LAWR

COMMENT 4 Local Authority Waste & Recycling June 2015 Leaving it late I don't think I have ever left writing a comment as late as this one. Half the senior ministers in the new cabinet have been announced but no news as yet regarding Defra. Oh, hang on a minute … an update has just popped into my inbox: Liz Truss will remain as secretary of state at the environment department. I can't see that going down too well in the waste sector. But these are new beginnings. This is a new government. The Conservatives may have kept mention of the environment, waste and resources to a bare minimum in their manifesto, but as we note in the story opposite, there are some real, live targets looming that need to be met – and Truss's department needs to take the lead. By 2020, 50% of household waste needs to be recycled. If not, some estimates have put the cost to the UK at £0.5m per day. Not a very positive end to another five years of austerity. England has micro-nudged its rates a little higher, but another set of swingeing budget cuts will make further progress extremely difficult. Waste Training Services Ltd www.waste-training.com To reserve your place, email :enquiries@waste-training.com or call: 0115 982 1175 Waste Training Services Ltd, West Bridgford, Notts N E W O P E N C O U R S E S Course Dates Course Venue 15th July B The Source Academy, Meadowhall, Sheffield 16th July A The Source Academy, Meadowhall, Sheffield 2nd September C Advent House, Halesowen, West Midlands 8th September D Advent House, Halesowen, West Midlands 10th September A Advent House, Halesowen, West Midlands We are pleased to confirm a further series of our popular one-day Open Courses for all those involved in waste management. The topics to be covered in this series are: Coding and Classification of Hazardous Wastes: (A) Environment Agency Guidance WM3 Controls on Hazardous Wastes Management (B) Controls on Hazardous Wastes Management (B) An Overview of Waste Management Legislation (C) Waste Management Duty of Care: Implications for Compliance (D) Waste Training Services have been delivering training to the waste and environment industries for over 25 years, using only experienced senior industry professionals. Our services also include bespoke on-site training and e Learning options. Please visit www.waste-training com. Fees per course: £250.00 +VAT Training for Waste Management Of course, by 2017 the UK public could have voted to pull out from Europe, and who knows what this will mean for England's resources policy in particular. At a conference earlier this year, there was a feeling that Europe is good for the sector and a divorce would be nonsense. However, a separation should not be reason to do nothing to improve resource use, reduce waste and increase recycling at a national level (there's only one UKIP MP after all). In the aftermath of last month's surprising election result, many voices will clamour to be heard and that of the recycling industry isn't often one of the loudest. But once the dust settles the government needs to provide a vision for how, as budgets are cut further, councils can push UK recycling rates over 50%. We don't have to be first past the post, but at the moment we're in real danger of not even getting there. Ps. I've just seen that Eric Pickles has gone from DCLG, replaced by Greg Clark. David Burrows, freelance journalist and acting editor Email me at LAWR@fav-house.com " Huge fines won't be the prettiest end to five years of austerity "

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