Under the measures, householders would be charged for the amount of unsorted waste they leave out for collection, but would not be charged for any materials they put out for recycling.
According to the documents – revealed yesterday by the Sunday Times – the “household incentive scheme” is to be included in the Clean Neighbourhoods Bill, which will be part of the next Parliamentary session starting in the autumn.
The Bill was issued for consultation last month, but with no mention of the incentive scheme. Its main measures included action to tackle litter, graffiti, fly-posting and abandoned vehicles (see Defra consultation).
Powers
According to the newspaper, Secretary of State Margaret Beckett revealed plans of the incentive scheme to the Cabinet's environment committee on July 15. The leaked documents quoted her as saying the government would “grant powers to allow local authorities at their discretion to charge householders for the collection, processing and disposal of unsorted household waste.”
Ever since recommendations from the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit suggested looking into a variable charging system for household waste, the government has said it would consider such a scheme. Now as pressure mounts on councils to divert material away from landfill with the Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme starting next April, variable charging could be a way for councils to avoid stiff fines for failing to meet waste diversion targets.
Current microchip technology already allows for councils to measure how much waste households produce, using wheeled bins that can be weighed on collection vehicles as they are emptied. Microchips attached to the bins record householders' details, and these would be used to transfer billing information in a variable charging system.
Risks
Although the measures would be left up to councils to decide whether to deploy, politically the move could be difficult, with ministers believed to be worried the measures will be seen as “another stealth tax”. Mrs Beckett reportedly accepts the “political risks” involved, but believes there is “also the potential for significant long-term gains”.
A statement on the measures is expected from Defra later today, although a spokesman told letsrecycle.com the government has a policy not to comment on leaked documents.
Over in the Republic of Ireland, the government there has told its councils they must adopt variable charging systems by January 2005 (see letsrecycle.com story). In the UK, councils do not have the powers to adopt the measures without primary legislative change such as those the Clean Neighbourhoods Bill could introduce.
In England, the nearest a council has come to using financial incentives to improve public participation in recycling schemes has been the London borough of Barnet's decision to introduce a “compulsory” recycling service.
The scheme threatens residents who “persistently fail” to recycle with court action and fines up to 1,000. The scheme has already achieved some success according to council officers, with a 25% increase in recycling tonnages in the first few months (see letsrecycle.com story).
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