Although we have a very good recycling record, around half our
waste still goes to landfill. Burying our rubbish in a hole
in the ground is not sustainable for a number of environmental,
financial and practical reasons:
Rotting rubbish in landfill sites produces methane, a global
warming gas that is 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide
- Landfilled rubbish can contaminate underground water
supplies
- European and UK legislation calls for major reductions in the
volume of biodegradeable rubbish being landfilled and imposes heavy
fines of £150 per tonne for 'over-target' rubbish on local
authorities who do not comply
- The city council is being charged more to dispose of
Peterborough's waste: landfill tax has doubled to £40 per tonne in
the last five years and will continue to rise, as will tipping
fees
- Peterborough is rapidly running out of suitable landfill space.
The Dogsthorpe landfill site used by Peterborough City Council will
be full and closed by the end of 2013
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