Councils urged to 'hold their nerve' over falling recycling rates » Local Government » 24dash.com

Local councils should "hold their nerve" in the face of falling prices for recyclable materials and continue to invest in recycling services, the Environment Agency said today.

The agency's chairman Lord Chris Smith said instead of abandoning some of their recycling services, local authorities should take a long-term view and seek out new domestic markets for products such as paper and plastics.

At a talk tonight to the Aldersgate Group, an environmental coalition of businesses and non-governmental groups, he is also warning councils to prevent a drop in support for recycling among residents.

Recycling schemes across the country have been hit by a sudden and dramatic downturn in prices for the materials gathered - particularly for export markets such as China.

But Lord Smith said local authorities could not return to the "bad old days" of sending too much rubbish to landfill.

The collapse in exports showed there was a need for a more resilient domestic market for recyclable materials in the UK, while in the short term, higher-quality, well-sorted materials are more likely to be sold, he said.

Research from waste reduction agency Wrap shows that while demand for lower-quality materials such as plastic trays, tubs and pots has dropped, there is still demand for high-quality recyclables including plastic bottles and glass.

Lord Smith said: "Local authorities in England and Wales must hold their nerve. The collection, treatment and reprocessing capacity for recyclable waste in England and Wales must be retained and expanded if we are to meet our legal targets on landfill waste.

"There can be no return to the bad old days of sending too much waste to landfill.

"So it's vital that this economic slowdown does not jeopardise public confidence in recycling, particularly with Christmas approaching - which is always a crunch time for waste collection and recycling."

The Environment Agency recently put out guidance for contractors and councils which are having to store recyclable waste because of the collapse in the market as a result of the economic downturn.

But Paul Bettison, chairman of the Local Government Association environment board, said: "Councils are already 'holding their nerve' and providing a range of recycling services despite the economic slowdown.

"To imply that local authorities are cutting back on these services at the first sign of difficulty is both unhelpful and untrue.

"Councils know only too well that the alternative to recycling is to throw waste into landfill, which is damaging to the environment and expensive for the taxpayer.

"Local people should continue to recycle as much as possible."