State of the Region

IRS Framework Objective 8 - Natural Resources

To manage prudently the natural resources of the region including water, air quality, soil and minerals.

Key Messages

• The proportion of households waste recycled or composted in the East Midlands has increased year on year to 35% in 2006/07 exceeding the 2005 target of 25% and 2010 target of 30% and is higher than the national average of 31%.
• The rates of recycling and composting vary across the region from 22.04% in Nottingham to 42.53% in Leicestershire.
• Domestic water consumption has fluctuated in the East Midlands, and  overall has increased slightly from 2000/01 to 2005/06 but remains below the national average.
• Air pollution (as measured by the fall in the number of days that have moderate or high levels of pollution) has improved in all areas since it peaked in 2003. Ladybower and Northampton have had the greatest decrease of days since 2003; 43 and 42 days respectively..
• The lowest ozone daily means have been recorded in the urban sites and the highest in the more rural sites.  

Commentary

The Government has set targets for municipal household waste recycling/composting and recovery requiring all local authorities to recycle 30% of household waste by 2010, although the regional target is 50% by 2015.  Information from the Waste Data Flow database and Best Value data show that a substantial increase in recycling has occurred and that 35% of waste collected in the East Midlands is both recycled or composted meeting the 2010 target and exceeding the 2005 target of 25%. The year on year increase in the proportion of households waste recycled or composted shown in figure 8.1, means that the East Midlands is moving towards the 2015 target of 50%. Across the region the rates of recycling and composting vary from 22.04% in Nottingham to 42.53% in Leicestershire, as shown in figure 8.2.

Figure 8.1 - Proportion of household waste recycled and composted: 1998/99 - 2006/07  

Figure 8.2 - Proportion of household waste recycled and composted for counties and unitary authorities: 2006/07 

Approximately 40% of the region is underlain by useable aquifers. Over 1,150 million litres of water per day (Ml/d) are abstracted for public water supplies in the East Midlands, and 350Ml/d for industrial uses. In some areas, the licensed surface water and/or groundwater abstractions exceed the sustainable limit. This could have a serious impact on rivers and wetlands. Domestic water consumption has fluctuated in the East Midlands and overall has increased slightly between 2000/01 and 2005/06, but remains below the national average of 148 litres/head/day.

There is a lack of comprehensive data on air quality. It is not therefore possible to provide regional averages because there are too few recording sites in each region. The quantity of ambient air quality data that is available for the region is extremely low – there are only values for the areas surrounding transport corridors in the East Midlands. The level of air pollution in the region is based on that occurring in Leicester, Nottingham, Northampton, Ladybower and Market Harborough.  Figure 8.3 shows a decline in the number of days on which air pollution is moderate or high with Northampton and Ladybower showing the greatest decrease in days; 42 days since 2003 and 1990 respectively. 

Figure 8.3 - Number of days air pollution is moderate or high: 1990 - 2005 

In figure 8.4 it can be seen that the ozone annual mean of daily maximum 8-hour running mean has fluctuated over time for all of the sites. The lowest levels have been recorded in the urban sites and the highest in the more rural sites.

Figure 8.4 - Ozone - annual mean of daily maximum 8-hour running mean, µg m³: 1990 – 2005 

Within the East Midlands, air quality can be linked to two main sources of pollutants: transport and industry. Across the region total end user emissions vary from 1,467 kt CO2 in Leicestershire to 9,500 kt CO2 in Lincolnshire, as shown in figure 8.5, and domestic emissions per head from 2.3 tonnes in Derbyshire to 3.0 tonnes in Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Nottingham.

Figure 8.5 – Total End User Emissions - CO2 emissions (kt CO2) for counties and unitary authorities: 2005

Although no indicators are provided for mineral deposits and extraction it is recognised that the East Midlands region provides a significant proportion of the UK’s mineral production, including coal, aggregates (such a sand, gravel, limestone, sandstone and igneous rock) and quantities of gypsum, high purity limestone, fireclay, brick clay, and locally distinctive building materials. Some of this production is consumed within the region. However, the region exports about 21% of the sand and gravel and 44% of the crushed rock produced.

Indicators: IRS Framework Objective 8 – Natural Resources

Key to the Table

Comment on Table

* Change data for Anglian water region, which does not cover the whole of the East Midlands is 6l/head/day

IRS Framework Objective 16 provides information on recycling and composting.

County and Unitary Indicators