CUTS IN RECYCLING RATES WILL 'GIVE OUT WRONG SIGNAL'

The community recycling sector claims that DEFRA's decisions to cap recycling targets at 30 per cent for high-performing councils and to reduce LATS fines are giving out the wrong signal.

The Community Recycling Network UK is surprised that the Government decided to make its announcement just days after the launch of DEFRA's five-year strategy in which both Tony Blair and Margaret Beckett proudly reiterate the department's core purpose as 'putting sustainable development into practice every day…championing sustainable development as the way forward for Government.'1

The Government report even states 'We can already point to results delivered:…increasing rates of household recycling.' 1

The CRN UK feels it is absurd that policies are being introduced that encourage local authorities to be less ambitious. Joint research by CRN UK and Friends of the Earth2 shows that recycling rates of 60 per cent are achievable and higher targets are needed to meet Landfill Directive obligations.

Andy Moore, Co-ordinator of the Community Recycling Network UK, says: "This move is disappointing. There really is no room to relax in terms of recycling targets and we hope this is not an indicator that political will is faltering.

"We hope that everyone will stay focused on the bigger picture. Certainly our members will continue to work with their local authority partners towards the diversion rates we know are achievable."

ENDS

Notes for editors:

1 p7, Delivering The Essentials For Life, DEFRA, December 2004
2 Maximising Recycling Rates: Tackling Residuals, CRN UK, 2002

The Community Recycling Network UK is a national umbrella organisation for more than 300 community groups, co-operatives and not-for-profit businesses in the community waste sector. Its aim is to promote community-based recycling as the most effective way of tackling the UK's growing waste problem. Its members have achieved some of the highest recycling rates in the UK and offer separated kerbside recycling collections to two million households - eight per cent of the UK population.

The Community Recycling Network UK is based at Trelawney House, Surrey Street, Bristol, BS2 8PS, tel: 0117 942 0142. The CRN UK website is www.crn.org.uk.

For all media enquiries please contact: Andy Nelmes, CRN UK Press Officer, 0117 908 0415 or 07949 626119, andyn@crn.org.uk