September 2007
Pay As You Throw
Lingering in the news like rubbish bins waiting for a fortnightly collection, the Local Government Association’s plans for a “pay-as-you-throw” scheme of waste disposal have received a lot of attention from all quarters of society, with politicians, environmentalists, businesses and rate payers all keen to comment.
The LGA outlined three schemes whereby councils in England could cut the amount of rubbish residents throw away. These are:
- Householders buying different sized pre-paid rubbish bags in urban areas where bins aren’t practical.
- Using microchips in wheelie bins to weigh rubbish as it is collected with residents billed for the exact amount disposed.
- Householders choosing the size of wheelie bin they use and being charged accordingly.
The proposals are aimed at punishing those who fail to recycle their rubbish and rewarding those who try the hardest to limit the refuse they put out, whilst encouraging recycling.
And findings of a recent Mori opinion poll have revealed that two thirds of people strongly or partially support the proposals. However, this support was based on the understanding that such a scheme could lead to cuts in annual council bills, a presumption encouraged by local government officials.
Claiming savings of at least £30 on an average £1,100 a year bill, with the potential to be as much as £10 a week. The government is considering these ideas very closely as it looks towards changing the law to allow variable waste charges. A contentious issue following the furore surrounding fortnightly collections after they were condemned as unsuitable and unsanitary for inner cities, action on the issue is imperative. Facing up to £3bn in fines over the next four years if the fail to meet EU targets for reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills, councils are putting pressure on the government to act.
Chairman of the LGA’s environmental board, Paul Bettison was unequivocal in stating that the scheme was a green one, and not an way to create a new cash cow to milk: "if councils introduce save-as-you-throw schemes it will be to promote recycling, not generate extra cash through an extra stealth tax." He also cited that people would have to directly consider their actions when recycling and disposing of waste as they would feel any affect in cash terms.
Pointing to Europe as an example, he continued, "evidence from the continent shows "save-as-you-throw" schemes can reduce waste and boost recycling… it is vital we look at alternatives to the status quo."
Yet critics insist that such proclamations by the LGA are indeed merely plans for a stealth tax. The £3bn fines faced by councils have to be sourced from somewhere, and opponents feel that householders are being made an easy target when councils could do more to reduce waste themselves. And in spite of public support for tackling waste, some recent waste management operations from local government have proven highly unpopular with local residents. Failing to inform residents of a trial of the aforementioned wheelie bin microchips have already landed one council in trouble over a potential infringement of the human rights and privacy laws, whilst others have proved unpopular for proposing fortnightly bin collections.
Whilst it appears that there have been more misses than hits by local authorities, the LGA is determined to advocate the pay as you throw scheme, stating that if the government legislated for it, the plan could be introduced as early as 2009/2010.
Print this page