Biodegradable materials in landfill sites, such as food, vegetation and paper, generate methane and other emissions to the soil and water which can be harmful to health. The European Union introduced a Directive in 1999 which set maximum allowances for the tonnage of biodegradable municipal waste that each Member State could send to landfill from 2006 onwards. Waste collection and disposal is a key responsibility of the 388 local authorities in England, and the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has to work closely with them to enable the United Kingdom to comply with this Directive. Non-compliance could result in a fine of up to £180 million a year. The UK's historic reliance on landfill led to a four year extension to the timetable, but DEFRA took no effective action until 2003. Although 2005-06 saw a reduction of 2.3 million tonnes against the previous year, a further reduction of 4.9 million tonnes will be required to comply with the 2013 maximum allowance set by the EU. Much of the progress made has involved an increase in recycling, due to the public's enthusiasm, but manufacturers and retailers continue to use large amounts of packaging. Recycling alone will be insufficient to comply with the Directive, and new infrastructure - energy-from-waste plants which incinerate, anaerobically digest, or compost waste to generate electricity - will be necessary. But such plants are unpopular and typically take nine years to become operational, and there is a significant risk that many will not be ready in time.

Discover the magic of second chances and starting again in this tantalising story from the bestselling author of A Cornish Summer 'If I'm being totally honest I had fantasized about Phil dying.' When Poppy Shilling's bike-besotted, Lycra-clad husband is killed in a freak accident, she can't help feeling a guilty sense of relief. For at long last she's released from a controlling and loveless marriage. Throwing herself wholeheartedly into village life, she's determined to start over. And sure enough, everyone from Luke the sexy church organist to Bob the resident oddball, is taking note. Yet the one man Poppy can't take her eyes off seems tantalizingly out of reach - why won't he let go of his glamorous ex-wife? But just as she's ready to dip her toes in the water, the discovery of a dark secret about her late husband shatters Poppy's confidence. Does she really have the courage to risk her heart again? Because Poppy wants a lot more than just a rural affair . . . Praise for Catherine Alliott: 'I raced through it, completely gripped from start to finish' Daily Mail 'An entertaining read that's as light as the summer breeze' Daily Express

Containing practical suggestions for the farmer and horticulturist.