Waste management

Medway Council is unique in Kent, as no other single local authority has responsibility for both waste collection and waste disposal. This dual responsibility brings with it a number of advantages not readily available elsewhere in the county. The council proposes to maximise the opportunity this provides to move towards sustainable waste management in Medway.

The council has a vision for Medway, which has been translated through the Corporate Plan into the waste management strategy. An important component of the future is to improve Medway's environment.

The council's waste management strategy has recently been updated. The strategy (pdf 2,137KB) is available to be downloaded. To use this file you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you do not have this on your computer please use our advice page.

There have been many changes relating to waste in recent years - for instance the Waste Strategy for England 2007, which is available at www.defra.gov.uk/environment/waste/strategy

The published strategy covers issues relating to waste collection and disposal and includes Medway's recycling plan. It identifies further improvements that are available and explains how the council intends to achieve greater sustainability in waste management.

Waste management services cost Medway Council over £14million per annum. These services have a bearing on the everyday lives of all people in Medway. Consequently, the strategy was subject to  wide consultation. The feedback received from the community, business and industrial sectors was used to establish the waste management strategy as a firm foundation from which to deliver more sustainable waste services in the future.

The way waste is managed in the future will be subject to many technological and legislative changes. Central to all these changes will be the need to reduce the amount of waste produced and maximise the recycling of waste materials where practical. To ensure that the Medway strategy remains appropriate and that the council is making the required progress, it will be subject to regular monitoring and review.

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