CIWM welcomes launch of London waste strategies

CIWM Comment
23 November 2011

The Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) has welcomed the municipal and business waste strategies for London, launched last week by Boris Johnson.

"These strategies have been a long time in gestation, but provide a clear roadmap for London for the next four years," says CIWM chief executive Steve Lee.

"The municipal waste strategy is both ambitious in some of its targets and pragmatic in its approach, including acknowledgment of the role that EfW can play in reducing London's reliance of landfill. We welcome the commitment to ensuring that no household waste is sent to landfill without pre-treatment by 2025, and the target to reduce the overall amount produced by almost a fifth. It is, however, disappointing to see that the repair and re-use target is far lower than in the consultation draft; at a time when the UK must gear up on waste prevention, London could usefully have shown strong leadership in this area.

"The business waste strategy is focused around key barriers to behaviour change and improved infrastructure and CIWM welcomes many of the targeted actions to overcome these, particularly improving access to collection services for SMEs and multi-tenanted buildings, ensuring that building design caters better for waste segregation in the future, and increasing support for food waste collection and infrastructure."

"There is also a welcome emphasis on realising the carbon reduction and economic benefits of improving the management of waste in the capital to underpin better decision making in the future."

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

1. The Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) is the leading professional body for the waste management sector representing over 7000 individuals in the UK and overseas. Established in 1898, CIWM is a non profit-making organisation, dedicated to the promotion of professional competence amongst waste managers. CIWM seeks to raise standards for those working in and with the sector by producing best practice guidance, developing educational and training initiatives, and providing information on key waste-related issues. Comprehensive information about CIWM can be found at www.ciwm.co.uk

Press contacts:

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