Waste Strategy for England 2007 is the UK Government's recent national strategy for waste, published in May 2007.
Waste Strategy for England 2007 replaces the previous national waste strategy which dated from 2000.
You can download the new strategy at www.defra.gov.uk/environment/waste/strategy/strategy07/index.htm
You can also download Waste Strategy Factsheets from www.defra.gov.uk/environment/waste/strategy/factsheets/index.htm
Waste Strategy for England 2007 sets out a brave task for us all to bring our recycling rates up to those of the rest of Europe.
The Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, Austria, Luxembourg, France, Finland, Portugal, Italy and Spain all recycle more of their waste than we do in the UK. In the Netherlands less than 50 kilograms of waste per person in the population goes to landfill annually, but in the UK that figure is 375kg.
Moving away from landfilling can contribute to:
- Reducing greenhouse gases notably methane from landfill sites, but also carbon dioxide emission (through re use and recycling).
- Saving energy and reducing material use through waste prevention, re use, recycling and renewable energy recovery.
- Protecting ecosystems (soils, groundwater, emissions to air).
- Safeguarding social amenity by limiting local nuisances from landfills.
The traditional methods of dealing with waste did not require a wide range of organisations and individuals to be actively involved. For the future much more active participation will be needed from all parts of society.
Opportunities for the church are identified in Waste Strategy for England 2007.
These lie in the areas of:
- Most of the key waste materials with greatest scope for improving sustainable waste management that are listed in Waste Strategy for England 2007 (ie. Paper; Food and garden waste; Aluminium; Glass; Plastics; Wood & Textiles) are ones that are already collected for recycling by churches or are collected by church-based third sector waste schemes. These are the materials to focus on when working with the church to promote sustainable waste management.
- Churches working with the local authority to promote recycling.
- Church-based organisations that function in the 'third (ie. voluntary) sector'.
- Bring banks (public waste recycling points) located in a church car park or on other church land.
- Management of waste generated by a church.
- The development of new waste facilities (ie. substantial built development) on church land.
For a summary of
Waste Strategy for England 2007 for a church readership and with a commentary for non-technical readers this
link to Stewarding the Earth's Resources no.13 (June 2007).
