Norman Baker MP Member of Parliament for Lewes constituency
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Contact Norman at:
Norman Baker,
23 East Street,
Lewes,
East Sussex,
BN7 2LJ.
Tel: (01273) 480281.
Fax: (01273) 480287.
Email: info
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2003 (and previous) press releases
Ditch 'burn or bury' it waste policy, local MP tells Ministers
Local MP Norman Baker has told Ministers to get their act together and start funding waste minimisation initiatives, reuse schemes like the bottle return service at Harvey's Brewery in his constituency, and doorstep recycling for all homes, rather than paving the way for local authorities like East Sussex to build incinerators.
Speaking during a debate on the future of waste management, Mr Baker told MPs that the government is failing to back recycling schemes such as the one being set up by Lewes District Council, which is struggling because it is actually cheaper for councils to landfill waste rather than recycle.
The Lib Dem MP urged the new Environment Minister Elliot Morley to persuade the Treasury to use economic instruments to make it cheaper and easier to recycle rather than incinerate and landfill.
Mr Baker warns that waste is an enormous problem and costs the UK around £15 billion a year to dispose of. And every hour of every day, enough waste is produced in the UK to fill the Albert Hall. Fly tipping is rampant with just 225 prosecutions in 2001 despite 600,000 tonnes of illegally dumped waste.
Norman Baker says:
"The government has the right thinking on waste but a complete inability to put it into practice. Ministers want to move away from landfill and incineration but unless the Treasury takes positive action they will continue to be more attractive options compared with recycling and waste minimisation schemes.
"There are local success stories in my constituency. Harvey's run a brilliant bottle return system to help minimise waste and Lewes District Council has started up a doorstep recycling scheme. But without sustained government help the future of the recycling scheme is uncertain. It is time for the government to follow their warms words with hard cash and back recycling and waste minimisation all the way."