The National Waste Strategy will help the UK move towards more sustainable waste management practices. The strategy outlines how the UK can set about decreasing the amount of waste being Land filled and increase the amount being reused.
 

Driven by a combination of European Legislation, environmental and public pressure. The strategy outlines how the UK can set about decreasing the amount of waste being Land filled and increase the amount being reused and recycled. The National Waste Strategy will help the UK move towards more sustainable waste management practices.

Around 400 million tonnes of waste is created within the UK each year. Most of our waste currently ends up being Land filled, and approximately 12% of household waste and 35% of industrial and commercial waste and is recycled or composted.

The EU Landfill Directive has introduced a requirement for the UK to concentrate at significantly reducing the amount of biodegradable waste that is Land filled over the next 20 years. Biodegradable waste includes items like paper, cardboard, garden waste and food waste.

The amount of waste we produce has also been increasing year on year, by an average of 3 to 4% each year. If we do not do something about this and it continues to increase at this level, the amount of waste we produce will have doubled from the 1995 figure by 2020.

UK National Waste Strategies
These strategies detail the frameworks for the development and achievement of sustainable waste management practices in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and how they intend to meet the requirements of the EU Landfill Directive.

Waste Strategy 2007 – England

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) introduced the
Waste Strategy 2007 for England.

The document has 7 key points to it:

• An integrated approach to waste management

• A reduction in the quantity and hazard of waste arisings

• Higher levels of re-use

• Increased recycling and composting

• Increased energy recovery

• Further development of alternative energy technologies

• Greater public participation in the decision making process

The strategy describes the changes needed to put the above points into practice. A key aim is tackling the growth in waste, the need to use resources more efficiently and make greater use of secondary resources.

The key to gaining more value from waste is to substantially increase levels of recycling, making greater use of energy recovery from waste, increase awareness of waste and the importance of using recycled materials.

Waste Management Strategy for Northern Ireland (2006)

The Environment and Heritage Service published the Waste Management Strategy for Northern Ireland 2006 - 2020  on the 30th March 2006.

Scotland's National Waste Plan (2003)

In 2003 the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) published the National Waste Strategy for Scotland.

Scottish Waste Strategy Targets

• A reduction in the per capita generation of waste.

• A reduction in the quantity of waste going to landfill.

• An increase in the recovery of a range of wastes for recycling, re-use and waste exchange.

• A target for increasing both home and centralised composting.

• A reduction in the level of special waste production.

• An increase in the development of municipal recycling schemes.

• An increase in office waste recycling systems.

• An increase in refuse derived fuel use associated with energy recovery.

• A reduction in the use of packaging.

• A reduction in landfill gas emissions and an increase in landfill gas recovery.

Wise About Waste: The National Waste Strategy for Wales

Wise About Waste is the Waste Strategy for Wales which promotes a number of actions to improve the management of waste in Wales. Waste Strategy for Wales.

For More information on the National Waste Strategy for your area please visit your Local Councils Internet Site than can be found from this link.