Wales ahead of schedule on landfill targets

Welsh councils have smashed recycling targets a year ahead of schedule.

Figures published this week show Wales sent 599,703 tonnes of biodegradable waste to landfill in 2008/09, 24% less than its target for the year, and 16% less than its target for next year.

Reaching the landmark ensures Wales won’t face financial sanctions when the EU’s landfill directive comes into force next year.

“These new figures are great news and show how councils are making significant progress in changing the way we deal with our waste,” said Jane Davidson, Welsh Assembly environment minister.

“Every Welsh local authority has now met this first EU target a year early. This is an excellent achievement.

“The idea we can simply bury waste in the ground and leave it rot is from another era, to protect this beautiful country for future generations we need to recycle as much as possible.”

Under the EU directive, cuts in the amount of biodegradable waste need to continue, with a further 50% reduction by 2013.

I now want to build on this progress,” Davidson said.

“The increase in the recycling of separately collected food waste will be vital for Local Authorities to meet the next EU target set for 2013.”