Julian raises the issue of plastic recycling help for local communities
September 12, 2016
Following enquiries from constituents about plastic recycling facilities in York, and the variation in services between different local authorities, Julian tabled parliamentary questions to the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to seek further clarification for local residents on the issue.
Julian asked how much variation there was between different local authorities, and what assistance central government provided to local councils to enable them to provide recycling facilities for all kinds of plastics.
Currently, City of York Council only accept plastic bottles as part of their kerb-side collections, and there is no facility in the city to recycle ‘mixed plastic’ like packaging and trays, although the Council are looking out for any affordable opportunities to widen what it can recycle.
The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Environment and Rural Affairs, Rory Stewart, responded by explaining the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) which the government and local authorities collaborate with to provide guidance to local councils on these issues.
He said “For 2015/16, local authority spend on waste services was approximately £3.5 billion, of which nearly £600 million was spent on recycling. In addition the Government, through the Waste Infrastructure Delivery Programme, has allocated some £3 billion in grant funding to a number of local authority waste infrastructure projects. This funding has helped authorities to build waste treatment infrastructure including energy from waste, mechanical biological treatment, anaerobic digestion and material recovery facilities, as well as to implement household recycling collection services and communal recycling centres for plastics and other recyclable materials.”
Local authorities are best placed to decide on their waste recycling services and the range of materials collected, taking into account local circumstances such as geography and population. WRAP’s best understanding of collections being operated by local authorities in England as of June 2016 shows us that 99% of English local authorities offer a collection of plastic bottles while 72% offer collection of plastic packaging, pots, tubs and trays.”
