Richard Benyon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Benyon on 2016-01-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to ban bio-degradable food processing and farm residues from disposal to landfill.

Rory Stewart

The EU revised Waste Framework Directive (Directive 2008/98/EC) requires Member States to apply the waste management hierarchy. Landfill sits at the bottom of the hierarchy and should be the last resort for most waste. Landfill tax is the main driver in diverting waste from landfill in the UK, and is currently £82.60 per tonne for the standard rate and £2.60 per tonne for inert waste. We believe this represents the correct solution to bio-degradable food waste.

The EU Landfill Directive includes targets to reduce the amount of biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) going to landfill. In 2013 the amount of BMW going to landfill in the UK reduced to 26% of the 1995 baseline, against a 35% target for 2020.