Pay-as-you-throw plans outlined by councils

The Local Government Association (LGA), working on behalf of local authorities in England and Wales, gave its support to charging schemes for household waste disposal in some parts of the country.

The proposals come as a new Ipsos MORI poll reveals two out of three people would prefer a system that rewarded recycling with financial rewards.

The LGA pledged today (August 22, 2007) that local authorities would not use waste charging schemes as a stealth tax to raise extra cash and added that any scheme would have to be supported by local people.

Proposals

The LGA wants councils to have the power to introduce initiatives to change householder behaviour by rewarding residents that recycle more. Three specific schemes have been outlined:

* A sack based system in which householders buy different sized pre-paid sacks for general household waste – similar to schemes for garden waste disposal.

* A weight based system where wheelie bins are fitted with chips to allow the bins to be weighed when they are loaded onto the vehicle – similar to the system currently used for trade waste.

* A volume based system in which households choose from a range of wheelie bin sizes depending on how much waste they think will be generated, and are charged accordingly.

The LGA said it has gathered evidence from Europe which shows that the introduction of these schemes can lead to dramatic falls in household waste as well as increases in waste separation and higher recycling rates.

It added that councils in England are facing fines of up to £3 billion – some of which will be passed on to the tax payer – over the next four years if they do not meet European Union targets for reducing the amount of waste thrown into landfill.

Cllr Paul Bettison, chairman of the LGA's Environment Board, said: “If councils introduce save-as-you-throw schemes, it will be to promote recycling, not to generate extra cash through an extra stealth tax.

“There will be parts of the country where ‘save-as-you-throw' schemes are not appropriate, and the final decision must be made by local councils in response to local need and in consultation with local people.

He added: “Councils are doing everything they can to hold down landfill costs, boost recycling and protect the environment. The unfortunate reality is that we must do more to reduce the amount of waste being thrown into landfill.

“Evidence from the continent shows ‘save-as-you-throw' schemes can reduce waste and boost recycling. Councils and council tax payers are facing fines of up to £3 billion if we do not dramatically reduce the amount of waste thrown into landfill, and so it is vital we look at alternatives to the status quo,” he continued.

Survey

The LGA-commissioned Ipsos MORI surveyed 1,028 British adults from July 8-10, 2007.

The question asked was: “Would you support or oppose your council operating a system whereby you pay a reduced council tax rate, and then get charged directly for the amount of household rubbish you produce, so that the more you recycle the less you would pay?”

The survey revealed that 64% of people would support such a scheme, with 38% strongly in favour.