ABSTRACT
The major influences on the way the UK Government legislates for the control of solid waste is, and increasingly will be, the European Union (EU), together with its obligations under international treaties. These factors will become even more important as the number of member states (MSs) of the EU increases and the EU institutions establish uniform standards of solid waste pollution control in order to achieve market equality. At present, the enforcement of such standards at
a European-wide level is weak and is likely to remain so for the immediate future. While the United Kingdom may not yet emulate the standards of solid waste management adopted by Germany, Denmark or The Netherlands due to their different difficulties with landfill and move to other methods of waste treatment, the UK will undoubtedly remain in advance of the new accession countries for some time to come. Above all the United Kingdom’s need to con-
form to the requirements of the Landfill Directive (p. 665) will be instrumental in determining waste management policies and practices during the period to 2020. With the Landfill Directive’s requirement to restrict the amount of bio-degradable municipal waste to just 35 per cent of the total sent to landfill in 1995 by 2020 (by tonnage not proportion), the Directive has had a profound influence on the
Government’s plans and the waste strategies developed for each of the devolved administrations: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Its influence therefore extends into every aspect of waste management of Local Authorities and all businesses.
