Why we need landfill bans

Why we need landfill bans Economic theory says that the raw materials in products should be valuable enough to keep them out of landfill. But many products containing valuable raw materials still end up in landfill because it's too easy to throw them away. This is a market failure. green alliance... By taking away the easy option, landfill bans encourage better collection systems and create economies of scale which brings down the cost of recycling. Preventing textiles, food, wood and plastics from going to landfill would keep at least £2.5 billion worth of resources in the economy, and avoid £1 billion in landfill costs. Contains resources worth Glass Contains metals worth £850 tonne £6,000 per tonne per Indium Steel Aluminium Gold. Polypropylene O-00- Cobalt Landfill bans for mobiles make recycling happen Landfill bans get more value from old cars No landfill ban Landfill ban now Landfill ban in the future No landfill ban Landfill ban now Landfill ban in the future By 2015, £58m will be saved per year 92% to landfill 25% recovered 80% recovered Landfill and Better recycling and collection saved £29m in 2008 dumping cost £88m The USA threw away 141m mobile devices in 2009. The UK recovered nearly three times more mobiles than the USA in 2010,? due to WEEE regulations. By 2020, the UK will recover 80% of mobiles, keeping £13m of value in the economy per year. 92% of them went to landfill.' The USA doesn't In 2003, 25% of cars were landfilled and over 230,000 cars were abandoned in the UK.4 have landfill bans. EOLV regulations limited landfill from 2004. By 2006, they required free collection.5 By 2015, 95% of all cars in the UK will be diverted from landfill. Landfill bans work for cars and mobiles, so why not extend them? Green Alliance Notes and references 36 Buckingham Palace Road London, SW1W ORE 1US EPA, May 2011, Electronics waste management in the United States through 2009 2 Based on US EPA end of life modelling (ibid), using data from: Ofcom, August 2011, Communications market report This is how much we would gain per year:6 0207233 7433 [email protected] www.green-alliance.org.uk 3 The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment directive (effective in the UK from 2007) requires increasing levels of electronics to be diverted from landfill and into recycling Plastics £1,083m £2.5bn Wood Textiles £646m Food £229m £693m blog: greenallianceblog.org.uk twitter: @GreenAllianceUK 4 GHK and Bio Intelligence Service for DG Environment, May 2006, Costs and benefits of the ELV directive – final report value recovered 5 The End of Life Vehicles directive (effective in the UK from 2003) requires increasing proportions of vehicles scrapped in the EU to be diverted from landfill The Green Alliance Trust is a registered charity 1045395 and company limited by guarantee (England & Wales) 3037633, registered at the above address 6 Based on Green Alliance calculations using data from: WRAP, November 2012, Landfill bans: feasibility research and other sources given at www.green-alliance.org.uk/ whylandfillbans_sources Further detail on references and methodology is available at www.green-alliance.org.uk/whylandfillbans_sources With thanks to The John Ellerman Foundation for supporting this project. - £1bn £79m £363m £181m £508m avoided landfill © Green Alliance, March 2013 costs Designed by Howdy Printed by Park Lane Press creative commons CC BY NC ND Hiii Diii Dii Biiii OIII Diii OIII Dii