DEFRA's Waste Strategy – Responses Made Public

Defra has today published all the responses to the consultation on its Waste Strategy Review. More than 4,000 submissions covering a wide range of opinions were received during the three month consultation that finished in May.

Among the measures proposed are: Greater focus on producing less waste through eco-design, engaging with industry to prevent waste and take more responsibility for their products at the end of their life.

Recovering more resources from business waste with new targets to reduce landfilled commercial and industrial waste, more help for small businesses to reduce and recycle their waste, and a more joined up approach in managing waste from different sources - facilitated by local authorities and regional bodies.

Simplifying regulation to make it more proportionate through reforms to the permitting and exemption systems, better guidance and communication, and more targeted risk-based enforcement.

Strengthened and targeted enforcement to tackle waste crimes from flytipping to illegal exports to prevent legitimate businesses from being undermined by free-riders.

Developing a recycling culture by shifting our thinking so that recycling resources becomes part of our everyday activities whether at home, at work or during leisure. Making proper use of new investment to recover energy from waste as an alternative to landfill, but not at the expense of practical waste prevention and recycling, by seeing a more modest growth than original estimates.

Waste Strategy 2000 set a target for 67% recovery of waste by 2015 by recycling, composting, energy from waste (incineration, pyrolysis and gasification) and digestion with at least 33% composting and recycling. The new strategy proposes the same overall target of 67% recovery target in 2015 but with much higher levels (45%) of recycling and composting.