Ladies and Gentleman thank you for inviting me to speak here today.

I do have a really high regard for Women's Environmental Network and I think they are a very effective organisation. I think there is a sense of vision, and determination (which is rare in those who have vision) actually to change things on the ground in terms of sustainable waste management and I think that is a very important role and I look forward very much to working closely with them in the future.

This event has come at quite an important moment in terms of the waste sector. As you know the Strategy Unit recently published its report 'Waste Not Want Not', which made several recommendations on how the UK could meet its targets set out in 'Waste Strategy 2000'. One of the recommendations in the report was to increase the number of schemes that promoted re-usable nappies. I will say a little bit more later about the next steps to implement the Strategy Unit report.

One of our key objectives is to reduce our dependence on Landfill. The Directive, I don't know whether people have got their minds round this yet in Britain, places some extremely tough targets on the UK to reduce the amount we send to Landfill. At the moment, if we do nothing, then the amount going to landfill, given the rate it is increasing, will double in the next 20 years. Double! And when I say we create 400 million tonnes of waste a year, that is quite a statement. What we have got to do, as a result of the Landfill Directive, is to reduce that by two thirds. I'm speaking about a doubling to a reduction by two thirds, all within a period of 15 or at most 20 years, [which] is a pretty stunning requirement. That is the position the UK is in.

Increasing waste volumes are causing significant growing damage to the environment. Landfill currently produces up to 25% of all UK methane emissions. And of course, methane is a powerful greenhouse gas vastly more potent than normal CO2 molecules. Reducing these emissions will have a very high beneficial effect on climate change. Moreover, landfill sites are becoming increasingly scarce particularly in the South East and North West. More of these sites and/or residential waste treatment facilities will be required, unless greater efforts are made to reduce the volumes of waste. As I keep on saying, most people think it [waste management] is all about the amount that goes to landfill, the amount that is incinerated that nobody likes, or recycling, reuse, recovery. It isn't, there is a fourth one, and the fourth one is avoiding the creation of waste in the first place. That is the most important objective of waste management policy.

Now we are making progress on the recycling front. In 1997, when we came to office, it was 6%, which is pathetic. Last year it was 12-13%, still pretty poor in my view, but at least a doubling, and we intend to achieve another doubling within the next three years. However, to make even more of an impact, of course, we've got to encourage people to minimise their waste and that, of course, is where you come in, in quite a big way.

The estimate of what percentage of waste is formed by nappies varies from 2-4%. Compared to the organic fraction at 60% this is a small fraction. I am sure people say (well I know they say) why bother using re-usable nappies, it really isn't going to make very much difference if we carry on using disposables. But I think there are two arguments to that. One is that if nappies are 3% of waste and the organic fraction is 60%, that is still a twentieth, which is 5% and that is not negligible. That is one answer. Secondly, and I think this is even more important, irrespective of quantities, switching to reusable nappies is an important symbol of behaviour change. Making that switch to recycling, reuse and recovery, I think, is an absolutely crucial issue in waste management at this time. Minimising waste in one area, for example the use of reusable nappies, would hopefully lead people to consider what other changes they or we (I don't think I want to exclude any of ourselves, certainly not me) [can make] to minimise their waste. They may even take up composting and help to reduce the organic fraction of waste which is going to landfill.

Having said that, I must emphasise here that we are not out to force parents to use reusable nappies. There are many parents out there who find disposable nappies a boon to their lifestyle. They find them timesaving and convenient and I would be the first to acknowledge that the choice of nappies is entirely up to the parents. It is not, I think, for government to proscribe. I would also take on board as well, the point made by the manufacturers of disposables, that they have taken steps to lessen the impacts of disposable nappies. I shall say a bit more about Life Cycle Analysis, which looks at the impacts made on the environment by a product, in a few moments.

Nevertheless, there are a growing number of parents who are interested in using re-usables. There are also a growing number of local authorities who are interested in promoting re-usables since they see it as a way of reducing the amount of waste that they have to dispose of and with landfill tax increasing…You know the government is now intending, I think £13 is the current rate, we are intending to put it up to £35 [per tonne], the timescale for that will be announced with the budget, but it will, within, I hope, a reasonably short time go to £35, and saving that money is not an insignificant driver for local authorities and therefore the use of reusable saves them disposal costs.

However, what is needed is more information about re-usable nappies and their benefits and for some parents (I think again there has been some recent discussion about this) some help with the initial expenditure associated with re-usables.

This is where I feel that organisations such as WEN and the Real Nappy Association have a real role to play, as I say, in providing facts about the alternatives. I think it is about persuading and winning support, rather than forcing, as to what the alternatives are and the various schemes that provide help, and I was listening with great interest to what Kim (Kim Jackson of East Sussex and Brighton & Hove Real Nappy Project) was saying, there is a wider range of facilities than I had realised, and, of course, giving advice to parents.

I see from the programme that you have already had sessions taken by people involved in several of these excellent schemes and that you will also be looking at some case studies. Of course that is the best way, I think. These schemes were either all winners or commended in the award scheme run by WEN last year where officials from Defra, DTI and DoH formed part of the judging panel. So the government is very much involved, and I would wish that. The schemes are all very different, and again I think that is a good thing, the judges felt provided excellent examples of what can be achieved. I am sure that a lot can be learned from these and similar schemes. I understand that WEN are planning another competition in 2004 and I would take this opportunity to encourage people to take part in it and that if you would like to invite Defra to be one of the judges again, I assure you that we would be delighted to participate.

I would however, like to mention the West Sussex scheme, which I feel provides an excellent example of what a local authority can achieve with very little money. As I mentioned earlier, local authorities are under increasing pressure to reduce the amount sent to landfill. West Sussex felt that if the amount of nappies they collected and disposed of were reduced then the money saved in disposal costs could be used to provide advice to parents who wanted to use re-usable nappies and to also provide information. This scheme, as I understand, has been entirely funded by the saving of disposal costs. And, as I say, as those disposal costs rise, the argument is ever stronger. No money has been taken from any other budget. That, I think, is remarkable.

So whilst some people may say: "well it's not making much difference", to West Sussex County Council it is making a difference. I understand that the Council wish to expand the scheme but, quite rightly, are going to be asking their internal auditors to audit the current scheme to ensure responsible use of taxpayers' money.

Another aspect of the West Sussex scheme I thought would be worthwhile mentioning is that they have had discussions with the Absorbent [Hygiene] Products Manufacturers Trade Association (AHPT[M]A) to ensure that the West Sussex leaflets and website are accurate. Obviously I think that is right, I commend both parties for this and I think it is important that they can work together on that basis.

Now I did say I would say something about the Life Cycle Analysis, the study which is now being undertaken by the Environment Agency. WEN, the Real Nappy Association and APMTA [AHPMA] are on the steering group.

Over the years, as you will of course know, there have been a number of studies, carried out by the promoters of real nappies and the manufacturers of disposable nappies into the environmental impacts of both types of nappy. Indeed, I have had a number of letters from MPs on behalf of you, urging support, particularly of course for Real Nappy Week. Perhaps not surprisingly these studies have come to rather different conclusions. Within my Department I have to say, I think there has been some doubt, judging by the official briefing that I've had, as to what the true picture is, that is about the whole lifecycle impact.

Therefore, whilst I can't say what the other parties are looking for, I think from a Defra perspective we are looking for the study to provide clarity and authority about the environmental impacts of both types of nappies and from an independent organisation. And perhaps surprisingly, my department certainly takes that view that that is the case. I look forward very much to seeing the results of the study when they are published and I hope we can make some progress from that.

Perhaps I can also say a little more which I think is relevant, regarding the general policy background of waste management in which today's conference sits and where we are now for the next few weeks and months. To co-ordinate activity across government on the Strategy Unit report, the Economic Secretary to the Treasury is chairing a ministerial group, and I sit on that, involving Defra, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the DTI. Defra is co-ordinating the government response to the report at a departmental level. We have another meeting, I think, next week. The report makes 34 recommendations taken from the main text, and there are eight in an annex relating to hazardous waste and industrial and commercial waste.

The recommendations cover (and this is the most comprehensive report on waste management policy government has) a wide set of policies and mechanisms to ensure that we actually meet our targets including the regulatory and economic framework, shorter term investment and changes to delivery and funding mechanisms. All of that is what the government is about to reach conculsion on. The report also confirms that the two key requirements of policy are reducing the growth of waste, and boosting recycling. Of the first, waste arisings continue to grow in line with, or even above, the level of economic growth. That is 3% a year so that they will double in 20 years. And what we need to do, as an absolute imperative in this country, is to decouple this process. In other words, maintaining the level of economic growth, which everyone wants, but actually reducing the waste created so that it is actually less waste than last year, not 3% more as is the case now. On the second point we need a major switch in our culture in this country, as of course in many other European countries, away from the throwaway society and in favour of what I call the three Rs, recycle, reuse, and recovery.

Now one of the proposals in 'Waste Not Want Not' recommended that WRAP take forward a programme of waste minimisation work. One element of this was the promotion of re-usable nappies. And in relation to funding, one available source is the National Waste Minimisation and Recycling Fund [of] £140 million, [which] we published a year or 18 months ago [and] which the government has set up. In the last round, I am very glad that East Sussex and Brighton & Hove successfully bid for money for their real nappy promotion scheme. But it's not just that one particular scheme. The fund also provides finance for schemes which cover the whole range of waste issues, from awareness to minimisation which may include nappies to be used and recycled.

My last point is that I know that many reusable nappy schemes rely on the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme (LCTS) for funding particularly category C and I am aware that after March those schemes fear that they will suddenly find themselves without any funding and might therefore have to close. We certainly realise, and I say this very genuinely and with real sincerity, we of course realise that LCTS has supported many worthwhile community and environmental projects. They are very sound and they are very worthwhile and the country is getting a lot from them. But I do think, for reasons I could go into but I won't at this moment, many people do recognise that the LCTS, for other reasons, was in need of reform and in response to this the treasury
announced a week ago that they will provide conditional funding for one year only, as is mentioned, for waste management and recycling projects currently supported through LCTS, beyond March of this year. I would advise that projects who wish to apply for conditional funding should apply to Entrust who need to receive applications by 31st March, so slightly under two months from now. Funding conditions will be made by my department. There are eligibility criteria. Entrust have a helpline and I will be happy to give anyone the telephone number afterwards. It is in fact 0161 972 0203.

I know also, that there is concern if, in the future, funds are to be administered by local authorities, what assurance is being given that community based and NGO projects working in the environmental field will be supported. And the concern, I think, is that the real nappy projects, which by their very nature are community based, will be overlooked. It is a rather off target base work in recycling and the reuse of materials. Well, the answer to that is that the promotion of nappies as recommended in the Waste Not Want Not report is part of a wide level waste minimisation initiative to be taken forward by WRAP (Waste Reduction Action Programme). So it wouldn't just be local authorities who receive the funding, that's the point. And I am sure WRAP would be happy to discuss with your sector, the current situation and what will happen in the future once the government makes its statement about its policy on the Strategy Unit report around budget time.

So finally, let me say again, how much I do support the innovative work that WEN is undertaking and the many exciting schemes which you are launching and the major contribution which I repeat, that I think you are making to transforming the culture in this country away from throwaway towards recycling, reuse and recovery. You have a major role and I wish you more power to your elbow.

Thank you very much.

ENDS