PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
House of Commons: Waste (13 April 2017)

To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of Commons Commission, what the total amount of waste generated across the Parliamentary estate was in each of the last five years; and how much of that waste was recycled as (a) paper and cardboard, (b) glass, (c) plastic bottles, (d) cans, (e) batteries and (f) food waste in each such year.

Asked by:
Kerry McCarthy (Labour)

Figures are shown below:

	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016
Total waste each year (by weight kgs)	1,527,649	1,540,849	1,847,883	1,622,240	1,595,716
Waste recycled each year by weight in kgs	868,689	928,135	1,142,113	1,010,875	1,017,615
Food waste (kgs) *Figure for 2012 is from April which is when the House started diverting food waste from the general waste stream	67,230*	160,973	194,474	136,285	195,082
Mixed Recycling (kgs)	507,806	382,514	407,977	371,572	382,439
Glass (kgs)	171,255	234,620	361,311	192,681	249,855
Confidential waste and bulk collections of Vote Office paper (kgs)	65,220	83,075	91,290	139,390	81,241

In January 2012, our waste contractor introduced a mixed waste recycling scheme; hence the statistics for individual recyclables were aggregated into a single waste stream. In addition to the waste streams detailed above Parliament also recycles its WEEE waste including consumables, metal, cooking oil, lamps and fittings.

Whereas the previous system of disposal meant such wastes were segregated on-site where feasible, the new scheme involves segregation at the end of the process at a local Materials Recovery Facility.

This mixed recycling process achieves better recycling results than local segregation due to the efficiency of the separation process at the Materials Recovery Facility.

We do not receive separate figures for batteries.

Parliament continues to explore new opportunities to recycle and recover waste in collaboration with its waste service providers. Parliament commenced a new waste contract in November 2016 and the specification for the services included a written requirement for a continual improvement approach to collaborative waste recycling improvement. It is the contractual duty of the waste service provider to give advance notice of changes in best practice and waste recycling technology and to incorporate these into their service provision in the most expedient and effective way possible.

Answered by:
Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat)
21 April 2017