New recycling measures needed: Ford

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 15th Oct 2003

ALLIANCE Environment spokesperson David Ford has called for new laws in Northern Ireland to tackle waste, after the completion of the Household Waste Recycling Bill, which now requires waste recycling to be collected from every home in England.

Welcoming the Bill, Mr Ford said: "The Household Waste Recycling Bill is a sensible step forward in waste management for England and Wales, but in Northern Ireland we are still years behind.

"It is not good enough for the DoE to always be playing environmental catch-up, as the damage is being done right now.

"Northern Ireland's record on recycling waste is rubbish. We need to start looking now at real, integrated strategies to reduce, reuse and recycle litter from every household here."

"Until we do have a proper strategy, areas like Ladyhill in Antrim, Green Road, Ballyclare and Cottonmount at Mallusk will remain under serious threat.

"Of course there is a need for some landfill, but I am seriously concerned about large amounts from all over NI being dumped or incinerated in this area. There is no integrated strategy in place yet, despite all the talk over recent years.