Recycling in the United Kingdom
Encyclopedia
The majority of recycling
undertaken in the United Kingdom
is undertaken by statutory authorities. Local Authorities are responsible for the collection
of municipal waste and operate contracts which are usually kerbside collection
schemes. The Household Waste Recycling Act (2003) requires local authorities in England
to provide every household with a separate collection of at least two types of recyclable materials by 2010.
, national and regional Government by the imposition of financial penalties for failing to recycle. For example, levies are imposed on the proportion of waste material going to landfill
under a landfill tax
.
and recycling is acute in London
- the capital produces 17 million tonnes of waste each year, forecast to rise to 26.5 million tonnes in 2020.. The Mayor's
Greater London Authority
sets the framework for dealing with waste within a London-wide Municipal Waste Management Strategy including recycling targets for the London Boroughs to meet, which are made statutory within the London Plan
. The existing organisational arrangements however are complex with a number of waste disposal authorities at sub-regional and local levels.
City Council have introduced three kerbside collection
schemes.
These three schemes are now available to most of Birmingham's houses/flats depending on houses/flats with or without gardens. The Paper & Garden Waste recycling facility is available to all houses in Birmingham. The Green Box scheme is going to be available to all houses later this year.
recycled every year : paper - 3500 tonnes wood - 8900 tonnes
There are five household recycling centres and over 400 recycling banks across the whole of Birmingham.
Recycling banks normally include:
Recycling
Recycling is processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution and water pollution by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower greenhouse...
undertaken in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
is undertaken by statutory authorities. Local Authorities are responsible for the collection
Waste collection
Waste collection is the component of waste management which results in the passage of a waste material from the source of production to either the point of treatment or final disposal...
of municipal waste and operate contracts which are usually kerbside collection
Kerbside collection
Curbside collection, or kerbside collection is a service provided to households, typically in urban and suburban areas, of removing household waste...
schemes. The Household Waste Recycling Act (2003) requires local authorities in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to provide every household with a separate collection of at least two types of recyclable materials by 2010.
Incentives
Local Authorities are given incentives towards meeting recycling targets set by EuropeanEuropean Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, national and regional Government by the imposition of financial penalties for failing to recycle. For example, levies are imposed on the proportion of waste material going to landfill
Landfill
A landfill site , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...
under a landfill tax
Landfill tax
A landfill tax or levy is a form of tax that is applied in some countries to increase the cost of landfill. The tax is typically levied in units of currency per unit of weight or volume...
.
London
The issue of waste managementWaste management
Waste management is the collection, transport, processing or disposal,managing and monitoring of waste materials. The term usually relates to materials produced by human activity, and the process is generally undertaken to reduce their effect on health, the environment or aesthetics...
and recycling is acute in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
- the capital produces 17 million tonnes of waste each year, forecast to rise to 26.5 million tonnes in 2020.. The Mayor's
Mayor of London
The Mayor of London is an elected politician who, along with the London Assembly of 25 members, is accountable for the strategic government of Greater London. Conservative Boris Johnson has held the position since 4 May 2008...
Greater London Authority
Greater London Authority
The Greater London Authority is the top-tier administrative body for Greater London, England. It consists of a directly elected executive Mayor of London, currently Boris Johnson, and an elected 25-member London Assembly with scrutiny powers...
sets the framework for dealing with waste within a London-wide Municipal Waste Management Strategy including recycling targets for the London Boroughs to meet, which are made statutory within the London Plan
London Plan
The London Plan is a planning document written by the Mayor of London, England in the United Kingdom and published by the Greater London Authority. The plan was first published in final form on 10 February 2004 and has since been amended. The current version was published in February 2008...
. The existing organisational arrangements however are complex with a number of waste disposal authorities at sub-regional and local levels.
Birmingham City Council
BirminghamBirmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
City Council have introduced three kerbside collection
Kerbside collection
Curbside collection, or kerbside collection is a service provided to households, typically in urban and suburban areas, of removing household waste...
schemes.
- PaperPaperPaper is a thin material mainly used for writing upon, printing upon, drawing or for packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets....
& CardCard stockCard stock, also called cover stock or pasteboard, is a paper stock that is thicker and more durable than normal writing or printing paper, but thinner and more flexible than other forms of paperboard. Card stock is often used for business cards, postcards, playing cards, catalog covers,...
RecyclingRecyclingRecycling is processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution and water pollution by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower greenhouse...
(Blue Bag/Box). Introduced 2003. Container emptied every 2 weeks. - PlasticPlasticA plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...
Bottles (PETPolyethylene terephthalatePolyethylene terephthalate , commonly abbreviated PET, PETE, or the obsolete PETP or PET-P, is a thermoplastic polymer resin of the polyester family and is used in synthetic fibers; beverage, food and other liquid containers; thermoforming applications; and engineering resins often in combination...
& HDPE), GlassGlassGlass is an amorphous solid material. Glasses are typically brittle and optically transparent.The most familiar type of glass, used for centuries in windows and drinking vessels, is soda-lime glass, composed of about 75% silica plus Na2O, CaO, and several minor additives...
, AluminiumAluminiumAluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
& Tins Recycling (Green Box). Introduced 2005. Container emptied every 2 weeks. - Garden Waste Recycling (Green Sacks). Introduced 2005. Sacks collected every 2 weeks.
These three schemes are now available to most of Birmingham's houses/flats depending on houses/flats with or without gardens. The Paper & Garden Waste recycling facility is available to all houses in Birmingham. The Green Box scheme is going to be available to all houses later this year.
recycled every year : paper - 3500 tonnes wood - 8900 tonnes
There are five household recycling centres and over 400 recycling banks across the whole of Birmingham.
Recycling banks normally include:
- Paper & Card Recycling
- Glass Recycling
- Clothes Recycling
- Shoes Recycling
- Textiles Recycling
- Aluminium Cans Recycling
See also
- British Metals Recycling AssociationBritish Metals Recycling AssociationThe British Metals Recycling Association is the UK's trade association for metal recycling. It is based in Cambridgeshire.-Function:Its companies recycle over 95% of the UK's metal waste - around 13 million tonnes...
- Waste Disposal Authorities in Greater London
- UK Domestic Recycling PolicyUK Domestic Recycling PolicyA recycling policy is a strategy implemented by an organisation, company or government which covers everything related to recycling, including the methods to be used, the recycling targets that are to be met and other issues including transport and processing costs....
- Recycling in Northern IrelandRecycling in Northern IrelandRecycling in Northern IrelandIn recent years ever greater efforts have been made in Northern Ireland to divert waste away from landfill through recycling. Currently Northern Ireland's 26 local councils have statutory responsibility for the collection and disposal of waste, and as such are the lead...
External links
- Waste and recycling page at DEFRA
- Recycling at the Birmingham City Council