Medway Liberal Democrats support Global Recycling Day - 18th March 2020

Local Liberal Democrats strongly support 'Global Recycling Day' on March 18th. 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.

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Nationally, 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.

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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.

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We recognise that the proportion of household waste in Medway sent for reuse, recycling or composting (2015/16 financial year) increased to 42.7%, but the figure two years before was 41.2% - an increase of just 1.5% in two years is nowhere near enough. 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.

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.

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

Additional Information for Editors:

QUOTE: John Castle, Spokesperson for Medway Liberal Democrats said - "The successful economies of the future will be those which adopt 'circular economy' techniques, cutting resource use, waste and pollution by maximising recovery, reuse, recycling and remanufacturing.

"This will cut costs for consumers and businesses, protect the environment and create new jobs and enterprises and include measures to cut waste, increase recycling and reuse and have a target for the complete elimination of single use plastic in three years."