Municipal waste

Defra have recently released Municipal Waste statistics for England 2009/10.  These show that the amount of municipal waste collected across the region is still in decline.  Just over 2.7 million tonnes was collected in the South West in 2009/10; 3% lower than in the previous year, yet still 59 thousand tonnes more than in 2000/01.

• Household sources accounted for 91.1% (2.5 million tonnes) of all municipal waste in the South West.

• Residual household waste equated to 593 kg of household waste per household in the region, 32 kg less than the English average.

• The amount of municipal waste sent to landfill continues to decline, from 2.2 million tonnes in 2000/01 to nearly 1.5 million tonnes in 2009/10.

• The amount of municipal waste landfilled in the region is 54.3%.

• The household recycling rate has increased significantly in the South West, from 14.9% in 2000/01 to 43.5% in 2009/10.

Every household or business generates waste. Local Authorities are responsible for arranging bins to be emptied and for providing sites where waste can be taken. Most waste disposal and recycling sites are operated by industry. The Environment Agency is responsible for regulating these sites to ensure they don’t pollute the environment or harm the public.

The Waste Strategy for England 2007 (Defra, 2007) sets out the Government's vision for sustainable waste management. In addition to this, the South West has also published the Regional Waste Strategy From Rubbish to Resource (South West Regional Assembly, 2004). This non-statutory regional strategy aims to ensure that by the year 2020 over 45% of waste is recycled and reused and less than 20% of waste produced in the region will be landfilled.

Low Waste South West brings together the strategies and related actions being taken to help move the South West towards a low waste future.

Total municipal waste

England

A total of 26.5 million tonnes of municipal waste was collected in England during 2009/10; a 10% decline from the peak in 2004/05, of 29.6 million tonnes.

In the regions, total municipal waste was highest in the South East with 4.2 million tonnes in 2009/10 and lowest in the North East with 1.4 million tonnes.

Non-household waste collected as part of municipal collections has also fallen to 2.9 million tonnes.  This is a 27% fall from the amount collected during the 2004/05 peak, of nearly 4 million tonnes. 

South West

Just over 2.7 million tonnes of municipal waste was collected in the South West in 2009/10, 10.3% of the English total.  This was 3.2% lower than in the previous year, yet still 59 thousand tonnes more than in 2000/01.

91.1% (2.5 million tonnes) of all municipal waste collected in the South West during 2009/10 was classified as household waste, the largest proportion of which came from regular household collections (45.2%) and household recycling (43.5%). The rest came from civic amenity sites and other household sources.

 

Household waste

England

In 2009 / 2010, household sources accounted for 89.2% of municipal waste (23.7 million tonnes), equating to 1,036 kg per household; 36 kg less than in 2008/09.  

Average residual household waste per household decreased from 1046 kg in 2000/01 to 625 kg in 2009/10; a fall of 40.2%.

South West

Household sources accounted for around 91.1% (2.5 million tonnes) of all municipal waste.

The average household was responsible for 593 kg of residual household waste in 2009/10, a 5% reduction on the 627 kg in 2008/09 and a 39% decline on the 980 kg in 2000/01.

The Council of the Isles of Scilly had the highest amount of residual household waste (1,452 kg/household) of the disposal and unitary authorities; the highest in England, followed by North Somerset Council with 705 kg/household.  Bournemouth came in with the lowest at 470 kg/household.  

 

Municipal waste management

Management type: England

• landfill - 46.9% (12.5 million tonnes)

• Recycling / composting - 38.6% (10.3 million tonnes)

• Incineration with Energy from Waste (EfW) - 13.6% (3.6 million tonnes)

• Incineration without EfW - 0.02% (6,000 tonnes)

• Other - 1% (255,000 tonnes)  

Management type: South West

• landfill - 54.3% (1.5 million tonnes)
• Recycling / composting - 43.3% (1.2 million tonnes)
• Incineration with EfW - 1.7% (47,000 tonnes)
• Incineration without EfW - 0.1% (3,000 tonnes)
• Other - 0.6% (17,000 tonnes)

 

Landfill

England & the regions

46.9% (12.5 million tonnes) of municipal waste was sent to landfill in England during 2009/10. The proportion of municipal waste sent to landfill is now 32 percentage points lower than in 2000/01 and 3 percentage points lower than in 2008/09.

The North West region sent the highest proportion of waste to landfill, with 59.2% and lowest in the West Midlands with 28.5%.  

South West

The South West landfilled the 2^nd highest proportion of municipal waste out of the regions in 2009/10 with 54.3% (1.5 million tonnes).   The proportion of municipal waste sent to landfill has been in decline since 2000/01 when 82% was landfilled.

Plymouth City Council landfilled the greatest proportion of waste (of the disposal and unitary authorities), in the South West (64%).  After the Council of the Isles of Scilly (whom landfill no waste), Bournemouth Borough Council landfilled the least (37.8%). 

 

Recycling & composting

There is a direct correlation between the proportion of waste sent to landfill declining and the proportion recycled or composted increasing.

England

The recycling household rates have increased significantly from 11.2% in 2000/01 to 39.7% in 2009/10. Between 2008/09 and 2009/10, the total national recycling rate increased by 2 percentage points.

There continues to be variations in household recycling and composting rates between different regions; with regional recycling rates ranging from 31.8% in London to over 46.1% in the East.

South West

The South West had the 3rd highest recycling and composting rate in England (43.5%), behind the East and East Midlands (with 46.1 and 45.6% respectively).  Recycling and composting has increased significantly in the South West, from 14.9% in 2000/01.

Devon and Bournemouth had the highest recycling rates of the disposal and unitary authorities, in the South West (52.6% and 50.0% respectively).  The Council of the Isles of Scilly had the lowest recycling rates at nearly 19%.  

• Defra have detailed web pages on municipal waste and the annual Municipal Waste Survey.

• The Environment Agency waste pages provide a summary of the types of waste handled by permitted waste management facilities and also provide detailed analysis of waste at permitted waste management facilities the South West

• For more information at a local level on waste and other topics, please see the Local Profiles