Croydon joins forces to tackle waste challenge
| Published: 13th May 2007 11:26 |
The boroughs of Croydon, Merton, Sutton and Kingston upon Thames have joined forces to try and achieve a dramatic and sustained reduction in the amount of household waste that is sent to landfill.
The Government have issued a challenge to all councils in England and Wales;
a 65% reduction in the amount of biodegradable waste it sends to landfill by 2020.
This will be staggered by two "stepping stone" targets of a 25%* reduction by 2010 and a 50%* reduction by 2013. Authorities that do not meet these ‘landfill allowance' targets will be penalised with heavy fines of £150 per tonne over their allowance.
The targets are challenging and will mean a change in the way that waste is collected, treated and disposed of.
In response to the challenge, the south London boroughs of Croydon, Merton, Sutton and Kingston upon Thames have established the South London Waste Partnership (SLWP).
The aim of the SLWP is to secure a contract that will cover the treatment of waste, the management of the four boroughs' household reuse and recycling centres, the transport of residual waste to landfill and the management of the landfill site itself.
The boroughs face a substantial challenge, they have a
combined population of more than 850,000 people who generated 483,000 tonnes of waste last year. This is predicted to rise to 668,000 tonnes by 2020 - the landfill allowance targets mean that only 85,000 tonnes (13%) will be landfill-able.
By working in partnership, the four boroughs will benefit from significant efficiency gains, potentially saving millions of pounds. It will be possible to attract more competitive quotes from contractors and reduce administration and monitoring costs by sharing resources.
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