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PRESS RELEASE

To be released immediately: 26^TH April 2000

COMMUNITY SECTOR GEARS UP TO DELIVER WASTE STRATEGY AIMS

The Government's new Waste Strategy 2000 could provide the opportunity this country needs to see an increase in intensive recycling. The new statutory recycling targets for local authorities indicate a new commitment to sustainable waste management. The community and not-for-profit waste sector is now gearing up to meet this challenge.

The Community Recycling Network welcomes the first steps towards a sustainable waste strategy, but issues a stern warning that the Government's good intentions could be hijacked by advocates of less sustainable waste management technology. It would for example be possible for a local authority to count recycling of incinerator ash towards the statutory recycling level, thus avoiding any increase in materials recycling. Such loopholes in the strategy must immediately be closed.

In order to substantiate the Waste Strategy, the Government now needs to find funding for the recycling expansion. The CRN would like to see much more ambitious long term materials recycling targets and a much clearer indication that landfill monies will be made adequately available to fund that work.

Andy Moore, the Co-ordinator of the Community Recycling Network, said:

"The not-for-profit community waste sector has been delivering high intensive recycling for over twenty years. Given the financial backing, we are ready to implement the Government's Waste Strategy 2000."

For further information:

Andy Moore, CRN Co-ordinator, (0117) 942 0142, Andy Nelmes, CRN Press Officer, (0117) 907 4368, andyn@crn.org.uk

Notes for editors:

At the launch of the Government's Waste Strategy 2000 the Environment minister Michael Meacher said that he wants to see recycling increase to maximum levels. At present Britain recycles an average of eight per cent of its waste - the new targets have been set at 25 per cent.

The Community Recycling Network is a national umbrella organisation representing over 300 community recycling and waste management projects throughout the UK.

The CRN's aim is to promote community recycling as a practical and effective way of tackling the UK's growing waste problem. The members work together to promote sustainable waste management and have achieved some of the highest recycling rates in the UK.

The Community Recycling Network is based at 10-12 Picton Street, Montpelier, Bristol, BS6 5QA, tel: (0117) 942 0142. The CRN website is www.crn.org.uk.

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