Waste professionals have identified the planning system as the major stumbling block to achieving effective waste management, a Chartered Institution of Wastes Management survey reveals.

Data gathered from 250 individuals at CIWM‘‘s Annual Conference in Paignton has been analysed to reveal that 69% of respondents did not feel that the waste management sector is ready for the future, and that the planning system and public perceptions are the key factors in this state of affairs.

Presented with a range of issues affecting the sector, 43% of respondents cited planning and public perceptions together as the major barriers currently to effective waste management (23% of respondents and 20% respectively). While respondents were more optimistic about public engagement in the future, the outlook for planning remained relentlessly pessimistic with only 5% of respondents seeing any reason to be optimistic for the future. No local authority councillors, private operators, consultants or regulators showed any optimism in relation to this topic at all.

Other findings emerging from the data included:

· respondents felt that Government should take the responsibility for getting key messages about waste over to the public (56% of respondents gave this answer compared to the next highest answer of 30% for local authorities). This emerged even more strongly in relation to keeping business and commerce informed, with 63% giving the primary responsibility to Government and the waste management industry coming second at just 14%
· respondents typically felt that the major skills gaps in relation to dealing effectively with wastes issues were in the public sector, including public sector respondents themselves
· it was felt that the range £100-£200 was an appropriate price for householders to pay annually to have an effective waste collection and recycling service (collections currently typically fall into the £50-£100 range)
· 72% of respondents said that there should be direct charging for household waste collection services

CIWM chief executive Steve Lee commented: ‘‘Problems getting planning approval for waste facilities have been around for a long time: there‘‘s always been public concern about energy from waste facilities, but we are seeing all types of facilities getting blocked. Often, opposition results from negative perceptions rather than realities.

‘‘Even WRAP, whose focus is creating markets for recycled materials and products, recognises there are limits to recycling - maybe two thirds of household waste. That still leaves a huge amount of material to be managed afterwards.‘‘