Emily outraged at recycling fiasco

Monday 5th December 2005

Emily Thornberry MP has reacted with outrage to reports that Islington Council has been dumping waste in Indonesia that it had claimed was being recycled. A BBC investigation has found that rather that being recycled the Waste was being shipped half way around the world and then dumped.  Emily is a member of the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee, which scrutinises the work of government in protecting the environment.

Emily said:

‘Islington’s Liberal Democrat council claims that it is environmentally friendly, but the facts tell a different story. As Islington resident Jill Grace says, why should people use green boxes when they can’t trust the Council to do as it promises and recycle waste? Islington already has a terrible recycling record. In 2003/4 the Council only managed a recycling rate of 8%, against a target of 10%. Will we ever know how much of this was simply sent unsorted to Jakarta to be buried? This Council has a lot of questions to answer.’