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Departmental Wastes

Volume 479: debated on Monday 21 July 2008

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department has taken to reduce the volume of waste produced by it and sent to landfill in each of the last two years. (215886)

HM Treasury has a waste strategy that has over the past two years reduced waste sent to landfill, by removing general waste bins and putting recycling facilities in place, and in Rosebery Court introducing composting of organic waste. In 1 Horse Guards Road, since February 2008, food waste has been separated in the staff restaurant and sent to a biogas plant, to generate electricity.

These measures reduced the amount of waste sent to landfill by 33 tonnes from 1 Horse Guards Road in 2007-08. Further offsite sorting by the waste contractor, removing recyclables from the waste will have further reduced the amount sent to landfill, although no figures are available. Data showing annual change in waste sent to landfill are not currently available for Rosebery Court, but the rate has also fallen.

Detailed information on waste arising and recycling information can be found in the HM Treasury annual report 2007-08.