Recycling and waste
Taking action on waste is essential, since we are consuming natural resources at an unsustainable rate and contributing unnecessarily to climate change.
Each year we generate about 100 million tonnes of waste from households, commerce and industry combined. Most of this currently ends up in landfill, where biodegradable waste generates methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. And much valuable energy is used up in making new products which are later disposed of, so also contributing to climate change.
Recycle on the Go
People will soon find it easier to recycle when they’re out and about. "Recycle on the Go" is a new drive to put accessible recycling bins in public places. A good practice guide and a code of practice will help to make recycling easy and accessible.
Latest news
- 17 October 2008: REACH and recovered waste substances guidance
- 12 September 2008: Summary of responses to inert waste regulation consultation published.
- 20 June 2008: Incentives for recycling by households – draft guidance published for informal comment
- 10 June 2008: Designing waste facilities guide due for publication Autumn 2008
- 2 June 2008: Recycle on the Go
- 14 April 2008: Site waste management plans
- 9 April 2008: Waste wood as a biomass fuel: market information report
Following the publication of Waste Strategy for England 2007 we will be updating other areas in this website. For further information on various issues surrounding waste, see the following sections:
- What happens to waste - What is waste?; Reduce; Re-use; Recycle/Recover; Disposal
- Types of waste
- Information for local authorities
- Producer Responsibility
- Waste Implementation Programme - Responds to measures recommended by the Strategy Unit report "Waste Not, Want Not" on local authority support; R&D; and waste minimisation, awareness and kerbside collection
- Licensing & Enforcement
- Statistics & Research - The annual Municipal Waste Management Survey and other material
- Community sector
- Contacts & Advisory Committees
See also
Page last modified: 17 October 2008
Page published: 5 February 2003