The Government’s “Waste Strategy for England 2007” set a new national target for reducing the amount of household waste not reused, recycled or composted, and increased national targets for the percentage of household waste recycled and composted. It also set a target for the amount of municipal waste recovered.
Local authorities also have limits on the amount of biodegradable municipal waste, including waste paper, that they may collectively landfill.
The Waste and Resources and Action Programme (WRAP) works closely with local authorities to provide advice on recycling practice, including paper and other recyclates.
In addition, the British Standards Institution, working jointly with WRAP, the Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee, the Confederation of Paper Industries, and the Environmental Services Association, has created a Publicly Available Specification (BSI PAS 105) entitled “Recovered Paper Sourcing and Quality for UK End Markets”. Published in July 2007, this is designed to boost the market for recovered paper by improving standards of production, and increasing confidence and understanding between local authorities, reprocessors, and potential end users.
A copy of BSI PAS 105 has been sent to every local authority in the UK. It will also be placed in the Library of the House.