Waste Strategy for England 2007 has a range of initiatives to encourage recycling, including the need to focus on the key waste materials where diversion from landfill could realise significant further environmental benefits, which have been identified as paper, food, glass, aluminium, wood, plastic and textiles.
In 2004, DEFRA funded the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) launched Recycle Now, with key objectives to change behaviour and encourage more of us to recycle more things, more often. Recycle Now encompasses an integrated mix of national advertising website support, and an integrated, broad-based national and regional PR campaign. 90 per cent of local authorities in England are now using the Recycle Now identity.
According to WRAP'S research, the campaign has had a significant impact and more than six out of every 10 people (61 per cent. or 25.5 million) in England were committed recyclers by 2007. The equates to 16 per cent. more people (8.5 million) being committed recyclers, compared to when the Recycle Now campaign was launched in England in September 2004, when the number of committed recyclers stood at 45 per cent.
Local authorities are responsible for the collection of recycled materials by their residents. The Government do not specify what materials local authorities must collect for recycling. However, Government initiatives such as performance indicators, local area agreements and the landfill allowance trading scheme should encourage local authorities to provide schemes that will increase recycling among their residents.