MEPs set ambitious goals for recycling

9.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 23rd Jun 2008

MEPs and Environment ministers of EU countries have jointly agreed a law establishing tough targets for the recycling of waste by 2020. The new directive means that 50% of household and industrial waste and 70% of construction waste must be being recycled by then. This is a very big step up from current UK average levels of 19%.

Governments which fail to establish the necessary measures required to meet these goals will potentially face multi-million pound fines. In Europe 1.8 billion tonnes of waste is generated annually, an average of 3.5 tonnes a person. Only 27% was recycled in 2005 against 49% disposed of in landfill and 18% incinerated.

Commenting on the new law, London Liberal Democrat MEP Baroness Sarah Ludford said:

"As the environment becomes an ever-increasing concern, it's right that the EU should lead the way on setting tougher goals for recycling in member states. MEPs, although wanting a shorter timescale, have nonetheless achieved their aim of significantly reducing the amount of waste going to landfill and incineration, both of which cause pollution."

"However, when it comes to the environment, a battle is won but the war is not over. Governments of EU member states have still got a long way to go in shrinking the size of our ever growing mountains of waste."