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Does the UK still use landfill?

UK landfill: a compactor on the tipped surface of a landfill site, gulls overhead

Yes, the UK still uses landfill, but less every year. Landfill is now the last resort in the waste hierarchy, and Landfill Tax at £130.75 a tonne makes it the most expensive place to send mixed waste, so most general waste from London goes to energy-from-waste plants instead and recyclables and food are treated separately. Landfill still takes inert waste such as soil and rubble, at a much lower tax rate, and residual waste in parts of the country with no incinerator capacity. Some materials are banned from landfill altogether, such as tyres and liquid waste. A collector's "landfill diversion" figure is the share of what it collects that goes anywhere but a landfill site.

Part of the Commercial Waste FAQ, covering Commercial Waste Collection.

Full explanation: Landfill Tax

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