To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the reasons for the level of recycling of timber; and what steps he is taking to increase the level. (150706)

Recent research¹ carried out on DEFRA’s behalf, suggests that it is generally better, in carbon and energy terms, to recover energy from waste wood than to recycle it, with either option being far better than landfill. It estimated that 16 per cent. of waste wood in the UK is currently recycled and 80 per cent. landfilled.

No specific assessment has been made of the reasons for the current level of wood recycling. However the waste and resources action programme (WRAP) continues to play an important role in developing recycling capacity for clean waste wood and markets for the resulting products.

Most waste wood is, however, unsuitable for recycling and the waste strategy for England 2007 sets out the Government's intention to recover more energy from wood that would otherwise be landfilled. DEFRA’s waste implementation programme is taking forward a programme of work to develop energy markets for waste wood by addressing the informational and practical barriers to expansion.

¹ Carbon Balances and Energy Impacts of the Management of UK Wastes, report by ERM (with Colder Associates) for DEFRA, Final Report, March 2007.