
If you have witnessed the black bags that litter the streets of England, you will know that recycling targets are being missed. The country continues to struggle with how to provide suitable facilities for waste disposal. Despite several efforts made by local councils, it seems like this problem is not going away anytime soon.
The targets were set in the year 2000 to save the environment and create a greener country. However, there has been very little success in this field, with only around half of all black bags being recycled instead of the nearly three-quarters that were initially hoped for. This failure can be attributed to several factors: poor local organization, public disinterest, and a lack of recycling centres at home and throughout neighbourhoods. All of these reasons continue to contribute significantly to the problem, with councils struggling to find ways to improve their systems.
The inability to meet recycling targets has essentially been a massive problem in the country and has left many worried that it could significantly affect the amount of work needed to be done in the future. The local government organization, Defra, believes that these failures will have terrible consequences for our environment for the rest of time. Some experts predict that we will need more than 3 billion tonnes of waste to be disposed of by 2030. Defra has predicted this because of the predicted population growth in the country over this period, so even if we do improve our recycling rates, it might not be enough beyond 2030.
England has failed to meet its recycling targets for the past 15 years, but it is hoped that continuing research and growing public interest will lead to a better future for the environment.
5 Measures To Be Taken To Achieve These Targets
Relocate centres to communities

If the existing waste centres are not maintained, their locations are likely to burden the local authority. The council may decide that this is unhelpful and instead decide to relocate these stations for the people of their area to have more control over their waste disposal system. The new facilities will be far better equipped than ever before with modern facilities and a greater level of customer care, which will ensure that they are providing a superior service.
Enforce recycling laws

In some instances, the local authorities may decide to enforce the recycling laws within their jurisdiction to ensure that less waste is being disposed of in a non-sustainable manner. It could mean that they will be employing more staff or increasing the fines and punishments associated with incorrect disposal processes. Whatever the solution, it needs to be well enforced and not simply undertaken solely by those enforcing it.
Related: How to spot an unlicensed waste carrier
Encourage individuals

Suppose the local authorities cannot increase the number of juniors who are aware of their recycling options. In that case, they will need to increase the public information they offer. It needs to be advertised more aggressively than ever before to target those who would benefit most from such a system. It needs to be made apparent through various venues and mediums for as many people as possible to access this service.
Increase the use of recyclable materials
The local authorities will also need to increase the use of recycled materials to reduce their waste output and prevent it from being dumped in landfills. They must also make sure that they are using the materials they have a lot better, as this will significantly reduce the amount of non-recyclable waste entering landfills.
Increase recycling facilities
The local authorities must increase the number of offered recycling facilities. It can be done in several different ways. Still, it will ultimately require them to find a suitable and appropriate solution that will not inconvenience people or be overly complicated for them to use. Find your local waste disposal site in Leicestershire to learn more about how they operate.