Environmental bodies and landfill tax funds - an assessment of landfill operators in two English counties

An analysis of the adoption of environmental bodies in two English counties is based theoretically upon an industrial interpretation of suitable environmental protection measures for the municipal waste management sector, and empirically upon a survey of waste disposal contractors in the case study regions. The Government is actively attempting to shift the emphasis of municipal waste management further up its hierarchy of waste options, so that the industry's dependence upon an ever diminishing landfill resource is reduced. In the wake of recycling targets, recycling credits, minimisation trials and general waste related policy and legislation, the Government has enforced the landfill tax, to artificially raise the cost of landfill. However, of perhaps greater significance than the tax, are the associated environmental bodies which can be set up to reclaim up to 20% of the disposal company's landfill tax payments, to be used for the initiation of local environmental improvement schemes. There is great scope for the use of landfill tax credits, for the reclamation and restoration of land, pollution reduction schemes, the restoration of historical and religious buildings, and most importantly for research and education programmes. The awareness of the potential of these bodies in providing positive local environmental improvement is assessed by focusing upon their adoption by, and the involvement of, private sector landfill operators in the counties of Northampton and Surrey. Environmental bodies are currently being viewed warily by the industry, with little firm commitment to initiate bodies or provide funding for existing bodies. However, the results do suggest that the bodies, which are currently being set up in isolation from the landfill operators. will eventually be successful in attracting funding from landfill operators, providing an important source of funding for local environmental initiatives.