National Action

Waste Management

Although waste cannot be completely eliminated, the impact is has on the environmet can be reduced.

A Landfill Directive has been introduced by the EU to reduce the environmental impacts of landfill sites, this directive came into force in 2002. The overall aim of the directive is to:

‘Prevent or reduce as far as possible negative effects on the environment, in particular the pollution of surface groundwater, soil and air, and on the global environment, including the greenhouse effect, as well as any resulting risk to human health, from the landfilling of waste during the whole life cycle of the landfill’.

The directive aims to do this by:

• Controlling the location of landfill sites.
• Controlling landfill emissions such as methane, and lechate.
• Setting mandatory targets to reduce the amount of bioegradable waste landfilled (including reducing biodegradable municipal waste landfilled to 75% of 1995 levels by 2010, and to 35% of 1995 levels by 2020.

Under this directive, there have also been sharp increases in landfill tax, to ensure that landfilling waste is no longer the cheap easy option. This aims to dissuade people from sending waste to landfill.

The National Waste Strategy for England and Wales was introduced in 2000. One of the key aims of the Strategy is to reduce the amount of waste that is sent to landfill.

The strategy identifies key targets for commercial and domestic waste. This includes:

• Reducing the amount of industrial and commercial waste landfilled to 85% of 1998 levels by 2005.
• Recycle and compost at least 30% of household waste by 2010, and 33% by 2015.
• Actively develop and encourage the market for recycled products.
• Increase the cost of sending waste to landfill.

Recycling in England

All local councils are now introducing kerbside recycling schemes, many are based on a 3 tier system where each household has 3 boxes. One box is for dry recyclables (such as paper, glass, plastic, steel and aluminium cans and textiles); another is for compostable garden waste, and one is for any other waste that can not be recycled. Nearly 80% of households in England now have these doorstep recycling schemes, and government figures show that the amount of household waste being recycled has doubled between 2001 and 2004. On average, households in England are now recycling over a fifth of their waste.

However, despite these improvements, England still has one of the lowest recycling rates in Europe, and the Waste Resource Action Programme (WRAP) estimate that each household can recycle as much as 60% of its waste, so there is still some way to go!

Water Supply

The Environment Agency is the statutory body responsible for managing water resources in England and Wales. They aim to ensure the management and development of water resources is sustainable. They developed a water resources strategy for England and Wales in March 2001:

‘Water Resources for the Future: A Water Resources Strategy for England and Wales.’

The strategy aims to improve the environment, while allowing enough water for public, agricultural, commercial and industrial use in England and Wales over the next 25 years. The strategy looks at future water demand and availability, and how factors such as climate change could affect this, and lists a number of recommendations.

Defra works closely with the Environment Agency and water companies to ensure that public water supply is maintained, and the environment does not suffer.

A major way of helping to ensure that present and future demands for water can be met, is to reduce the amount of water that is being wasted today. Ensuring that all new buildings have water saving devices installed is an important step in combating water loss. The water supply and regulation authorities will also need cut the amount of water lost through their distribution networks.

Water Quality

Water quality policies and standards are primarily set at a European level. Defra has responsibility for co-ordinating these policies, and the Environment Agency is responsible for implimenting the water quality standards.

The Water Framework Directive provides the main focus for the future in protecting and enhancing water quality and quantity. The directive came into force in Decemeber 2000. The main targets include:

• All inland and coastal waters to reach ‘good status’ by 2015.
• Decrease the pollution of water sources.
• Promote the sustainable use of water.

The implimentation of the directive will involve meeting sets of demanding environmental objectives, and the work will largely be the responsibility of the Environment Agency. A major step in achieving this is to ensure better integration of river basin management plans.

Establishing river basin districts have helped to impliment the directive within specific regions.

The Directive will also look at water conservation issues.

Coastal Water

The EC Bathing Water Directive influences the quality of coastal waters, and requires the identification of popular bathing areas. The water at these sites must then be monitored for microbiological pollution throughout the bathing season (May-Sept). The directive sets the standard for the levels of pollution, and has two levels: a mandatory standard, and a guideline standard. All sites must meet the mandatory standard, with the aim to achieve the more stringent guideline level. In 2004, there were 570 identified bathing water sites in the UK.

Safeguarding Our Seas – ‘A strategy for the Conservation and Sustainable Development of our Marine Environment’ was published in 2002, and is the government’s vision for our marine environment, and the actions that will need to be taken to achieve this. This vision is one of clean, healthy, safe, productive and biologically diverse oceans and seas. An important element of achieving the vision is developing integrated coastal zone management. This will ensure all those who manage or influence the marine environment work together at all levels with a common understanding and better international co-operation. One of the aims within the strategy is by 2010 identifying and designating relevant areas of the UK’s seas as marine protected areas belonging to a network of well-managed sites.