Michael Gove calls for nationwide recycling standards to cut plastic waste
1 min read
Michael Gove has unveiled plans to end councils having separate recycling policies by calling for new nationwide standards.
The Environment Secretary wants to make it easier for households to know what can and cannot be recycled in any given area, bringing an end to the current postcode lottery.
The move comes as part of a wider four-point plan to cut plastic waste, which includes a general reduction in the number of plastics that are in use, including straws and coffee cups, to make it easier for recycling firms.
Furthermore he called for improvements to the recycling rate, which he said had been slipping among households.
A spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) told the Daily Mail: “The Secretary of State wants to make recycling as easy as possible for households.
“That is why we will look to accelerate making local authority recycling schemes as consistent as possible through the resources and waste strategy.”
The paper reports that almost 8 million families cannot recycle everyday plastics because councils refuse to pick them up.
Greenpeace campaigner Louise Edge said: “It's a good sign that Michael Gove is thinking about a multi-pronged approach which includes cutting disposable plastic at the source while also making it easier for people to collect and reuse it.”
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