Councillors will receive a report on the situation in Barnet, which introduced a compulsory recycling scheme for the whole of the borough in January this year.
The Barnet scheme means that if, after several warnings, residents continue to put recyclable materials in their refuse bin, they can be fined up to 1,000.
Last week eleven non-recycling households were served a Section 16 information request form by Barnet council. If these forms are not returned by 12 May a Magistrates' Court hearing will follow along with a potential fine.
The report to Oxford councillors explains that the legal basis for making recycling compulsory is contained in the provisions of Section 46 of the Environmental Protection Act.
The scheme would result in residents' use of recycling boxes being monitored by recycling assistants or street enforcement officers.
Boost
Some in Oxford believe that if a scheme like Barnet's was introduced the city's recycling rate would receive a much needed boost. The council's recycling rate only rose by 1% to 15% between 2002/03 and 2003/04 and it is currently trailing behind its neighbours South Oxfordshire on 23% and Cherwell district council on 42%.
The report explains: “A monitoring exercise carried out before the pilot scheme was introduced showed that 50% of households in the pilot area were recycling. This has subsequently increased to 80%”.
The report, from Oxford scrutiny officer Andrew Davies, covers the background, legal and financial implications of Barnet's compulsory recycling scheme. It notes that if Barnet, which currently recycles 18%, reaches its target recycling rate of 30% by 2005/06, the council will be awarded a performance award grant of just under 630,000.
“Increased participation in recycling should generate extra income through the additional materials collected, covering the administration costs, however this is to be monitored,” adds the financial section of the document.
Michael Lae, Barnet's deputy waste manager, said the council had been contacted by around a dozen councils interested in the scheme, but did not know of any that were making any firm plans as yet.
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