Letter: Running out of waste space

Sir: Your leading article (30 July) suggests that waste in London is not a problem and all is well. This is not the case. London's domestic waste largely goes untreated into holes in the ground in adjacent counties. We will run out of space in less than 10 years. London at present only recycles 6 per cent of its waste and without major action will never achieve the Government's unambitious target of 25 per cent. The economic gain which recycling could bring, through new industries and jobs, is being thrown away.

The London Planning Advisory Committee is consulting on new policies for waste in London, proposing a moratorium on new incinerators in London until 2002 and the safeguarding of sites for new waste-related industries.

ROBIN G CLEMENT

Deputy Chief Planner, London Planning Advisory Committee

London SW1