Campaign for Real Recycling
comment on England Waste Strategy 2007

The Campaign for Real Recycling (CRR) welcomes the new strategy as a major step forward for recycling in the UK, particularly as one of the key elements of the strategy is to "stimulate investment in collection, recycling and recovery infrastructure, and markets for recovered materials that will maximise the value of materials". (p12) It also supports the strategy's recognition that the benefits of recycling are "higher where recovered materials are of higher quality, material integrity can be maintained and virgin material production is avoided." (p53)

The CRR is, however, disappointed with the overall target of 50% by 2020, which it believes is not ambitious enough, particularly as the best performing local authorities are already exceeding this target.

The campaign believes significantly higher recycling and composting targets are achievable but only with clearer guidance on quality.   The strategy's approach to glass, for example, acknowledges the significant benefits of closed loop recycling over glass going to road aggregate, but makes no proposals on what actions should be taken on achieve this. (p 56)

"Appropriate infrastructure investment is the key to whether the policies outlined in this document will have a lasting impact," says Campaign Chair Mal Williams. "We would hope that the use of fiscal incentives such as PFI's and enhanced capital allowances is not restricted purely to energy recovery but that similar options are also available for increasing the value of recyclate collected. Fiscal incentives to promote quality collection will quickly pay dividends for reinvestment in infrastructure development."

The Campaign for Real Recycling welcomes the recognition given to the Community Recycling sector throughout the strategy - the term 'third sector' being mentioned more than 40 times in the document.   This sector prioritises source separated collection systems because it relies on gaining the best price for the materials it collects to offset operating costs.

More Info: Andy Moore on 07767 206001 or Phil Hurst on 07708 423005

Notes to Editors:

1. The Campaign for Real Recycling wants central government and local authorities to act urgently to improve the quality of materials collected for recycling in the UK.  Real recycling is about maximising the economic, environmental and social benefits of recycling for everyone, from the local council tax payer to the global re-processing industry. Our concern is that collection systems that gather a range of different materials in one bag or bin and then compact them could permanently undermine the environmental and financial benefits of recycling. Our campaign aims to influence local authority policy and practice, and build consensus within the UK of the economic and environmental importance of highly separated collections.