‘Footprinting’ is out of step with Welsh

20 August 2009

Wales’ draft Waste strategy contains ‘contradictory statements’, according to Swansea City Council.

The authority is unconvinced about proposals to use ‘ecological footprinting’ (EF) for waste targets.

‘While EF may prove to be a more comprehensive and accurate method of measurement, it is this authority’s view that carbon footprinting, or carbon dioxide equivalents, is presently the more understood and recognised method,’ Reena Owen, environment director at Swansea, said in a draft response to the Welsh Assembly Government. Carbon footprinting was easier than EF to relate to the public.

She contrasted the draft strategy’s statement that EF reduction targets ‘are not necessarily waste tonnage reduction’ with another statement: ‘As a rule, if our overall waste tonnage arisings are reduced by 50% then the corresponding ecological footprint would also be cut by 50%’.

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