GOVERNMENT measures to reduce the amount of waste dumped in Yorkshire land-fill sites seem to be working despite huge controversy, the Environment Agency reports.

Nearly 34% less waste has been sent to landfill in Yorkshire and Humber compared to 2001, say the agency’s latest findings. Environment Agency Area Manager Phil Younge, said: “In 2001 Yorkshire and Humber sent over 10 million tonnes of waste to landfill but by 2006 that figure had been reduced to less than seven million.

“During the same period, the amount of waste being treatment or recovery increased from just over 2 million tonnes to 4.6 million tonnes.

“Landfill should be the last resort for waste that we can’t recover or recycle, as it is not sustainable to keep sending it to landfill. Also land-filling waste is set to become more expensive as the landfill tax goes up and waste has to travel greater distances for disposal as the number of sites is reduced.

“So while we are heading in the right direction to reduce our dependency on landfill by recycling and more of our waste, we still need to avoid producing so much waste in the first place.”

These figures are a major boost for the Government’s re-cycling programme but land owners and farmers in the Yorkshire Dales are increasingly worried about the growth in fly-tipping in the countryside.