Landfilling of municipal waste has to be reduced for a variety of reasons. The current practice of landfilling mixed municipal waste is highly polluting, as well as unpopular and ultimately unsustainable.
Now the European Landfill Directive, which came into effect on 16 July 2001, demands significant reductions in the quantity of biodegradable waste disposed of in this way. As part of the drive to comply with the Landfill Directive, the Government has set mandatory recycling targets for local authorities.