Public Waste Consultation

There's still time to give us your views on waste

We are nearly half way through our waste consultation, so there's still time to tell us your views:

• How can we help you reduce your waste?

• What would help you recycle more?

• How should we deal with Surrey's remaining waste?

We are reviewing our Waste Strategy - A Plan For Waste Management and want you to help shape it. Tell us your views before 12 August 2010.

What is the Surrey Waste Partnership (SWP)?

The Surrey Waste Partnership is made up of Surrey County Council and the 11 district and borough councils in the county. We aim to manage Surrey's waste in the most efficient, economic and sustainable way possible.

What is the Plan for Waste Management in Surrey?

This is our strategy to manage waste across the county. This plan was first published in 2007 and was called the Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy. The new strategy will set revised targets for recycling, reducing waste and managing Surrey's waste in the most sustainable and cost-effective way.

Why are we reviewing it?

We have a commitment to review all of our strategies on a regular basis. However, the strategy is also now out of date for a number of reasons:

• We believe Surrey is able to exceed the waste management targets set in the 2007 strategy.

• We need to manage waste in the most sustainable and most cost-effective way.

• Technological development provides us with improved options for waste treatment.

What are the key changes?

The major changes to the original strategy are:

• The addition of the comprehensive waste reduction programme
• The increased recycling target of 70% by 2013/14
• The move from in vessel composting to anaerobic digestion for food waste
• The move away from mass burn incineration as an option for the disposal of residual waste, and the preference for advanced thermal treatment (gasification) 
• The increase of landfill diversion: 0% of waste will be landfilled by 2013/14

Why a public consultation?

The way we manage the waste service in Surrey directly affects you, so we want to know what you think. We want the updated strategy to reflect your views and want to know what we could be doing to help you waste less.

To complete the consultation please visit www.surreywastepartnership.org.uk or Tel: 03456 009 009 for a hard copy.