Ignore recycling targets says WAG spokesperson

Welsh Assembly misinformation spokesperson is telling Councillors ...increasing recycling would cost more....than incineration??? But Incineration IS the most expensive option. And the 70% target is not ambitious and saying the target is not urgent ...actually implying don't bother. "70% target was only due to come into force by 2025...WLGA members aware... that the implication that 70% is an immediate target is incorrect."

Came across this in the story.below .More incineration lobby news...attacking recycling ...a disgrace that Jane Davidson boasts of better recycling targets yet the WAG spokesperson is saying they don't really matter and giving green light to LAs to ignore them. Recycling is cheaper and creates more badly needed jobs.. ..needs a little more creative thinking... but it seems the Welsh Government Association are too cosy with the lobbyists and incinerator builders..See the buddies here http://www.wasteawareness.org/pm/162

That story.. Recycling ‘too expensive’ for Welsh authorities 8th November 2010

The Welsh Assembly Government has ambitious plans to increase recycling targets to 70 per cent.
However, the Welsh Government Association (WLGA) has voiced concerns that reaching such an ambitious target would cost councils an extra £30m a year. (Wrong see pfi costs) This has led to fears that other public services could suffer.
(Prof Connett A rational policy would give rebates for waste reduction and recycling while surcharging incineration and particularly its ash. Incinerator ash is toxic so the professor criticised the UK for charging only £3 per tonne for landfilling ash, instead of £40 per tonne on normal landfilling of waste.Professor Dr Paul Connett http://cardiffagainsttheincinerator.blogspot.com/ )

A 40 per cent recycling target has already been met, and EU regulations only require 50 per cent.
Aled Roberts, the leader of Wrexham council, said: “Local authorities are committed to increasing the recycling of waste. “On average we are currently recycling around 40 per cent, which is a great improvement on 7 per cent which was achieved in 2000-01.

“As local authorities we recognise our responsibility to the future of the planet and are committed to increasing the rate of recycling as far as possible, in light of all our other responsibilities.” A spokeswoman for the Assembly Government said the 70% target was only due to come into force by 2025. She said: “We worked closely with WLGA members to set this target, so they will be aware that the implication that 70% is an immediate target is incorrect. “There are good reasons behind this figure. Seventy percent recycling is cost-effective, because recycling is cheaper than land-filling and because it means we will avoid landfill taxes.”

Prof Connett sees 'zero-waste' as largely achieved by 2020.

He reported not only Flanders' 75% recycling but also progress in Italy with 2000 communities signed up and 200 of them already reaching 70%. The Welsh Minister's claim to be leading in sustainability is rendered nonsensical by deferring 70% recycling to the long-term – not even by 2015 or 2020, but only by 2025 do they aim to reach 70%.

See also WAG offering bribes to councils

 Nova Scotia (Canada) they diverted 50% of waste from landfill in 5 years (Halifax diverted 60%), created1000 jobs in collection and treatment of recyclables and compostables, and a further 2000 jobs created in the industries handling the recovered materials.

PROJECT GWixDD ? What a Waste say Cardiff Friends of the earth?

Give us a zero wate strategy cardiff!!

PROJECT GWixDD ? What a Waste?

Despite the apparent universal coverage of the city's "Green Bag" scheme,
the recent opening of some new " Bring Sites",and and a fully-opperational
Mechanical Recycling Facility [MRF], Cardiff is still only managing to
recycle 27% of its household waste. Though this figure is in line with EU
Landfill Dirrective targets, the figure required by 2009-10 is 40% ?

The recently-reported practice of transporting recycled material long
distances for processing in the Third World is in NO waygood for the
environment.

Whilst the amount of Cardiff's waste continues to grow at about 5% per
annum, available landfill capacity at Lamby Way will last barely a year.
Even if a suitable replacement landfill site was available, the Council
cannot afford to wait 5 years in order to follow the necessary planning
procedure, [which is a legal requirement], in order to commence

operations. Given this difficult situation, [which somebody at the Council
must have seen coming a long time ago], its hardly surprising that other
methods are being considered. Building a massive incinerator in Cardiff
Bay, [otherwise known as Project Gwyrdd], is one way to deal with the
Residual Solid Waste [RSW] from half a dozen Local Authorities in SE Wales

This approach is unacceptable to Cardiff Friends of the Earth on the
grounds of,

• Excessive cost;
• Reducing the need to maximise the recycling of finite,valuable resources.
• Health risks from pollution and increased traffic.
• . The increased need for transport.
• Sheer waste of finite resources.
  

An alternative method would be to adopt a " Zero Waste" strategy, thereby
concentrating local authoritie's limited resources on maximising waste
reduction and re-use projects, in order to minimise the amount of RSW
requiring landfill.

Cardiff recycling swindle!

I read this today- First we have scam 'green'. Now it seems we have the The Great Recycling Swindle!

Recycling industry insiders have told us that Cardiff residents’ waste, which is picked up all in one bag without being separated, ends up far too mixed & contaminated to be recycled effectively. The situation is the same in most UK towns. Much of it is sold on to waste dealers who export it halfway across the world to Indonesia, India & China, burning tonnes of carbon dioxide to dump rubbish on poorer people in the global South. Our waste should be recycled separately by operations in the UK, but because it is collected mixed togetherin one bag, paper mills, plastics, & glass handlers find it impossible to work with. Many UK paper mills have had to close down because councils are too short-sighted to implement proper recycling schemes toprovide them with clean materials.

One insider told us: “Cardiff Council will claim that it sends its paper to the paper mill at Ayelsford inKent to be recycled. But none of the kerbside recycling from Cardiff gets there. By the time it’sbeen picked up & taken to the central depot it’s been contaminated by broken glass & other materials, & it’smostly unusable. I know this because I’ve been speaking to people at the paper mills. I don’t knowexactly where it gets sent, but it stands to reason that if the UK recyclers are refusing it, it’ll besold by middle-men to the big dealers in the Far East.”Another industry expert, who also prefers to remain anonymous, told us that lots of our waste ends up inthe global South where it is picked over by poor labourers in dangerous & unsanitary conditions. “Thereare containers full of mixed materials illegally exported to developing countries where health & safetyis not a consideration & where children sift through what we would call landfill sites.

I’ve heard rumoursthat Cardiff’s so-called recycled waste gets sent to Indonesia, but only a few people know for sure. Theydon’t want to broadcast it”. Cardiff Council only recently opened the expensiverecycling ‘sorting’ facility at Lamby Way. One sourcetold us, “Lamby Way is a complete disaster. All it produces is low-grade contaminated waste that’s next to useless. That place was a total waste of money”. Another told us that big & costly separating plantslike Lamby Way wouldn’t be necessary if the public were asked to do the job in the home, or if collectorsseparated on collection. “Getting individuals separating waste in the home is not difficult – it’scommon practice in other European countries like Germany, & it’s also done in Newport!”

One big difference in the Newport recycling method, apart from separating waste at source, not exporting it & actually recycling it, is it isn’t run by the council, it’s run by a community group!
Waste savers Real recycling!