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The Landfill Allowances Scheme (LAS) limits the amount of biodegradable municipal waste (such as paper, cardboard, kitchen scraps and garden cuttings) councils are allowed to send to landfill, instead encouraging the recycling, composting and treatment of this waste. This reduces the negative environmental effects of landfilled waste, including carbon emissions produced by these sites.

Jane Davidson, Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing, said:
"I am delighted that for the third successive year each Welsh local authority has exceeded its LAS targets. These efforts directly contribute to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions and are fundamental to the Assembly Government's programme of action to address climate change.

"As a nation we need to reduce the amount of waste that we send to landfill as this is the least sustainable method of managing our waste. The best way to do this is to reduce the amount of waste we produce in the first place and to choose options for managing the waste we do create that provide the best returns for the environment.

"These figures show that we are sustaining and building on the scheme's early successes which bodes well for achieving the ambitious future targets we have set. Wales must lead the way on taking action against climate change."

Cllr Richard Parry Hughes, Wales Local Government Association spokesperson for Planning and Environment and Chairperson of Waste Awareness Wales said:
"I am very pleased that Welsh councils have once more exceeded waste targets set down by the Assembly Government with 20 percent less waste going to landfill than the target allows.

"While we still have a long way to go, the performance to date emphasises the hard work Councils have put in over the last few years to raise the profile of the waste issue, roll out recycling services suitable for their local area and encourage residents to see the benefit of recycling and, more importantly, reducing the amount of waste we produce in the first place. 

"However we know that the targets each year are set to get harder. We need waste minimisation to feature more strongly – if we reduce the amount of rubbish that is put out for collection, we not only help save the planet but also create savings by not having to pay for it to be put in a landfill.  We need our communities to fully utilise the services they are offered and recycle as much as they can and to work in partnership with Assembly to ensure that the resources are available to meet this challenging agenda."