UK gets zero tolerance waste zones

The government is planning on taking a zero tolerance approach to waste in six towns across England.

Environment minister Jane Kennedy said the Zero Waste Places policy aims to go as far as possible in reducing the environmental impact of waste, whether it be at home in the workplace or in the community.

Kenendy said:

“Across England, we are seeing communities come together with innovative ideas and a shared determination to tackle waste locally. These six zero waste places will test what can be done to make it easier for people and businesses to change the way they view and deal with waste.”

The government will be implementing these plans in:

• The London Borough of Brent, which will develop 20 green zones across the borough by September 2009. The plan will involve establishing green teams of residents and developing a map of the borough showing green threads growing through the borough to show the progress of the initiative.
• Shenley Church End in Milton Keynes, where 1,500 homes, two schools and a number of high street businesses aim to cut waste and litter across the area.
• Kings Lynn in Norfolk will achieve zero waste as far as possible within the historic area of the Tuesday Market.
• The London Borough of Lewisham will run an eco street initiative where around 100 properties will be targeted through a range of measures including specialist advice and support to cut waste.
• Peterborough will run a zero waste city centre initiative, focusing on Cathedral square and the three streets leading from it. It will encompass more than 200 retailers and offices, including the town hall and council offices.
• The West Midlands will create a zero waste region focusing on businesses and organisations that produce a large quantity of waste, identifying region wide waste infrastructure, improving co-operation and cutting business waste across the region.