“Pay as you throw” announcement on hold

While Defra had confirmed earlier this week that an announcement would be made “imminently”, it is now saying no timescale has been decided.

It is understood within the national press that Downing Street has reacted to the yesterday's quiet publication by Defra of responses to its consultation on giving councils the power to charge non-recyclers and reward recyclers of household waste (see letsrecycle.com story).

Mr Brown is said to be concerned about the impact of potential non-recycling penalties on families.

Speaking to letsrecycle.com this morning, a Defra spokeswoman insisted: “We haven't set out a timetable or given a timescale, this has all been purely speculation. When we take it forward, it will be a matter for us.”

Proposals for financial incentives were originally lead by previous environment secretary David Miliband and previous environment minister Ben Bradshaw through the English Waste Strategy (see letsrecycle.com story).

Consultation

Defra put its proposals for the waste charging schemes out to consultation in August, with new environment secretary Hilary Benn and minister Joan Ruddock stating their belief that any incentive schemes must be “revenue-neutral”, meaning any funds raised from penalties must go back to other residents in the form of incentives.

The consultation saw an 80% support rating for incentive schemes, with half of stakeholders including local authorities rejecting the notion that schemes should be revenue-neutral.

Opposition parties have warned that household waste charging schemes would be viewed as a “stealth tax”. Commenting on the latest turn of events, Conservative shadow local government secretary Eric Pickles, speaking last night, said: “It is extraordinary that only today the environment department released a document heaping praise on these bin taxes. At the very least, this is evidence of chaos and confusion at the heart of government.”

Michael Grimes, partner at international law firm Eversheds, added that the government should not risk pushing people away from recycling by hitting them with fines.

He explained: “Maintaining the goodwill of the public and their participation at all levels of resource consumption, waste creation and disposal is vital. Alienating and fining a sceptical body of the public who do not yet participate willingly may be a backward step. What government needs is failing to recycle to be socially unacceptable just like drinking and driving.”