Appendix 3

KEY ADDRESSES AND TELEPHONE NUMBERS

Also see 
Local Government Services (160)
Central Government (610)

Waste Watch 
Tel 020 7 549 0300  Fax 0207 549 0301  
56-64 Leonard Street, LONDON EC2A 4JX
Email info@wastewatch.org.uk  Website www.wastewatch.org.uk

National co-ordinating body providing training and advice for existing and potential community groups interested in waste prevention, reduction, reuse and recycling.  Works with local and national government, promoting environmental benefits of waste minimisation on society and the economy.  Aims for positive change in attitudes and behaviour to producing and managing waste.  Runs seminars and conferences, and produces regular newsletters and information sheets.  Developed KAT (Kerbside Analysis Tool) to help councils assess the cost and practicality of different kerbside collection options, including recycling on estates.  Wasteline is a service answering questions on all aspects of waste.  Waste Watch's London network of Waste Alert Clubs help both to save businesses money and reduce waste.  The website www.wasteonline.org.uk is a useful source of information on the waste industry.  The website www.recycledproducts.org.uk includes a database of products with recycled content - formerly compiled and maintained by Waste Watch, and originally called Buy Recycled, it is now run by WRAP (below).  Has own Communications Consultancy which reduces actual waste (Tel 020 7549 0328, kathryn@wastewatch.org.uk).  (Updated Sep 2005)

WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme)
Freephone 0808 100 2040  Tel 01295 819906 / 819936   Fax 01295 819911 / 819917
Email  helpline@wrap.org.uk   Website  www.wrap.org.uk
The Old Academy, 21 Horse Fair, BANBURY, Oxon OX16 0AH

Not-for-profit body in the private sector, set up to remove barriers to sustainable waste minimisation, re-use and recycling.  Works and liaises with community, public, private, and recycling and secondary materials sectors.  Seeks innovators and partners to accelerate resource efficiency, and create and develop stable, efficient markets for recycled materials and products.  Facilitates tenders and grants in many areas.  Also working on paper, wood glass, and plastics, and other initiatives:  Organics composted products information service;  ROTATE (Recycling and Organics Technical Advisory Team) supports and advises English local authorities on separate collection of dry recyclables and organic wastes; 'hands on' support customised to authorities' needs;  Recycled Products Guide www.recycledproducts.org.uk is an easily searchable directory of over 3200 recycled products, from watering cans to clothing and waste bins to fences; also includes forums, and information about recycled materials and other waste-related websites at http://www.recycledproducts.org.uk/buy-recycled/links.asp#top  eQuip Residual Value Guarantee (RVG) Scheme helps recycling companies secure finance by guaranteeing future residual value of machinery needed, set up with a panel of banks and leasing companies who will consider leasing to the recycling sector;  Materials Pricing Report (produced by ICIS-LOR for WRAP) with up-to-date information on market prices of recyclables, to assist decisions on buying and where to sell recyclable materials;  AggRegain Service (see 21 Soil and aggregate recycling), using Aggregates Levy funds for research and action to reduce demand for primary materials by encouraging reuse and recycling of aggregate.  Useful website has links to these schemes, and Waste minimisation (including composting, retail and nappies), Materials, Business and finance, and Procurement sections.  Supported by funding from DEFRA, the DTI and the devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (see WasteBook entries under Central Government).  (Updated Aug 2004)

Environmental Emergency Hotline

To report any environmental incident (24hr hotline) 0800 807060
Floodline 0845 988 1188
General 08708 506 506 
Any other enquiry to the Environment Agency where you don’t know the number
0645 333 111 (you will automatically be put through to your local office)

Government information

DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs) 0207 238 6000  Helpline in UK 08459 33 55 77 (local rate, open 09:00 to17:00 on working days) Helpline email helpline@defra.gsi.gov.uk Website www.defra.gov.uk 
  
DTI (Department of Trade and Industry)  0207 215 5000 (Textphone, for those with hearing impairments, compatible equipment only: 020 7215 67400) Email dti.enquiries@dti.gsi.gov.uk
 
Government Office for the Eastern Region 01234 796194
Government Office for London 0207 217 3456
Government Office for the South East 01483 882532
Health & Safety Executive Information Centre 0207 717 6000
The Stationery Office (formerly HMSO) 0207 873 9090
Landfill Tax  HM Customs & Excise Helpdesk 0645 128484 Fax 0645 129595

Free advice for business on environmental problems of all kinds:
Envirowise (formerly Environmental Technology Best Practice Programme) 0800 585794  

Environmental Information Regulations (and Freedom of Information Act)

Before scrolling down to visit the list of contact details for government and related organisations below, It may be worth remembering that the new Environmental Information Regulations (this text being written Feb 2005) oblige public authorities and companies working for them to disclose information about the impact of their activities on the environment.  Phil Michaels, Head of Legal Affairs for Friends of the Earth (FoE), speaking on You And Yours, BBC Radio 4, Friday 18 Feb 2005:  "it is similar to Freedom of Information Act.  There are two main differences under the Environmental Information Regulations:

1) You can ask for environmental information orally (unlike the Freedom of Information Act which requires written requests).

2) It applies to a wider category of authorities: you now have access to info held by authorities including utility and water companies.  The Freedom of Information Act only applies to 'classic' public authorities such as government departments and local authorities.

Whether the information is classed as coming under the Environmental Information Regulations, or the Freedom of Information Act, is a matter of fact in law and the local authority receiving your request must decide accordingly in processing it. You only need to worry about finding out which is relevant to your request if you are refused the information."

Quoting the Environmental Regulations (and possibly the Information Act) should help stop people being blocked from gaining access to information.

Phil Michaels points out one possible shortfall:  "if information isn't held or hasn't been recorded by the local authority or public body it's more difficult to get.  You can get access to info held by an authority if it is recorded in some form.  But if the information doesn't yet exist or has never been recorded because it is simply the subject of discussions then it is more difficult to get hold of.  This [is] a fundamental limit of the new Regulations and Act."  However, some may apply the argument that there is a fundamental public interest and a human right to know certain types of information (such as what you're being exposed to if a farmer is spraying a field with chemicals), and if a private individual is holding the information such a right should prompt the public body to obtain the information to pass it on. 

Packaging Waste Regulations

Producer Responsibility Registration Unit 0208 305 4036 Fax 0208 305 4027
Packaging Waste Regulations User’s Guide (Code Pack 2) and Ready Reckoner (Code Pack 3) free from DETR Publications Despatch Centre Fax 0208 694 0099 (quote the code numbers)


Energy

Energy Efficiency Best Practice Programme 01235 436747
Energy Efficiency Office (small to medium sized companies only) 0541 542541
Small Companies Energy and Environmental Management Assistance Scheme 0345 023423

Environmental management

Business in the Environment 0207 629 1600
ISO 140001 British Standards Institute 0208 996 7000
Institute of Environmental Assessment 01522 540 069

Good information sources on waste minimisation and recycling

Friends of the Earth (national office) 0207 490 1555 Website www.foe.co.uk 
Greenpeace (national office) 0207 7865 8100 Website www.greenpeace.org.uk 
Recycling Officer at your local Council (Waste Collection Authority)
Envirowise 0800 585794
Centre for the Exploitation of Science and Technology 0207 354 9942
Wastes Management Information Bureau 01235 463162 (fascinating library about waste)
World Wide Fund for Nature 01483 426444 (produces helpful guidance)
Institute of Chemical Engineers 01788 578214
Composting Association 01203 01203 308222
National Recycling Forum 0207 248 1412
Person responsible for waste disposal at the County Council (Waste Disposal Authority)
Reporting fly-tipped wastes: either District or County Council
Going for Green 0345 002100 (householders)

Environment Agency Area Offices

REGIONAL OFFICE