Call for Evidence: Near elimination of biodegradable waste disposal in landfill from 2028

Overview

Climate change is one of the greatest global challenges and action is urgently needed. In 2019 we became the first major economy to set a legally binding target to achieve net zero by 2050. In 2021 the UK government published its Net Zero Strategy: Build Back Greener, becoming the first major economy to set a legally binding target to achieve net zero by 2050.

The environmental impacts of biodegradable waste entering landfill are well known. In the absence of oxygen (below the surface), anaerobic degradation of biodegradable waste deposited in landfill produces landfill gas that is predominantly methane and carbon dioxide. In 2021, landfill gas from closed and operational landfills was estimated to emit 13.6 Mt CO₂e, which is ~ 72% of the total emissions from the Waste Sector. 

In light of this and the need to deliver Net Zero, government is committed to achieving the near elimination of biodegradable municipal waste to landfill from 2028 and its movement out of the residual waste stream. 

Waste is a devolved matter in the UK and this Call for Evidence and any subsequent policy development relates to England only.

Why your views matter

We are seeking views, data and evidence relating to a number of issues around the landfilling of biodegradable waste. This will help our understanding of the scale of existing elimination policies across the sector, drivers for the continued landfilling of biodegradable waste and the barriers to alternative treatment, as well as interactions with and effectiveness of other waste reform policies in achieving our commitment. It will also help fill gaps in our data on the composition and biodegradable content of mixed wastes.

A significant number of the questions in this Call for Evidence directly ask for data or evidence that is likely to be held by waste operators or local authorities. However, there are also general open questions and we welcome views from all interested stakeholders. 

A word document containing the survey questions is also available and is attached to this survey. We do however encourage all respondents to complete this online survey wherever possible. 

If you have data or evidence to share that you cannot otherwise attach or upload, please email this to: residualwaste@defra.gov.uk

What happens next

This Call for Evidence will run for 6 weeks. Your responses will support the development and targetting of policies that will achieve the near elimination of biodegradable waste to landfill from 2028. A second consultation will be launched on developed policies in due course, likely 2024.

A summary of the responses to this Call for Evidence will be published at www.gov.uk/defra.