English Regions
- Regional Case Studies and Projects
- North East
- West Midlands
- South East
  - About My Region
  - What is WRAP Doing in My Region?
  - WRAP People in My Region
  - Environmental Business Support
  - Regional Recycling Activity
- South West
- London
- East Midlands
- East of England
- North West
- Yorkshire and Humber
Northern Ireland
Wales
Introduction

Regional Recycling Activity

Waste facts

Landfill is a major disposal method in the South East and accounts for about 80% of wastes managed. The amount of municipal waste going to landfill declined by over 220,000 tonnes between 2001/02 and 2003/04. Recycling and composting A close up of plastic bottles moving along a conveyor belt in a mrf. In the background a worker removes contamination. is increasing - however the growth of municipal waste overall means the total tonnage going to landfill remains higher.

In addition London exports a proportion of its waste to the region for treatment – exporting 456,000 tonnes (11% of the SE total) of its municipal solid waste to the South East during 2003. (Source: http://www.southeast-ra.gov.uk/publications/monitoring/2005/regional_chapter_7.pdf )

Regional waste mangament

Within the Regional Waste Management Strategy one of the key policy themes addresses recycling market development - stating that it advocates policies and initiatives that will be needed to change markets and attitudes.

Regional Planning guidance for the South East (RPG9) – developed by the Government Office (June 2006) states “Policy W9: New Markets 'The Regional Assembly, SEEDA, WRAP and other partners will work together to establish regional and local programmes to develop markets for recycled and recovered materials and products'.

Regional recycling markets

newspaper The region has significant waste paper and card recycling capacity and this sector recycles a lot of paper and card from London.

Glass recycling is well established through bring sites and glass collection systems. There are major glass recycling companies in the region such as Berrymans and Midland Glass, although much of the glass is sent out of the region for reprocessing.

Wood recycling businesses are distributed throughout the region with fewer facilities south-east of London, particularly in Kent. This is partly because many of the customers for wood are in northern England and Wales.

Waste market development

Development of the recycling sector in the South East is supported by SEEDA and their Waste Market Development Group.

WRAP is supporting the region in identifying where market development opportunities lie.