Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the future opportunities for kerbside recycling of glass packaging containers that are not included in the proposed Deposit Return Scheme.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Our recent consultation on introducing a deposit return scheme (DRS) did not propose a re-melt target for DRS, but the Deposit Management Organisation (DMO), which would be established for the purpose of running a DRS, would have an obligation to pass on any materials collected through the scheme to reprocessors for recycling.
We are continuing to finalise the policy of the DRS and these details will be provided in a Government response which will be published in due course. This will also be accompanied by an Impact Assessment on the final scope and policy agreed for the scheme.
Re-melt targets were first introduced under the current packaging producer responsibility regime in 2013 and have contributed to more beneficial glass recycling. An annual re-melt target of 72% has been set for 2021 and 2022. With regards to glass packaging in scope of the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme, it therefore is Government’s intention to retain a re-melt target. In its recent consultation, government stated this intention and invited respondents to offer their views on a future re-melt target rate. The Government is considering the responses to the consultation and will publish a government response in due course.
We also want to make recycling easier at kerbside and ensure that there is a comprehensive, consistent service across England. The Environment Bill stipulates that all local authorities in England must make arrangements for a core set of materials to be collected for recycling from households. This core set includes: paper and card; plastic; glass; metal; food waste and garden waste. We recently published our second consultation on recycling consistency which sought views on including on the materials in scope of collection, transitional arrangements, and statutory guidance. We are currently analysing responses to the consultation and intend to publish our Government response in due course.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of having a re-melt target for glass collected by the proposed scheme of Extended Producer Responsibility.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Our recent consultation on introducing a deposit return scheme (DRS) did not propose a re-melt target for DRS, but the Deposit Management Organisation (DMO), which would be established for the purpose of running a DRS, would have an obligation to pass on any materials collected through the scheme to reprocessors for recycling.
We are continuing to finalise the policy of the DRS and these details will be provided in a Government response which will be published in due course. This will also be accompanied by an Impact Assessment on the final scope and policy agreed for the scheme.
Re-melt targets were first introduced under the current packaging producer responsibility regime in 2013 and have contributed to more beneficial glass recycling. An annual re-melt target of 72% has been set for 2021 and 2022. With regards to glass packaging in scope of the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme, it therefore is Government’s intention to retain a re-melt target. In its recent consultation, government stated this intention and invited respondents to offer their views on a future re-melt target rate. The Government is considering the responses to the consultation and will publish a government response in due course.
We also want to make recycling easier at kerbside and ensure that there is a comprehensive, consistent service across England. The Environment Bill stipulates that all local authorities in England must make arrangements for a core set of materials to be collected for recycling from households. This core set includes: paper and card; plastic; glass; metal; food waste and garden waste. We recently published our second consultation on recycling consistency which sought views on including on the materials in scope of collection, transitional arrangements, and statutory guidance. We are currently analysing responses to the consultation and intend to publish our Government response in due course.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of a remelt target for glass collected under the proposed deposit return scheme.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Our recent consultation on introducing a deposit return scheme (DRS) did not propose a re-melt target for DRS, but the Deposit Management Organisation (DMO), which would be established for the purpose of running a DRS, would have an obligation to pass on any materials collected through the scheme to reprocessors for recycling.
We are continuing to finalise the policy of the DRS and these details will be provided in a Government response which will be published in due course. This will also be accompanied by an Impact Assessment on the final scope and policy agreed for the scheme.
Re-melt targets were first introduced under the current packaging producer responsibility regime in 2013 and have contributed to more beneficial glass recycling. An annual re-melt target of 72% has been set for 2021 and 2022. With regards to glass packaging in scope of the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme, it therefore is Government’s intention to retain a re-melt target. In its recent consultation, government stated this intention and invited respondents to offer their views on a future re-melt target rate. The Government is considering the responses to the consultation and will publish a government response in due course.
We also want to make recycling easier at kerbside and ensure that there is a comprehensive, consistent service across England. The Environment Bill stipulates that all local authorities in England must make arrangements for a core set of materials to be collected for recycling from households. This core set includes: paper and card; plastic; glass; metal; food waste and garden waste. We recently published our second consultation on recycling consistency which sought views on including on the materials in scope of collection, transitional arrangements, and statutory guidance. We are currently analysing responses to the consultation and intend to publish our Government response in due course.
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the recycling rates of (1) London, and (2) the core cities of England; and what steps they are taking to improve the rates of the poorest performing cities.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The most recent annual publication of waste statistics shows the ‘household waste’ recycling rate for the 2019/20 financial year:
Recycling rates for 2020/21 for local authorities in England are not yet available. Recycling rates for 2019/20 were published on 3 March 2021. An ad hoc set of provisional results covering April 2020 to June 2020 was published on 12 May 2021.
The Government is committed to increasing both the quality and quantity of materials collected for recycling and making recycling easier for everyone. The Environment Bill, which is currently progressing through Parliament, introduces legislation that will require all collectors of waste to collect a core set of materials from households, businesses, and other organisations such as schools. The core set will be plastic, glass, metal, paper and card, food and garden waste (for household only). By collecting the same core set of materials there will be less confusion among householders and businesses about what they can put in their recycling bins. As a result, the amount of materials that local authorities collect for recycling will increase.
We want to work closely with local authorities to help them improve their recycling performance. We plan to provide guidance and examples of good practice.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the announcement of 7 May 2021, New plans unveiled to boost recycling, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing guidance for all local authorities on the acceptance of recycling paper gift wrap that bears the recyclable logo.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As part of Government’s Resources and Waste Strategy, published in 2019, we are introducing new measures through the Environment Bill to increase the quantity and quality of recycling. These measures will require local authorities to collect the following dry recyclable waste streams from all households in England: plastic, glass, metal, paper and card. The Bill includes powers to specify which materials local authorities should be required to collect in each of the recyclable waste streams (including paper and card). We intend to specify these materials in secondary legislation and may provide further detail in statutory guidance.
Wrapping paper is generally accepted for kerbside collection, however, it can often become unrecyclable due to contamination with sticky tape. Wrapping paper which contain foil or glitter are not recyclable. Recycle Now which is a part of the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), has produced guidance on the recycling of wrapping paper here:
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what his policy is on his Department's rates of recycling of plastic, paper, metal and other products; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department contributes to, and works within the parameters of, the Government Greening Commitments (GGC) on recycling rates. The last annual report publication, from April 2018 to March 2019, shows that 85% of waste was recycled by the Department.
The Department has committed to increasing the rate of recycled waste, whilst reducing the overall amount of waste generated in line with the next GGC which runs from 2021 to 2025.
Further information on Greening Government Commitments can be found at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/883779/ggc-annual-report-2018-2019.pdf.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what his policy is on his Department's rates of recycling of plastic, paper, metal and other products; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
We continually review the waste generated on our estate and work with our commercial colleagues on circular economy principles to reduce the amount of waste that arrives on our sites. Where we can’t avoid this we work with our suppliers to move any waste we generate up the waste hierarchy.
Further information on Greening Government Commitments can be found at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/883779/ggc-annual-report-2018-2019.pdf
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what his policy is on rates of recycling of plastic, paper, metal and other products in 10 Downing Street; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
We continually review the waste generated on our estate and work with our commercial colleagues on circular economy principles to reduce the amount of waste that arrives on our sites. Where we can’t avoid this we work with our suppliers to move any waste we generate up the waste hierarchy.
Further information on Greening Government Commitments can be found at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/883779/ggc-annual-report-2018-2019.pdf
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what his policy is on his Department's rates of recycling of plastic, paper, metal and other products; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
BEIS is committed to reducing our waste and increasing recycling, and has a zero waste to landfill policy. Between 2009/10 and 2019/20 we reduced waste by 30% and increased recycling by 44% at the Department’s headquarters building at 1 Victoria Street, London. Our departmental target is to reduce our overall waste by a further 25% and increase recycling to 70% of total waste by 2024/25.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what his policy is on his Department's rates of recycling of plastic, paper, metal and other products; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
We continually review the waste generated on our estate and work with our commercial colleagues on circular economy principles to reduce the amount of waste that arrives on our sites. Where we can’t avoid this we work with our suppliers to move any waste we generate up the waste hierarchy.
Further information on Greening Government Commitments can be found at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/883779/ggc-annual-report-2018-2019.pdf