency on landfill by recycling more of our waste. However as well as continuing to reuse and recycle our waste, we also need to avoid producing it in the first place.”

Other key findings of the Waste Data Update report for 2006:

 

• We are recovering and re-using more waste – the amount of waste going into composting sites increased by 38% and inputs into materials recovery facilities was up by 24% between 2005 and 2006.
  
• Available landfill capacity remains unevenly distributed – landfill life in London, East of England and the South East is now 4 to 5 years, and averages between 6 and 11 years in other regions. These are projections and do not necessarily mean that we will physically run out of landfill space in the next few years. However it highlights the urgency that still exists to reduce waste production, promote waste recovery and develop new infrastructure to support this.
  
• We are sending less waste to fewer landfill sites – 750 licensed landfill sites were operational in December 2006 – down by around 1,000 since implementation of the Landfill Directive in 2005.
   
• Hazardous waste going to landfill fell – in 2006 only 900,000 tonnes of hazardous waste went to landfill compared to 2.3 million in 2004.

Martin Brocklehurst added: “Landfill should be the last resort for waste that we can’t recover or recycle, as it is not sustainable to keep sending it to landfill. Also landfilling waste is set to become more expensive as the landfill tax goes up and has to travel greater distances for disposal as the number of sites reduces further.”

Waste Data Update 2006 is an annual report produced using data routinely collect by the Environment Agency from waste management sites it regulates. It helps local authorities, regional planning bodies, government, and the waste management industry plan future waste management provision in England and Wales.

Waste Data Update 2006 is available from the link on the left.

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Doc reference:	27/08
Contact:	pressoffice@environment-agency.gov.uk

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Author: National Press Office | pressoffice@environment-agency.gov.uk