Spelman to unveil Waste Review next month

Spelman will disclose the key “priorities” of the review, undertaken by Defra over the past 12 months, at the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management’s (CIWM) two-day conference in London, 14-15 June.

Organisers of the conference, which is being run in partnership with the Environmental Services Association (ESA), have confirmed that the speech by Spelman will be Defra’s first official announcement on the subject.

The review is intended to map out the Government’s vision in working towards a zero waste society in England over the next 30 years. A statement from CIWM read: “Hear it first and be part of the debate on the future of the industry”.

The Waste Review was expected towards the end of this month, but it appears to have been delayed to fit in around the conference. Spelman’s association with CIWM dates back to last year’s Futuresource event at London ExCeL where she formally launched the Waste Review process.

Much speculation surrounds what will be in the review, but it is widely thought it will signal the end of the Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme (LATS) and adopt a greater focus on the commercial and industrial waste stream.

At the beginning of the year Defra’s deputy director of waste strategy, Diana Linksey, spoke publicly about the review and said it was unlikely that it would replace England’s 2007 Waste Strategy, but rather, map out early findings from the Government’s initial consultation.

Maxine Perella