16 July 2007

CIWM welcomes Select Committee report but warns there is no ‘simple solution’

The CIWM has welcomed the Communities & Local Government Select Committee report on Refuse Collection published today, but has warned that there is no such thing as a simple solution to an issue as important and complex as the sustainable management of our wastes and resources.

“The report’s findings need to be considered carefully; knee jerk reactions and decisions will not give us the solutions that we need for the future” says CIWM chief executive Steve Lee. “While we welcome the  recognition by the committee that local councils are best placed  to decide on the right collection schemes for their area, the wider responsibility for finding ways of reducing our waste and managing it more sustainably rests on all of us – consumers, industry, and local and central government.

“The CIWM agrees that alternate weekly collections  (AWCs) are not the answer everywhere, but there are millions of people in the UK who have been happily participating in this type of scheme for a number of years. In many areas where AWCs have been introduced properly, the result has been higher recycling rates and good levels of resident satisfaction.

“These schemes must be introduced sensibly, with the right containers and proper consultation and communication. With plenty of good practice out there for local councils to follow, however, as well as better information on the role that weekly food waste collection can play, there is no excuse for poorly implemented schemes.”

On the subject of household financial incentives, currently out for consultation by Defra, the CIWM has highlighted the real risk of letting debate take the place of hard data.
“Financial incentives have a potentially valuable contribution to make towards changing behaviour but what is needed is real evidence on which to base these important decisions.  For years, the CIWM has been calling for different charging options to be properly piloted to assess how they could work in practice.  It is good to have this type of healthy debate, but the debate should be based on fact not on conjecture.”

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

Contacts:

Chris Murphy
CIWM Deputy Chief Executive
Tel: 01604 620426
Mob: 07860519279
E-mail: chris.murphy@ciwm.co.uk

Pat Jennings
Communications
Mob: 07881 878568
E-mail: pat.jennings@ciwm.co.uk