Merseyside councils agree new system of waste payments

The agreement puts an end to a system dubbed “archaic and inequitable”, in which payment was being made to the Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority based on the number of Band D properties in each council area.

”There has got to be a direct link between the amount of waste produced in an area and the levy paid by the council responsible “
– John Fletcher, MWDA
By paying fees based on the tonnage of material requiring disposal, the councils are being given clear incentive to divert household waste from landfill and boost recycling.

The agreement comes as the partnership of five councils prepares for a key Merseyside summit on a potential multi-billion pound waste contract that will see investment in waste services needed to comply with government and EU landfill legislation.

Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority (MWDA) chair Councillor John Fletcher said: “I am delighted with this change. There has got to be a direct link between the amount of waste produced in an area and the levy paid by the council responsible. It shows that Merseyside is serious about partnership working based on a fair share of costs.

“This agreement is about charging councils more fairly and giving them a clear incentive to cut the amount of waste that needs to go for landfill. It is also a significant step forward in ensuring that we all work together to tackle the waste issues facing Merseyside,” Cllr Fletcher said.

Summit

The major summit in Liverpool on Friday will outline the extent of local authority investment needed to dramatically cut the 700,000 tonnes of Merseyside waste going to landfill each year.

The investment – estimated at about 2 billion value over the next 25 years – will pay for new contractors, sites and major new technology. It will mean Merseyside can recycle much more waste and dispose of residue in a more environmentally-friendly way – so complying with tough government waste disposal targets.

Cllr Fletcher said: “The cost of doing nothing will be even greater than the cost of investment. We have got to ‘bite the bullet’ now and work as partners to deliver both collection and treatment methods and the best value waste disposal services for people across Merseyside.”