Key points: Waste Strategy

Environment Secretary David Miliband has revealed a waste strategy for England. Here are the key points:

• Councils could charge households based on the amount of rubbish they produce, while households who recycle more will be financially rewarded. Any such schemes would have to be "revenue neutral" - ie it there must be no overall increase in local taxes
• Using plastic bags just once will be discouraged, and measures to cut packaging will be encouraged, with retailers expected to take on greater responsibilities. There will not be a general plastic bag tax
• More recycling facilities in public places including shopping centres and parks
• A new opt-out scheme for unaddressed junk mail - the current mail preference service only applies to addressed junk mail. An opt-in scheme will also be considered
• An increased target of 40% of household waste recycled/composted by 2010, increasing to 45% by 2015 and then to 50% by 2020
• Reducing the amount of household waste that is not re-used, recycled or composted from 22.2 million tonnes in 2000 to 15.8 million tonnes in 2010, with "an aspiration" to reduce it to 12.2 million tonnes by 2020.
• Getting more energy from waste, which involves disposing of waste which cannot sensibly be reused or recycled. Currently 10% of municipal waste is used for EfW, with a target of 25% by 2020. This will include "anaerobic digestion" of food waste and also incineration to generate power