14.12.2012 Views

International Review of Waste Management Policy - Department of ...

International Review of Waste Management Policy - Department of ...

International Review of Waste Management Policy - Department of ...

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

Switzerland, the US, and New Zealand. 158 We draw heavily from this source for the<br />

details given here and refer to it subsequently as ‘the Defra charging report’.<br />

8.5 Environmental Benefits<br />

Charging for waste has an effect both on waste prevention and on quantities <strong>of</strong> waste<br />

separated for recycling. Where possible, the two are considered separately in the<br />

following subsections. In the first instance, it is important to establish that when we<br />

talk about the recycling and prevention, that these are proxies for environmental<br />

effectiveness.<br />

8.5.1 Evidence <strong>of</strong> Environmental Effectiveness<br />

8.5.1.1 Benefits Related to <strong>Waste</strong> Prevention<br />

Charging for waste can be one <strong>of</strong> the most direct and influential approaches to<br />

stimulating waste prevention. This was a key conclusion <strong>of</strong> a review <strong>of</strong> existing<br />

policies which have potential to encourage prevention <strong>of</strong> household waste. 159<br />

Because it is a mechanism that acts directly at the point where a product becomes a<br />

waste, it can deliver the incentive to an individual or organisation to change waste<br />

production behaviour. The charges on waste can act to discourage consumption (and<br />

related waste production) and encourage individuals to take management<br />

responsibility for avoidable wastes (for example home composting).<br />

The environmental benefits <strong>of</strong> waste prevention have been long recognised, and are<br />

reflected as such at the top <strong>of</strong> the familiar waste hierarchy. However, where municipal<br />

waste is concerned, the environmental benefits are more <strong>of</strong>ten assumed than<br />

identified in detail. Indeed, the matter is not entirely straightforward. For example, the<br />

magnitude <strong>of</strong> the benefits <strong>of</strong> preventing waste in the form <strong>of</strong> paper depend upon<br />

whether or not that paper was made from virgin materials or from recycled ones. 160<br />

Consequently, we might assume that the benefits from waste prevention change as<br />

the recycled content <strong>of</strong> the material / product which is the subject <strong>of</strong> the waste<br />

prevention activity increases or declines.<br />

Within this section (and indeed throughout this report) we use the proxy that:<br />

124<br />

29/09/09<br />

“<strong>Waste</strong> Prevention = Environmental Benefit”.<br />

This assumption is likely to be a reasonable one whether the effect is on the<br />

hazardousness <strong>of</strong> waste (which is clearly an environmental benefit) or on the quantity<br />

158 D. Hogg, D. Wilson, A. Gibbs, M. Astley and J. Papineschi (2006) Modelling the Impact <strong>of</strong> Household<br />

Charging for <strong>Waste</strong> in England, Final Report to Defra. Referred to within the text <strong>of</strong> this report as ‘the<br />

Defra charging report’.<br />

www.defra.gov.uk/environment/waste/strategy/incentives/pdf/wasteincentives-research-0507.pdf<br />

159 Eunomia et al (2007) Household <strong>Waste</strong> Prevention <strong>Policy</strong> Side Research Programme, Final Report<br />

for Defra, April 2007.<br />

160 See, for example, USEPA (2002) Solid <strong>Waste</strong> <strong>Management</strong> and Greenhouse Gases: A Life-Cycle<br />

Assessment <strong>of</strong> Emissions and Sinks, EPA530-R-02-006, May 2002.

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!