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.
In light of this and the need to deliver Net Zero, government is committed to achieving the near elimination of biodegradable waste to landfill from 2028 and its removal from the residual waste stream.
This Call for Evidence is intended to ensure any government intervention, as well as its timing, is targeted and evidence based. However, we encourage waste producers, Local Authorities, waste operators and investors to consider their own practices and explore options to prevent biodegradable wastes from being sent to landfill at the earliest opportunity ahead of any formal policy intervention.
This Call for Evidence will also help deliver the recommendation of the Climate Change Committee (CCC) that the landfilling of biodegradable waste is discontinued as part of the net zero pathway for waste for Carbon Budget 6 (CB6).
This Call for Evidence does not set out new policy. It is however intended to inform future policy development. The Government is committed to supporting comprehensive and frequent rubbish and recycling collections for households. We do not anticipate that these proposals will affect the configuration of household waste collections (over and above existing plans to introduce consistent household and business waste collections, including ensuring that households have a weekly food waste collection). Any associated policy changes are expected to happen further on in the process, where waste is handled and managed, after it is collected from households.
Waste is a devolved matter in the UK and this Call for Evidence and any subsequent policy development relates to England only.
Annex A at the end of this survey includes a brief supplementary section regarding the future of landfill in England and asks whether you would be interested in taking part in any conversations around the future role of landfill and other topics relevant to landfill policy.
Additional background information on the definition of biodegradable waste and on waste policies in the Devolved Administrations is included in Annex B, also at the end of this survey.