The co-operative bank welcomes landfill tax increase

THE CO-OPERATIVE BANK WELCOMES LANDFILL TAX INCREASE The Co-operative Bank today (27 November, 2002) welcomed the Chancellor's announcement of a substantial increase in landfill tax. The Co-operative Bank, which is famous for its ecological and ethical stance, believes that businesses should respond positively to Gordon Brown's announcement, which it sees as a practical answer to the major problems of increasing waste generation but decreasing landfill capacity. The Bank's Director of Corporate Affairs Simon Williams said: "As a society we must tackle the problems of waste generation and the business world must take the lead. Here in the North west we have already run out of sites in which to dump our waste. "Up until now, companies may have simply paid the tax without noticing it or making any efforts to change their behaviour. This substantial increase in landfill tax will make recycling schemes far more appealing and so help to reduce the amount of waste we have to bury." The Bank has implemented a programme of initiatives to ensure the amount of waste it sends to landfill sites has been reduced by more than 30 per cent in the past three years. The Bank recycles paper, tin cans, plastic cups and bottles as well as furniture and furnishings, electrical equipment, toner cartridges and fluorescent tubes. Equally important to recycling activity are commitments to buy recycled products. The paper collected at the Bank's head office in Manchester is eventually turned into toilet rolls which are on sale in Co-op stores throughout the UK. Earlier this year, the Bank announced that it was utilising sewage to generate electricity at its famous Pyramid site in Stockport. The 120 ft high glass landmark building is run on electricity produced from methane, a by-product of digested sewage. Ends For further information contact: 27 November 2002 Dave Smith/Paul Lawler The Co-operative Bank Press Office Tel: 0161 829 5397/5091 Fax: 0161 839 4220 e-mail: press.office@co-operativebank.co.uk ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by Waymaker http://www.waymaker.net The following files are available for download: http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2002/11/27/20021127BIT00700/wkr0001.doc http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2002/11/27/20021127BIT00700/wkr0002.pdf