London Wider Waste Strategy - London - Greater London Authority

2. Waste Policy and Legislation
Overview
2.1. This chapter summarises the main legislation and policy applying to controlled waste
and identifies some of its strengths and weaknesses in respect of wider wastes.
Appendix A contains further detail on European Directives and UK legislation and
policy applying to controlled waste, including those referred to in this chapter (marked
with*).
2.2. The purpose of this chapter is to consider the extent to which the current waste
planning framework supports or provides opportunities for sustainable management of
wider wastes. Strategic national policy and current London policy are considered first,
to set the scene, followed by a more detailed analysis of current and pending legislation
and initiatives.
Strategic Waste Policy
National Policy
2.3. ‘Waste Strategy 2000’*is the primary Government policy document on waste
management. ‘Waste Strategy 2000’ was followed in 2002 by ‘Waste Not, Want
Not’*, a report from the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit which had been asked to carry
out a review of Waste Strategy 2000. The specific tasks for this review were :
• to analyse the scale of the challenge posed by growing quantities of household
waste;
• to assess the main causes and drivers behind this growth now and in the future; and
• to devise a strategy, with practical and cost-effective measures for addressing the
challenge, which will put England on a sustainable path for managing future streams
of household waste.
2.4. Although the original terms of reference focused on household waste, the report
included substantial commentary and recommendations on wider wastes in recognition
that wider waste volumes are greater than municipal volumes and that the management
of municipal and wider wastes is interlinked.
2.5. In 2003 the Government Response to ‘Waste Not, Want Not’ broadly accepted the
Strategy Unit’s recommendations and set out the Government’s intended actions.
2.6. Key policy proposals in these documents that are relevant to wider wastes are
summarised below.
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