Medway Liberal Democrats are supporting Global Recycling Day on 18th March
Local Liberal Democrats strongly support 'Global Recycling Day' on 18th March. Recycling plays an important part of keeping our environment safe and clean across our towns and we have consistently been unequivocal in our support for raising awareness of local environmental issues.
Last year Liberal Democrats outlined a series of pledges, including a 70% recycling target and proposal to end waste plastic exports by 2030. These measures would be delivered under a Zero-Waste and Resource Efficiency Act and strengthen incentives to reduce packaging and waste sent to landfill and incineration.
Locally, zero waste has to be the ultimate aim for Medway and this should be the aim of the Council. The immediate priorities for waste management should be to avoid or reduce unnecessary waste in the first place and to maximise the efficient reuse, recycling and composting or digestion of any waste produced. Improving waste management may avoid the need for additional landfill sites totally, even with possible population growth.
One of the biggest obstacles to reducing waste is changing the behaviour of householders and businesses. We believe that it is the Council's responsibility both to educate people on how to reduce waste and to reuse, recycle or compost, and to make things as easy as possible for them to do this.
Stuart Bourne, for Medway Liberal Democrats said "Many people across Medway are doing an amazing job in recycling their household items, but there is so much more we all can do to reach zero waste. It's the more difficult items that we can do much more with. Crisp packets, coffee pods and pet food packets, they all can be recycled, but there is little information given out by the council on who you can take them too and where."
We would like to see the Local Plan set out a clear hierarchy of waste treatment, with reuse first, followed by recycling/composting, then treating any residual waste in non-polluting ways that produce useful products like biogas. There should be very little left destined for landfill. It is especially important that all new developments have adequate provision for the storage and collection of waste.
For all the progress that has been made, there is still undoubtedly more to be done. Liberal Democrats are calling for an expansion of the materials which can be recycled to make recycling easier for people. Only by making it easier, will our recycling rate increase substantially.
ENDS
Notes for Editors:The Global Recycling Foundation is pleased to announce the theme of Global Recycling Day 2021 as 'Recycling Heroes'. This will recognise the people, places and activities that showcase what an important role recycling plays in contributing to an environmentally stable planet and a greener future which will benefit all.
Global Recycling Day was created in 2018 to help recognise, and celebrate, the importance recycling plays in preserving our precious primary resources and securing the future of our planet. It is a day for the world to come together and put the planet first.
The mission of Global Recycling Day, as set out by the Global Recycling Foundation, is twofold:
1. To tell world leaders that recycling is simply too important not to be a global issue, and that a common, joined up approach to recycling is urgently needed.
2. To ask people across the planet to think resource, not waste, when it comes to the goods around us - until this happens, we simply won't award recycled goods the true value and repurpose they deserve.
For more information please visit:https://www.globalrecyclingday.com/