A major waste body has urged ministers to create a strategy to grow UK reprocessing capacity.
The North London Waste Authority (NLWA) called for the government to set out a clear plan for boosting expenditure on recycling facilities.
This was one of five demands made by the body, which handles more than 800,000 tonnes of refuse across seven boroughs in the capital annually.
“The government should carry out a review of recycling infrastructure and develop a strategy setting out interventions to support investment and increase UK reprocessing capacity,” it said.
Elsewhere the NLWA said the government’s long-promised circular economy strategy should set long-term targets and ensure councils had “appropriate financial resource” to help meet them.
The body called for a tax on battery producers “based on the recycled content” of their products. Other recommendations covered absorbent hygiene items and the emissions trading scheme.
Ministers must listen to councils’ advice on waste management, urged the NLWA.
“The most important thing is that the government improves its consultation with us and other local authorities. As the organisations responsible for implementing policy at the local level, we are best placed to advise on what will be effective.”
