Landfilling of biodegradable waste in England: call for evidence

The environmental impacts of biodegradable waste entering landfill are well known. In the absence of oxygen (below the surface), anaerobic degradation of biodegradable waste deposited in landfill produces landfill gas that is predominantly methane and carbon dioxide. In 2021, landfill gas from closed and operational landfills was estimated to emit 13.6 Mt CO₂e.

In light of the Government's Net Zero ambition, Defra launched a call for evidence exploring proposals to achieve near elimination of biodegradable waste disposal in landfill from 2028. The overall aim is to fully remove biodegradable waste from the residual waste stream.

The call for evidence can be found here and is running until 7 July 2023.

Defra is seeking views, data and evidence relating to a number of issues around the landfilling of biodegradable waste. They want to understand the scale of existing elimination policies across the sector, drivers for the continued landfilling of biodegradable waste and the barriers to alternative treatment, as well as interactions with and effectiveness of other waste reform policies. 

If you'd like to engage with us on this topic, please get in touch with Nadiya. 

Members can download the list of questions for consideration below