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• Question by: Tony Arbour
• Meeting date: 14 November 2001

I wonder if you could tell us how you're proposing to ensure that the boroughs, when they collect recyclable materials, actually have a market for them and they're not left with a large surplus which they have to dispose of themselves?

• Question by: Tony Arbour
• Meeting date: 14 November 2001

Except there's nothing more disillusioning for the residents of London who assiduously separate recyclable materials then to discover that those materials are in effect going straight to landfill. For example in the London Borough of Sutton, which turns out in fact to be the pariah of recycling authorities rather than allegedly the angel of recycling authorities, glass which is collected in the London Borough of Sutton goes directly to landfill. It does not pass go and it most definitely doesn't collect £200, and this in the London Borough of Sutton and I suspect over the whole of London is creating...

• Question by: Tony Arbour
• Meeting date: 14 November 2001

What about the general point that I've just made to you about those residents who are very keen to collect recyclable materials, but if they discover that these recyclable materials are not actually being recycled at all how would you suggest that borough councils explain that to their residents?

• Question by: Tony Arbour
• Meeting date: 14 November 2001

So are you suggesting that if there is to be no market for recyclable goods because of perhaps a glut or something, then boroughs should in fact say to their residents, 'Well it's an enormously costly exercise to sort and collect and so on. Just tip it in the ordinary refuse as you would have done before the days of recycling.'