Friends of the Earth urges Spelman to act on waste and recycling

Pressure group argues for end to wastre PFI, reatained fortnightly collections and more ambitious targets.

Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman today launched a review of Commenting on a review of England's waste policy, which will look at the way waste is collected from homes and businesses as well as means of reducing packaging and increasing recycling.

Friends of the Earth's senior resource use campaigner Dr. Michael Warhurst said:

"This review is an important opportunity to tackle our huge waste mountain and save money by recycling more - the UK wastes over £650 million every year by burying and burning quality materials.

"We need to set England the more ambitious target of recycling 75 per cent of its waste by 2025. Wales and Scotland have put England to shame by setting 70 per cent targets, and Flanders in Belgium is recycling even more.

"We need to ditch PFI funding for dirty incinerators - which release more carbon emissions per unit of electricity than a gas power station.

"Fortnightly waste collections must stay - if food waste is picked up weekly from homes there is no reason why it would be unhygienic to collect the remaining rubbish fortnightly.

"The Government must increase targets for recycling packaging waste so businesses play their fair part in creating a zero-waste society."