Former Environment Secretary Lord Deben has asked the Government to consider banning food waste from landfill.
Lord Deben (John Gummer) asked Environment Minister Lord De Mauley to consider a ban during questions on food waste in the Lords this week.
He warned that “it is seriously dangerous to create methane” and that “banning it would enable us to insist upon much wider recycling of that which is wasted”.
Lord De Mauley answered: “We have committed to reviewing the case for restrictions on sending particular materials to landfill over the course of this Parliament, including looking specifically at textiles and biodegradable waste.
“We are focusing on collecting evidence. Our experience from working on wood has shown us that a good understanding of the data, waste streams, markets and other issues are vital to making informed decisions.
“Before making proposals on restricting any particular materials, the Government will need to be content that that is the best-value way of moving material up the waste hierarchy and that the costs to businesses – and, indeed, to the public sector – are affordable.”
