LARAC -

Joy Blizzard, Chair of LARAC welcomes you to the LARAC website. LARAC is an organisation for Local Authorities run by people in Local Authorities. It was formed in 1985 to represent the emerging voice of local government recycling officers. Full Membership is open to any local authority within the UK.  We represent local authority views in waste and recycling issues, and we are run by an Executive of 20 local authority waste management officers.  We have members from authorities in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales including associates from the Isle of Man, Eire and the Channel Islands.  Associate membership is open to any Local Authority with a waste function within the EU.

LARAC'S MISSION

To provide quality representation for local authority officers on recycling and waste management issues.

OUR AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To inform and lobby key opinion formers and policy makers on LARAC members' behalf.

To ensure that relevant and timely information is shared amongst LARAC members and that they are consulted on a regular basis

To progress recycling and resource management in the UK through the actions and input of LARAC members.

OUR CORE PRINCIPLES

LARAC believes that all material currently see as 'waste' is in fact a potential resource and that it should not be disposed of by any means that does not recover a significant proportion of its value.

Responsible stewardship of the environment is extremely important.  Applied to municipal waste management this means that:
•    waste generation must be stopped at source wherever possible and products should be designed for durability, repair and re-use
•    discarded materials should be collected so that they can be recycled or composted
•    Where recycling isn’t possible material should be processed so as to recover useful stable organic material and/or energy
•    Use of landfill should be reduced to the absolute minimum

HOW DO WE CARRY OUT OUR AIMS AND OBJECTIVES?

With Information Provision

LARAC OnLine - our monthly email service - This keeps members up-to-date with news, a policy piece and policy responses, reports from meetings attended by exec members, events and vacancy reporting  and links to the topics that everyone is talking about on the Members Discussion page of the website.
LARAC website
The Loop - our quarterly magazine
LARAC Annual Conference including the Pre-Conference Members Day
Regular Policy Summaries
Regular Meeting reports

By Engaging and Campaigning

Responding to Government consultation opportunities on our members behalf
Influencing Government and industry policy development
Participating the in the Waste Stakeholders Group
Engaging Government, industry and other bodies, attending  over 150 meetings a year
Building relationships with key policy makers
Providing informed and realistic viewpoints for the media

OUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE

LARAC is a growing organisation.

In order to steer  it's development the LARAC Executive Committee, at its Annual General Meeting in November 2008, agreed a Development Plan 'From Niche to Mainstream' 2009 - 2012.

The Executive Committee also agreed Action Plan 2010 which outlines the aspects of the Development plan that should be addressed by LARAC in the coming year.

View this year's annual report.

LARAC's constitution.  LARAC is an unincorporated voluntary organisation.

OUR ORGANISATION

We hold 4 Executive meetings a year
9 Exec members are elected from the English Government office regions
3 Exec members are elected fro the devolved administrations of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales
6 Exec members are elected on a national basis
2 exec members are co-opted by the exec
All Exec members are elected from WDA, WCA and Unitary authorities.

MEMBERSHIP

Benefits

•    Monthly email magazine LARAC OnLine
•    Quarterly magazine The Loop
•    Discounts to courses and conferences
•    Network of information, support and good practice
•    Policy responses to government consultations
•    Free vacancy advertising
•    Opportunity for newer members of staff to apply for a scholarship place to the LARAC Annual Conference.

And - access to the Members' Forum of the website where among other things you can ask advice/share experiences with other officers, read meeting reports and take part in policy-forming questionnaires.

Why not join?
Contact Colin Kirkby, tel:  01544 267 860 email: larac@btinternet.com