Essex needs more money to meet high-level targets for waste recycling and recovery.

That is the message being taken to the government minister responsible for waste management, Chris Mullen, by a delegation representing councils in Essex on October 31.

The seven-strong delegation, including county, district and borough councillors will tell Mr Mullen that Essex is now recycling around 20 per cent of its household waste - one of the best areas in the country - but wants to achieve 40 per cent in the next three or four years by recycling more organic wastes.

But to do this will require massive investment, claim the authorities who add that so far government backing has been inadequate.

Leading the delegation will be county councillor David Westcott, chairman of the waste management advisory board for Essex and Southend.

He said, "We all want to keep our county at the forefront of waste management. We want to press the minister to release enough money to let us do the job. Working together the Essex local authorities have achieved much.

"We have ambitious targets for recycling which are ahead of the government's own, but we do not have the money to deliver these having regard to other pressing needs on local authority funds."

Chief executive of Chelmsford Borough Council, Martin Easteal, who is secretary to the waste management board, said, "All local authorities in the county are working together in a co-ordinated way to meet improved targets for recycling in the next few years.

"The county is at the forefront of sustainable waste management. In the long term the costs of recycling may be a little more than the current costs of waste management.

"But there is a short term cost for the next five years as we change from one system to another. This is where we need the minister's help."

By Kathleen Corby

Reporter's e-mail: kathleen.corby@essex-chronicle.co.uk

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