Environment written question – answered at on 7 January 2003.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what schemes exist to recycle (a) Christmas trees and (b) Christmas wrapping paper; what incentives exist to encourage such recycling; and what guidance Government Departments and non-departmental public bodies have been given under the Government sustainability initiatives to recycle such trees and paper.
DEFRA does not run schemes or provide specific guidance to Government bodies or others on the recycling of Christmas wrapping paper and Christmas trees. However, I am aware that some local authorities report the number of Christmas trees they recycle to the environmental charity EnCams. Figures for 2002 show that nearly two million trees were recycled by the authorities in England and Wales that reported their performance. We would expect those authorities that carry out collection and recycling of waste paper would recycle Christmas wrapping paper along with the rest of the waste paper they collect.
While there is no special provision made for the recycling of Christmas wrapping paper and Christmas trees, we have provided significant additional funding to local authorities to increase the proportion of waste that they recycle through the Environmental, Protective and Cultural Services (EPCS) spending block, which includes waste management services, through Private Finance Initiative funding for waste and through the Waste Minimisation and Recycling Fund.
The New Opportunities Fund will also distribute #38.75 million to expand community sector waste reuse, recycling and composting in England and #3.25 million for similar schemes in Wales.
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