Progress on developing a successful recycling and waste sector has stalled under the current Government, according to Shadow Environment Secretary Mary Creagh.
In a speech at this week’s CIWM conference, she said that the Government needs to provide certainty and leadership, especially when the public finances are tight.
She outlined that the “resources sector should be key to driving growth” and that “the last Labour Government transformed this nation’s attitude to waste”.
She added: “There is an anti-regulatory and anti-environmental approach in Government.
“The 2011 Waste Review was a missed opportunity. They have agreed to do the bare minimum to meet the 50 per cent recycling target by 2020.
“Your area is part of the economy that is growing. I want a strategy on how we can get more green growth and jobs from your sector.”
She also said that Labour is considering introducing a food waste hierarchy so that reducing food waste would be the priority, followed by edible waste food being used by humans via charities, then food waste for use by animals, and finally anything else would be treated by anaerobic digestion.
In addition, she said that Labour would welcome comments on its Resource Security: Growth and Jobs from Waste Industries policy review. She said that she was not an expert on the sector and would welcome input from those who are.
