Britain is one of the biggest users of landfill sites in Europe but taxes have made it more expensive to bury waste while a European Union directive has reduced the amount of waste that councils can send to landfill sites. The landfill tax on waste rose to £24 a tonne last month and is set to increase to £48 by 2010, raising demand for environmentally friendly waste disposal, such as recycling. Shanks is also keen to increase the use of a natural waste treatment process, known as anaerobic digestion, in which micro-organisms digest organic waste to produce methane, which can be used as fuel to generate electricity. However, Michael Warhurst, senior waste and resources campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said waste management companies had little incentive to increase recycling while still making big profits from landfill sites. read more

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