The Commons environment, food and rural affairs select committee has called for increased funding for waste disposal.

The committee published a report on waste policy and the landfill directive on Thursday.

It says waste policy has a lower profile than many other environmental issues, but is an important issue which needs a firmer regulatory framework.

Additional government funding for the environment agency is welcomed, but it is not clear the agency or local authorities have sufficient resources to match the increasing demands placed on them.

Nearly 700,000 tonnes of hazardous waste is unaccounted for.

MPs found that targets for diversion of biological municipal waste landfill are proving challenging.

They welcomed government funding for research into new treatment technologies, but said more investment is needed.

The report said that local authority incentives to households to minimise, separate and recycle their waste will contribute to meeting the landfill diversion targets, and make the general public more aware of the impact of waste.

The planning system has a major influence on the country’s capacity for dealing with waste.

Incineration was found to be a valid method of treating waste, but only on the condition that it recovers energy from the waste incinerated, assuming incineration is not more harmful to health than other forms of waste treatment.

The report recommended increasing landfill tax to £35 per ton.