Landfill allowances to be scrapped

25th May 2011


Rexfeatures 1282650b

Related Topics

Related tags

  • Pollution & Waste Management

Author

IEMA

The UK scheme to reduce the amount of biodegradable waste reaching landfill sites looks set to be written off in the waste policy review when it is published by Defra this summer.

The Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme (LATS) was launched in 2005 to help the UK meet targets, set out in the EU Landfill Directive (1999/31/EC), but it is now widely thought to have reached the end of its usefulness.

“There is a strong likelihood that LATS will be abolished when Defra publishes the outcome of its Waste Policy Review,” confirmed Steve Lee, chief executive of the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management. “In line with many local authorities, we have advocated retaining LATS for 2013, the next Directive target year, but not beyond.”

Under the LATS scheme, local waste-disposal authorities are able to trade allowances equating to the amount of biodegradable waste, such as food, paper, cardboard and garden waste, they can send to landfill.

The scheme played an important role in ensuring the UK met its first target of reducing biodegradable waste levels by 2010 to 75% of 1995 levels, but many now argue it is proving to be a hindrance, especially in light of the European Commission’s recent redefinition of municipal waste to include waste from businesses as well as homes.

While Defra has refused to comment on the possible outcomes of the Waste Policy Review, it has been reported that the environment department has written to councils warning them against trading future allowances. In January, Diana Linskey, Defra’s deputy director of waste strategy, told sustainable business community 2degrees that local authorities wanted to provide business waste and recycling services, but that LATS was seen as a “barrier”.

She also confirmed that Defra would be talking to ministers “about whether barriers can be reviewed”.

“LATS has discouraged many local authorities from providing waste collection and recycling schemes for commercial and industrial customers,” agreed Lee. “Furthermore, evidence suggests that landfill tax rather than LATS is proving to be the most influential driver encouraging the diversion of biodegradable waste from landfill into some form of recovery and recycling.”

Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority (MWDA), which bought £3 million of LATS allowances in 2009, has confirmed it has not purchased any for beyond 2012.

“The increased cost of landfill tax is the principal driver for our landfill strategy rather than LATS, which has served its purpose,” said Neil Ferris, MWDA’s director of strategy and development.

Subscribe

Subscribe to IEMA's newsletters to receive timely articles, expert opinions, event announcements, and much more, directly in your inbox.


Transform articles

UK government accused of attempting to relax sewage rules ‘through the backdoor’

Campaign group Wild Justice has accused the UK government of trying to relax pollution rules for housebuilders “through the backdoor”.

14th February 2024

Read more

Stella Consonni reports on the existing legal framework and the main challenges

15th January 2024

Read more

David Burrows on the stolen concept of a circular economy, and how reduction must be at the heart of product design

30th November 2023

Read more

Zero Waste Scotland is focused on closing the energy sector’s circularity gap. Kenny Taylor reports on progress so far

28th November 2023

Read more

The IEMA Circular Economy Network Steering Group has published a guide on how to integrate circular strategies into your business model.

24th November 2023

Read more

Environmental crimes could result in prison sentences of up to 10 years and company fines of 5% of turnover under a proposed EU law agreed by the European parliament and council.

21st November 2023

Read more

Ellen Williams on the ecosystem approach to sustainably managing economies

14th November 2023

Read more

Media enquires

Looking for an expert to speak at an event or comment on an item in the news?

Find an expert

IEMA Cookie Notice

Clicking the ‘Accept all’ button means you are accepting analytics and third-party cookies. Our website uses necessary cookies which are required in order to make our website work. In addition to these, we use analytics and third-party cookies to optimise site functionality and give you the best possible experience. To control which cookies are set, click ‘Settings’. To learn more about cookies, how we use them on our website and how to change your cookie settings please view our cookie policy.

Manage cookie settings

Our use of cookies

You can learn more detailed information in our cookie policy.

Some cookies are essential, but non-essential cookies help us to improve the experience on our site by providing insights into how the site is being used. To maintain privacy management, this relies on cookie identifiers. Resetting or deleting your browser cookies will reset these preferences.

Essential cookies

These are cookies that are required for the operation of our website. They include, for example, cookies that enable you to log into secure areas of our website.

Analytics cookies

These cookies allow us to recognise and count the number of visitors to our website and to see how visitors move around our website when they are using it. This helps us to improve the way our website works.

Advertising cookies

These cookies allow us to tailor advertising to you based on your interests. If you do not accept these cookies, you will still see adverts, but these will be more generic.

Save and close