Waste recycling plant
Waste
The Regional Waste Strategy is set out as chapter 11 of the East of England Plan. EERA was responsible for drafting the strategy and will be responsible for its implementation and review to 2031.
Historically, waste in the UK has this been deposed of by using landfill. However, landfill sites in the East of England are nearly exhausted and this is no longer an option for this Region. In addition, landfilling waste can cause pollution particularly to groundwater and it is a poor use of valuable land. Importantly, the material that is discarded as waste often has value that can be extracted, especially if the materials are collected separately and remain free from contamination. Examples of such materials are, paper and card, textiles, aluminium and other metals. Biodegradable wastes form a substantial proportion of waste from households and these can be most efficiently composted either at home or in communal facilities.
Waste studies commissioned by EERA to inform waste policies are available from the link to the right of the page. Waste polices are monitored in the East of England Plan Annual Monitoring Report.