Mr Meacher said the public would have to accept “a major change in the way people dispose of waste,” indicating proposals suggested by the PIU could soon be implemented. He added the charge would provide an economic incentive for people to restrict the amount of waste they create. He added this could be coupled with improved recycling schemes.
His comments, made on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, echoed those made last week by DEFRA head of waste strategy, Simon Hewitt, who said in his opinion, cost-incentives were a necessary enticement to motivate people to change their behaviour (see letsrecycle.com story).
The charge could be 1 per sack of rubbish, after the maximum two sacks per household have been collected, or alternatively a 5 a month charge. This is expected to meet resistance with most residents, especially those from low-income households.
Variable charging has been a core area of study for the PIU, which is expected to publish its report on waste disposal this October. It is expected that charging would only be introduced to start with on a trial basis in areas which have kerbside collection in place. And it remains an issue as to whether trials can be carried out without legislative changes being taken through Parliament.
Mr Meacher said the charges could help meet EU directives aimed at reducing the amount of landfill sites over the next eight years. At the moment, the UK lags behind the rest of Europe, recycling just 11% of its household waste compared to 46% in Germany.
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