Sustainability
Waste management is one of the most important and challenging environmental issues we face today. The change to more sustainable waste management systems and long term global environmental protection is now
backed by substantial legislation and guided by detailed policies at European, national and regional level.
Sustainability incorporates many aspects from resource use to greenhouse gas emissions. As such, and in response to political drivers sustainability is at the centre of our work and there are a number of routes through which we are addressing the issue of sustainability:
- The Municipal Waste Management Strategy
- The Nottingham Declaration for Climate Change
- The Climate Change Action Plan
- The Green Office Action Plan
The Municipal Waste Management Strategy
Our revised Municipal Waste Management Strategy (MWMS) was adopted by the Authority in April 2007. The central aims of the Strategy include:
-
reducing growth in waste to 1 % per year in 2010 and 0 % in 2020; and
- increasing recycling and composting rates to 33 % in 2010 and at least 50 % in 2015
The environmental benefits will reduce the current levels of carbon emissions, the need for virgin materials and the requirement for future landfill sites.
The Nottingham Declaration
40 %Methane Emissions from biodegradable waste in landfill account for 40 % of all UK methane emissions. Source: Waste Strategy for England 2007 |
Being the largest of the 6 Waste Disposal Authorities in the UK we recognise that we have a crucial role to play in responding to this challenge and as such, on the 15th June 2007, aligned with our vision and aims, we signed the
80 %The Government has a long-term goal to reduce UK CO2 emissions by 80 % by 2050. |
Full details of the Nottingham Declaration can be viewed here.
