Waste Revolution (coming soon)

Bold stuff coming from the UK.

Yesterday, the Secretary of State for the Environment Hilary Benn announced plans to turn Britain into a zero waste nation. Eventually.

Benn pointed to a goal of diverting 75 percent of household waste from landfill by 2019. In addressing food waste, Benn alluded to the fast-progressing (in the UK) anaerobic digestion: 

We need to rethink how we view and treat waste in the UK. Why do we send valuable items like aluminium and food waste to landfill when we can turn them into new cans and renewable energy?

That’s an important question, considering the volume of waste. As noted at the way bottom of the same link, the average UK home discards £400 of good food annually. 

Despite speculation from this less-than-enthusiastic site, there were no specifics on when food may be banned outright from landfills, but a confirmation that it’s in the works:

“Why do we allow food waste, wood, cans, paper and glass to go into landfill at all when we already know there are other ways in which they can be used?” [Benn] said. “Banning landfill of those products is going to be the next stage.”

In any case, this is all exciting doings. The one downside–the possibility of five, count ’em–five, roller bins.

UPDATE: It looks like Benn and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will release a study on how a landfill ban would work in early November.